Weird Austin

I’ve heard the slogan “Keep Austin Weird,” so when I was in Austin recently, I tried to find what, exactly, was weird about it. In my quest for weird Austin, I found a few places, couldn’t find some others I was looking for, and missed a good deal, I imagine.

Museum of the Weird

A great place to start on a weird Austin pilgrimage is the Museum of the Weird! Found on seedy, touristy 6th Street, the museum is located inside the Lucky Lizard gift shop.

The Museum of the Weird is an homage – a distillation, maybe – of all the old dime museums and sideshows that used to dot America in the early 20th century. You’ll find creepy attractions like dismembered fingers, mutated skulls, hairy fish, a Fiji mermaid, shrunken heads, and lots of two-headed something or others. There’s also movie memorabilia, which I found to be a lot of fun.

You enter the museum through a curtain in the back of the shop, and at first, it kinda looks like it’s just a back room. There are tight spaces and walls chock full of things to look at – the whole experience is one of slowing down. But there’s more to the museum than this first floor. Make sure you go out the back and up the stairs to see “The Creature In Ice” in what looks like a shed. Keep going for a circus sideshow part of the museum and a small, mid-point gift shop. Then at the very top is a fun wax museum of old horror movie monsters. It’s all very nook-and-cranny, so make sure to explore every bit.

Admission & Hours

The Museum of the Weird is open daily from 10 am-7 pm and closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day, plus if the weather is really bad. There’s free street parking for up to two hours and plenty of nearby lots. Try to go on a weekday – you’ll have much better luck with parking and not quite so many people crammed into the small spaces.

It costs $12.99 for adults and $8.99 for kids under 8. I won’t say it’s actually scary, but it is dark and spooky, so you’ll have to judge if your kids are ready for something like this.

Cathedral of Junk

Only about 15 minutes south of the Museum of the Weird is the Cathedral of Junk. It’s in a south Austin neighborhood, literally in the creator’s backyard. So there’s no official parking, bathrooms, or anything like that. In fact, you probably should make an appointment to visit if you really want to see it. I came by on a rainy Saturday in early December. There were other people there, and I was able to visit without calling ahead. It might be open most days like that, or at least weekends, but that’s definitely not a guarantee.

While you can’t really see anything driving in or from the street, once you get into the backyard, the cathedral is amazing! There’s a towering chapel at the front, and two or three ways to climb up to higher levels. Behind the chapel are cave-like rooms that invite exploring. I think you could never run out of things to look at here. Sure, it is “junk,” but it’s fun junk, if that makes sense. Dolls and cans and signs and tires and bottles – and collated or painted into rainbow sections. Plus, the Cathedral is always changing as Vince, the owner, adds and subtracts as he desires. You might even run into Vince while you’re there. It reminds me a little of Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, but I like this a lot better – it’s more like an extravagant treehouse. (And, I think, far more creative.)

Admission & Hours

There’s no admission fee for the Cathedral of Junk, but there is a donation box. I highly recommend leaving a donation behind so it can keep growing. And as I said, there’s no official parking. Try to park on the same side as Vince’s house and as out of the way of the neighbors as you can. Definitely make sure not to block any driveways or mailboxes. They may or may not love having a ton of extra people around.

There are no set hours, but if you want to visit, call Vince at 512-299-7413. Again, you can try to stop by as I did, but no guarantees.

Uncommon Objects

The last place on my list is right around the corner from the Cathedral of Junk. Uncommon Objects is an antique store, but a very unique one. They call themselves “a one-of-a-kind emporium of transcendent junk.” You can find items here you definitely wouldn’t find anywhere else! It’s a lot of fun to walk around, even more fun to buy. It’s not exactly the place to score a deal, depending on what your opinion of a deal is, but it’s an amazing collection.

Uncommon Objects is open daily from 10 am-6 pm. There’s a small amount of parking in the front, and a larger lot behind.

Other Weird Austin Spots

I tried to find the Museum of Natural and Artificial Ephemerata, but the address I found lead me to someone’s house. I’m not sure if that’s the owner’s house and you’d need to call for an appointment, or if it closed during the pandemic.

I passed the Mueller Sunflowers on the highway, but I didn’t stop. These flowers used to soak up the sun and light up softly at night, but now they do neither.

Casa Neverlandia looks like a lot of fun, though you definitely need to arrange for a tour in advance since I think it is the artist’s private residence. Tours are periodically announced on its Facebook page or send an email to talbot@talbotworld.com to inquire. Tours cost $15 per person and last about an hour.

Sparky Park used to be a power sub-station. After it shut down and became an eyesore, the city commissioned a wall and made it into a whimsical grotto. Touchable scenes and toys are embedded in the walls for a fun experience for all ages.

I can’t believe I missed this place – Curia Arcanum’s House of Curiosities is another shop full of oddments. Literal cabinets of curiosities hold rare items, jewelry, “wet specimens,” and more. Located in an unassuming strip of shops near some condos.

I drove by, but didn’t stop at Peter Pan Mini Golf. You might not think putt-putt is all that weird, but, you haven’t seen this place.

Lastly, depending on your definition of “weird,” during Austin’s hot months, you can view the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge emerge at dusk. A highlight of weird Austin for years, the hotter and dryer the day, the more bats you’ll see.