Classic Monsters - The Kirk Hammett Collection at SFO Museum

There's a lot going on here that you might have questions about. First of all, yes, SFO refers to the San Francisco International Airport, and yes, SFO does have an acclaimed museum, installed throughout the entire airport. Should you be lucky enough to be traveling to or from SFO, you will have a pleasing walk through its terminals, witnessing lovingly curated works of art and eclectic collections galore.

Classic Monsters in an international airport? Yes—the Hollywood heavy hitters from yesteryear: Frankenstein's monster, Wolf Man, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon—all those guys (in my rush to get to my gate, I didn't capture any Bride of Frankenstein, which is disappointing). There's some lesser-known monsters too: Great Garloo, Uncle Fester, Mole Man, and one of my favorites, The Crawling Eye. If you're hankerin' for some monster memorabilia, this is the exhibit to see.

Thirdly, you read that right—this is the collection of Kirk Hammett, Metallica guitarist and horror-movie fanatic. According to the SFO Museum exhibit guide, Hammett stumbled upon the 1931 Frankenstein on TV when he was six years old and never looked back, man. Hammett's so deeply committed to monsters, he even starred in a movie called Some Kind of Monster.

Check out his modus operandi:



Kirk Hammett knows his monster stuff and is a pure fan of the genre. Here's some quickly snapped photos from the SFO exhibit in terminal 2, post security. You can see the SFO Museum even if you're not traveling by getting in touch and scheduling a visit. The SFO Museum FAQ answers all other questions.

And now, Monsters.

Everyone calls him Frankenstein but let's be frank, he's simply the Monster

Creature From the Black Lagoon board game with cheerful pop-art spinner

You gotta admire the creative type who came up with The Crawling Eye

Fester puppet deserves a closeup

Great Garloo robot cost $17.98 in 1961 - probably higher today

I like to imagine Hammett relaxing after a grueling rehearsal by making some monster candles

Hammett used to bring his magazines to class - no doubt a popular fellow in the school yard

A very effective Mummy's Chariot model

I kind of want to befriend Hammett so we can play some board games

The Wolf Man paint-by-numbers kit comes with oils (classy)

Creeeeepy model kit for that creepy kid who lived down the block

Kind of dark