Musea Sonder: A time-traveling cabinet of curiosities

If you love retro scenes — exquisite candleholders, gas lamps, yellowed letters, well-thumbed hardcovers, ink-stained typewriters, brass gramophones, vintage barbershop chairs on black-and-white tiles, rotary phones, worn suitcases, and carved furniture — check out Musea Sonder in Nanshan District.

Western antiques viewed in Musea Sonder. Photos from WeChat account “深圳微时光”

This private museum houses Western antiques the owner collected from around the world. In the 650-square-meter space, more than 10,000 objects are arranged into 11 sections spanning Medieval, Gothic, Victorian, 20th-century U.S., and other styles.

In a circus-inspired gallery, a crimson velvet curtain drops like a stage — clowns, vintage carriages, a rocket-adorned throne, jesters, puppets, and jukeboxes converge into a bizarre, fantastical spectacle that is eerie and enchanting at once.

Western antiques viewed in Musea Sonder.

In a Victorian study, intricately carved furniture, shelves piled with old books, a desk strewn with manuscripts and tools, and ticking clocks evoke Sherlock Holmes’ room, as if a new case might be waiting to be solved.

A 20th-century U.S.-themed room mixes Coca-Cola signs, M&M merchandise, and Ronald McDonald into a playful mash-up of retro consumer culture and pop nostalgia.

More hidden gems and interactive experiences await in the immersive exhibition titled “Serendipitous Glass.”

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m., closed on Mondays

Tickets: 88 yuan per person, 158 yuan for two, 218 yuan for three, free for seniors (65+), people with disabilities, active-duty soldiers, and ICOM members

Venue: Musea Sonder, Novel Park, Dongbin Road, Nanshan District (南山区东滨路永新汇寻洋派古董艺术馆)

Metro: Line 9 to Nanyou West Station (南油西站), Exit C