| Funky Folk Art Menageries Houston, Texas How none of this runs afoul of the zoning laws is anyone's guess, but Houston boasts an unparalleled treasure trove of eye-popping, jaw-dropping, traffic-stopping environmental folk art. Several of these colossal efforts by local eccentrics have endured long enough to become cherished institutions in the community. In recent years Houston's reputation for such homegrown art has made it a national mecca for "art car" enthusiasts and other celebrants of naive creativity. For a decidedly different look at Houston's cultural landscape, just head for the working-class neighborhoods of the central city, where some folks apparently have lots of time on their hands, lots of junk in their yards, and solitary visions remarkably unimpeded by complaints from neighbors. For another glimpse of the city's stranger side, head to the National Museum of Funeral History and its many macabre displays. Use our route planner to find hotels for your next trip. | BEST OF THE ROAD:
|  | ||||||||
 | | |||||||||
| Orange Show 2402 Munger St Houston, TX 77023 Call (713) 926-6368  |  | The Houston Press called the Orange Show Monument, "the Acropolis of folk art," which gives you a general idea of the site's esoteric appeal. The lasting testament to retired postal worker Jefferson Davis McKissack's questionable vision of building a monument to the orange, the Orange Show is part castle and part scrap heap, full of meandering mazes and passageways that lead to oddball observation decks and ampitheaters. It really is an almost indescribable extravaganza, decked out with wild whirligigs, flags, and all manner of castoff junk that McKissack collected in nearly two decades of building his dream. A concrete pond navigated by a steamboat on wheels is just one absurd highlight. McKissack built the homespun theme park every day beginning in 1959 and continuing through the grand opening in 1979; he would lay awake at night envisioning what addition he might make the next day to his "ninth wonder of the world." He genuinely believed that more than 300,000 visitors would come annually, and died brokenhearted in 1980 after seeing the crowds dwindle from merely 150 on opening day to very infrequent throngs of curiosity seekers. Today, the Orange Show is run by a private foundation and entertains thousands of visitors annually. The Orange Show Foundation sponsors exhibits and art-related programming throughout the year, including an annual art car parade. The foundation also sponsors workshops, music, storytelling, and performance programs for adults and children. Tour hours change seasonally. | | |||||||
| Beer Can House 222 Malone St Houston, TX 77007 Call (713) 926-6368 |  | Fashioned by a retiree with a truly monumental love of beer, this otherwise ordinary tract house shimmers in the sunshine, tinkles in the wind, and draws curious visitors from all over the country. John Milkovisch, who passed on in 1988, hated lawn mowing and house painting, so in the late '60s he paved over the yard with concrete and began cladding the wooden bungalow with his own homespun aluminum siding -- flattened Budweiser, Texas Pride, Shiner, Coors, and Busch cans, generally whatever he found on sale. Later, he added streamers from the eaves made of strung-together pull tabs, as well as other decorative touches. The Beer Can House, considered by the cognoscenti to be an outstanding example of "outsider" folk art, has been restored and is open to visitors Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 PM. Admission to the grounds costs $1, or $5 for a guided tour which includes the home. Just a few blocks away, at 5420 Floyd Street, you'll find another curiosity known as Tempietto Zeni (pronounced "zany"), a corrugated metal home featuring culvert pipes as Ionic columns, upside-down water spigots, and numerous other whimsical flourishes. | | |||||||
| Art Car Museum 140 Heights Blvd Houston, TX 77007 Call (713) 861-5526 | | Clad in sheet metal and spikes, this facility houses the automotive equivalent of a Halloween costume pageant -- a rotating exhibit of six cars gussied up so outlandishly that even inveterate motorheads may have some difficulty guessing makes and models. The collection includes "Rex the Rabbit," a 15-foot-tall VW in a bunny suit, and an old Camaro encrusted with beads, jewels, and skulls. The museum operates Wednesday through Sunday, 11am-6pm. | | |||||||
| National Museum of Funeral History 415 Barren Springs Dr Houston, TX 77090 Call (281) 876-3063 | | Ever wondered how one might go about embalming a body on a battlefield? Or what a chicken-shaped coffin looks like? Or what it would be like to work in a casket factory? Find out the answers to all of these and more at the National Museum of Funeral History, which avers that "every day above ground is a good one." Stop in the gift shop to buy a souvenir casket paperweight, syringe-shaped pen, or baseball cap bearing the slogan "In dog years, I'm dead." | ||||||||
| ||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Franchise Opportunities |
Company Information |
Careers |
News Room |
Hotel List |
Destinations
Online Privacy | Terms of Use | Site Map LQ Management LLC © 2009 LA QUINTA and RETURNS are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office |
|
 |
 |
Funky Folk Art Menageries