On Peaks Island, Maine, the Umbrella Cover Museum turns a commonly discarded household item into the focus of a playful but sincere collection. Founded by Nancy 3. Hoffman after she discovered seven umbrella covers in 1990, it grew from her kitchen to a larger location in 2000 and eventually expanded to more than 2,000 covers from over 70 countries by August 2021. Its mission is to celebrate overlooked ordinary things, a purpose reflected in exhibitions, donated cases saved after umbrellas were lost, and Hoffman’s personal tours. In 2012, Guinness World Records recognized her collection, then 730 pieces, as the world’s largest umbrella cover collection.