Pencil Sharpener Museum

The Pencil Sharpener Museum, officially the Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum, is a museum showcasing about 3,479 pencil sharpeners just outside of Logan, Ohio. It is located off Ohio State Route 664, inside the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. It is believed to be the largest collection of these items in the entire country, claiming to contain no duplicates.^[2]

Paul A. Johnson Pencil Sharpener Museum

Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center in 2024; the Pencil Sharpener Museum is the small building on the right
Location within Ohio Show map of Ohio Pencil Sharpener Museum (the United States) Show map of the United States
Established	1989
Location	13178 OH-664, Logan, Ohio 43138
Coordinates	39.5365°N 82.4445°W / 39.5365; -82.4445
Collection size	3,479 (2023)[1]
Founder	Paul A. Johnson
Owner	Charlotte A. Johnson

History

The museum's interior

The collection was started by Rev. Paul Johnson in 1989.^[3] His wife, Charlotte, had bought him two metal car-shaped sharpeners as a gift, and Johnson needed a hobby following his retirement in 1988.^[2] Johnson died in 2010, and Charlotte decided to move the collection to Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center.^[4][5]

Exhibits

The pencil sharpeners are organized by category, having sections such as food, travel, music, and others. The oldest sharpeners can be found on the lower shelves, and the collection also contains a book describing the correct way to sharpen a pencil. There are also many different materials in the collection, including plastic, metal, and glass versions, along with ones that can be handheld, hung on the walls, or shelf-mounted.^[4]