If Carmen Miranda could see her museum, she’d roll over in her grave (spilling pineapples and bananas everywhere). A concrete bunker in a postage stamp-size park surrounded by four lanes of traffic hardly seems a fitting tribute to the flamboyant ’40s film star. Inside the banana bunker, however, the small collection does a fine job illustrating Carmen Miranda’s star appeal.
A large number of her publicity photos are on display blown up to near life-size, along with smaller photos showing the story of her life and career, including her 1939 American breakthrough in the Broadway musical Streets of Paris. Also on display is the outfit she wore to the 1941 Academy Awards ceremony, as well as jewelry and accessories, including the trademark tall fruit hats. The museum also has a large collection of video documentaries, biographies, the movies she starred in, and a compilation of her songs. The receptionist is delighted to play these for visitors.