Bunnies, Not Turkeys, Star in a Local Thanksgiving Tradition

While most Americans gather around turkey dinners this Thanksgiving, a local tradition of a different stripe continues in Altadena. The Bunny Museum is maintaining its annual holiday opening and invites visitors to celebrate today with rabbits instead of fowl.

The museum, recently honored with its third Guinness World Record and set to be featured in the 2025 Guinness World Records book, offers an unconventional holiday destination. Its 7,000-square-foot space houses the world’s largest collection of rabbit-related items, now numbering 46,072 pieces.

“The Bunny Museum received its third Guinness World Record of the most bunny items in the world,” said Candace Frazee, the museum’s co-founder, highlighting their latest achievement at their location at 2605 Lake Ave. 

Among recent developments, The Bunny Museum has unveiled a new Music Gallery featuring an eclectic collection including Ray Anthony’s “Bunny Hop” sheet music, a bunny-shaped guitar, and Bad Bunny memorabilia.

“Who knew there was enough to fill a gallery?” Frazee remarked about the extensive musical collection.

The museum’s collection encompasses 111 different categories of rabbit-themed items, including vintage jewelry and 10 preserved Rose Parade float bunnies, alongside three live rabbits.

Recent acquisitions feature a 2023 Chinese New Year Banner from Los Angeles’ Chinatown, further expanding their comprehensive collection of rabbit-related cultural artifacts.

What began as a romantic gesture of daily gift exchanges between co-founders Frazee and Steve Lubanski in 1993 evolved into an established museum in 1998, before relocating to its current location in 2017.

Frazee explained that admission remains consistent during holidays: $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and military, $8 for children aged 5-12, and free for children 4 and younger.

The facility, often called “The Hoppiest Place in the World,” provides wheelchair accessibility and free lockers, though visitors should note that bags and purses are not permitted inside.

The Bunny Museum welcomes visitors on Thanksgiving Day from 12-6 p.m., with street parking available for guests.

The Museum is located at 2605 Lake Ave. in Altadena. For more,  (626) 798-8848.