INTERNATIONAL BANANA CLUB MUSEUM (first opened in 1976 IN ALTADENA, CA. THE FIRST!

The VERY FIRST Banana Museum was located at a store front in Altadena, CA and was opened in 1976 by Ken Bannister, T.B. We accumulated more than 17,000 tasteful banana related items and were located here THIRTY FIVE YEARS! ... We moved the museum to Hesperia, CA in 2005 and the city provided a no charge facility at the Harrison Center on Main Street thanks to the Recreation and Parks Department.  WORLDWIDE MEDIA  HAS FEATURED THIS CLUB AND COLLECTION FOR OVER 45 YEARS!  WE SET THE GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR "THE MOST ITEMS DEVOTED TO ANY ONE FRUIT"!  Documented in the Guinness Golden Anniversary Book back in 2005.  GUINNESS again documented in 2018 with "Marla the Amazing" See the VIDEO.   There are multiple YOUTUBE videos on Ken and the Club.

This photo was taken in the South East corner of the Altadena IBC headquarters many years ago.  Visitors cracked up that Ken had a yellow BANANA  couch!  Photo was taken by one of 12 press agencies and published in numerous magazinesl

The International Banana Club and Museum have been featured on over 105 TV shows around the world since 1976.  Content / our 45 year collection can now  be seen at a new site in Mecca, CA.  (new curator there named Fred Garbutt and his Mom) Nifty site with drinks, etc. Entry fee here and hours uncertain  but posted I think.   Check Facebook, closed due to pendemic?

This was T.B.'s favorite item and it was presented to him at a professional photographers convention in Wisconsin by a young lady in the audience at one of Ken's photo lighting lectures!  VERY FUNNY!  She said she found a petrified banana  that had been in her closet! T.B. offered  her 35 Banana Merits if she would  frame it and send to B.C. Hqt. in Altadena, CA .  She did and she got her B.M.'s and eventually the  M.B. degree. (Master of Bananistry)

THIS WAS JUST ONE OF HUNDREDS OF FULL PAGE FEATURE ARTICLES THAT WAS  PUBLISHED ABOUT THE BANANA CLUB AND MUSEUM.  THE INCENTIVE TO SEND TASTEFUL ITEMS TO THE IBC WAS THE B.M. (BANANA MERIT) OFFER AND THE TWO DEGREES: THE M.B. (MASTER OF BANANISTRY) AND THE P.H.B. (DOCTORATE OF BANANISTRY). JOIN THE CLUB, GET SOME B.M'S AND MAYBE EVEN A DEGREE IN BANANISTRY!  Don't delay, do it today.

Card carrying members  (there are more than 35,000) from around the world would call to come see the collection in Altadena and at the Hesperia, CA site.  Everyone laughed and enjoyed Ken's 20 minute verbal tour!  

PHONE TIP:  ALWAYS PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE PRIOR TO ANSWERING YOUR TELEPHONE!  BE ENTHUSIASTIC AND SINCERE.  

Glen Speer, T.B, M.B., PhB was the Top Banana of Hesperia and hosted our museum for four years.  Admission was FREE and Ken and Glen often entertained groups of SENIOR outings, school field trip groups, etc.  The city of Hesperia Rec. and Park Dept. sponsored the site on Main Street at the Harrison building.  Big mistake they made "rotating content" by the owner!

Ken, T.B. at the Apple Valley  I.B.C. Headquarters.  This is where we communicate with members around the world these days and for the past several years. We still welcome new members and all you need to do to be part of this fun, positive bunch is HIT THE BUY NOW BUTTON and use any credit card.  T.B. Ken will send you membership kit within 10 days.

Each of the books pictured published several detailed pages with photos on the Banana Club and its good  purpose as a vehicle to keep people smiling and get attention....even Banana Degrees!

You can see all of our Banana Club items collected over the last FOURTY years at the new site, or on Facebook  in Mecca, CA hosted by Fred  Garbutt & his Mom .  It's an old bar site just North of the Salton Sea near Palm Springs, CA.  All of our collection is there.