Maine Woman Has the World's Largest Umbrella Cover Collection

I used to collect sea glass when I was a little kid and I loved it! I took great pride in watching my collection grow. As I got older, my collection got pushed to the back burner. Getting a job and paying bills started to really infringe on the hours I was once able to dedicate to digging for sea glass. So sadly I stopped adding to the collection. But don't worry, I still have it! It sits proudly in glass vase in my apartment! I think people who collect things are cool ESPECIALLY if their collections are decades in the making.

Nancy Hoffman from Peaks Island, Maine, is the proud owner of the world's largest umbrella cover collection. Don't believe me? Just consult Guinness and his book of world records! They have held the title since July 2nd, 2012 (next year will be their 10th anniversary!) As of a few months ago, the collection is now at 2,000 covers!

According to guinnessworldrecords.com, Nancy converted her home into the Umbrella Cover Museum. They give tours, have a gift shop, they even have an official song for the museum! The words go like this:

“Whenever skies are gray,
Don`t you worry or fret,
A smile will bring the sunshine,
And you`ll never get wet!
So, let a smile be your umbrella,
On a rainy, rainy day
Just let a smile be your umbrella,
On a rainy, rainy day
And if your sweetie cries, just tell her,
That a smile will always pay”

I like to think that Nancy is performing this little ditty on the accordion in the photo below:

The Umbrella Cover Museum is somewhat of a national treasure. It has been featured on NPR, The Weather Channel, BBC, NY Times, Boston Globe & more. They open for the season on Memorial Day Weekend. Checking out this quirky spot (and visiting Peaks Island) is on my Summer bucket list.