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- Eaton, Colorado - Antique Washing Machine Museum
Lee Maxwell, a fanatical collector of ancient washing machines, has rebuilt most to "working condition" -- over 800 machines. Contact Lee at oldewash@aol.com to schedule an on-site tour.
[Roadside America Team, 04/27/2002]Lee Maxwell Washing Machine Museum:- Address:
- 35901 County Rd 31, Eaton, CO
- Directions:
- I-25 exit 265. Drive east 11.5 miles to County Rd 31. The museum is three miles west of town on Lee Maxwell's farm, which is on the southwest corner of County Rds 31 and 74.
- Hours:
- By appt only. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 970-454-1856
- Admission:
- Tours $75, up to 10 people.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
- Washington, DC - Squished Penny Museum
This was described in a Washington Post article (12/31/01) and is a private museum seen by appointment only. I've never heard of this, but apparently tourist attractions used to sell these souvenir pennies and had machines you could squish them in and they've got 2,000 of them at this place.
[William S. Zaza, 01/21/2001]Squished Penny Museum:- Hours:
- Closed - online only since 2007.
- Status:
- Gone
A blend of slick design, "experiential" displays, and real spy gadgets reveals the secret and sordid world of espionage and covert operations.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 700 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC
- Directions:
- Two blocks south of the National Mall, on the east side of 10th St. SW/L'Enfant Plaza, SW, just south of its intersection with D St. SW.
- Hours:
- Daily 10-6 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 202-393-7798
- Admission:
- Adults $25.
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
Classic old wax museum, formerly the second-largest in the world, exhibits a tight assemblage of historical figures and celebrities.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- 31 Orange St., St. Augustine, FL
- Directions:
- In the downtown historic district. Two blocks west of Hwy 1A/S. Castillo Drive, on the south side of Orange St.
- Hours:
- Su-Th 10-5, F-Sa 10-7 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 904-829-9056
- Admission:
- Adults $10.
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
James Brown: First Monument with a Jukebox?
Before it finally was erected, the life-size bronze statue of James Brown in downtown Augusta, Georgia, weathered its share of controversies. And now that it's finally up, storm clouds have gathered once more.
That's because Marion Williams, city Commissioner and pastor of the Friendship Baptist Church, who initially whooped up public support to raise the statue, now wants to enliven it with flashing stage lights, a coin-operated jukebox, and audio narrating the life of the now-dead [12/25/2006] Godfather of Soul.
"I proposed to put some lights across it, because James Brown was an entertainer," said Williams, "and maybe get something set up where people could insert money into a machine to hear 30 seconds of one of his Top 10 songs."
We've encountered statues that talk and sing before, but they're usually of anthropomorphized animals (There's also a chatty bust of George Washington Carver at his birthplace in Diamond, Missouri.). This extra bit of audio showmanship has always been free, at the push of a button. Will people pay cash to re-animate James Brown?
"This is something that would enhance people to come even more," Williams argues. "When they come to Augusta, they'd stop by and do that," He adds that the fee will bring in money to the city, which is probably still paying off the $40,000 sticker price of the statue.
"There wasn't a whole lot of people disagreeing with it," said Williams. One of them, however, is Deke Copenhaver, Augusta's mayor. Copenhaver feels that the idea is disrespectful to Brown's family, who live just outside of the city in Beech Island, South Carolina (And who, in fairness, have proposed turning Brown's house and mausoleum there into a Graceland-style tourist attraction).
Williams dismisses those who dismiss his idea. "A couple of people thought it might be a gimmick of some kind," he said. "But James Brown was an entertainer. He's always been entertaining. I just think this kind of thing would enhance it."
According to Williams, the Augusta City Administrator is now breaking down the costs of the proposed enhancements. Despite the mayor's misgivings, it's "very, very probable that this could happen."
[02/24/2007]- Address:
- 850 Broad St., Augusta, GA
- Directions:
- The statue stands in the median of Hwy 28/Broad St., between 8th and 9th Sts.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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Thanks to the folks at the Frank Foster radio program for reminding us about this place.