I wasn't looking for a firefighting museum in Istanbul, but İBB İtfaiye Müzesi turned out to be a surprisingly interesting piece of the city's history - and admission is free.

I actually got a bit of sensory overload from all the cats. But at the same time, the Cat Museum in Beşiktaş is one of those places in Istanbul where it’s hard not to get carried away. Two floors packed with retro toys, comics, collectibles, and cats from pop culture—and to top it off, admission is completely free.