Museum of Laughter opens in Zagreb on International Laughter Day

The “HaHaHouse” in Zagreb is the first museum dedicated exclusively to making its visitors laugh, according to its founder and, appropriately, it opened on 10 January, the International Day of Laughter.

The attraction combines humour, art and technology, and was designed by a team of domestic and foreign designers, architects, artists and experts. The museum aims to make visitors of all ages laugh, regardless of their preferences in terms of humour.

In HaHaHouse, playful installations and interactive displays await that encourage visitors to participate and have a good time. Before entering, however, they must pass through a happiness scanner, followed by disinfection and then pre-washing.

“We have every kind of washing that is currently present in the world. We provide brain washing, money laundering, while from the third washing room comes the octopus of society, and if you look closer you may find a so-called Happy Portal that is the centrifuge of life,” explains Andrea Golubić, founder of the museum.

A handmade black and white world

The Happy Portal is actually a spiral slide that takes visitors to the playground of laughter.

There is also a black and white world, the work of an artist from Venezuela. “We worked on the projects for 2 years, and on this room for about 3-4 weeks, it was all done by hand,” tells the artist, Patricio Alejandro Aguero Marino.

Golubić got the idea for the project in an effort to bring back joy and cheerfulness to people in times full of stress and fatigue, during the COVID-19 lockdown.

HaHaHouse hopes to help with people’s mental health, providing an opportunity for laughter, relaxation and connection through everyday life situations, offering a break from stress and monotonous everyday life, emphasise the founders of the museum.

Comic book heroes, Mr. H and Koka – are the only museum guides. In the educational section of the museum, visitors check which type of humour, out of 20, applies to them.