One-of-a-kind Hair Museum filled with century old mementos closes its doors

Hair, Human hair. Hair woven into jewellery, wreaths, keepsakes. Michael Jackson's hair. Marilyn Monroe's hair. Hair as art, hair as spectacle.

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It was Leila Cohoon's world, and she showcased it all at Leila’s Hair Museum, located in an otherwise unremarkable freestanding building on Noland Road in Independence, Missouri. Cohoon died in November at the age of 92, and as of last week, her family has decided to close her surreal attraction — the only museum of its kind in the world, open since 1986. That is the bad news. The good news is that the four grandchildren to whom she bequeathed the museum have spent much of this year identifying new owners for these one-of-a-kind artifacts.

“It was my grandmother's greatest wish that people keep seeing the pieces,” said Lindsay Evans, Cohoon's granddaughter. “I think she always hoped we'd all just quit our jobs and take over the museum. But we all have full-time jobs. So the next best thing was to rehome these pieces in other collections so people all across the country can see and appreciate them.”

So the collection isn’t gone. It's scattering. Some pieces are headed to the Vaile Mansion, the Alexander Majors House, the John Wornall House, and the Atkins Johnson Farm. Others will soon be on display at major art institutions including the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.