Ferndale, California - Kinetic Museum

A must-see is the wonderful and well-hidden Kinetic Museum. Tucked in a back room of the Ferndale Art Gallery, the museum may soon be closed due to lack of interest and funding. For right now, however, what a wonderful collection of American ingenuity that has combined form with function in designing foot-pedal-only vehicles capable of going over land, water, sand and mud in an annual grueling 3-day race from Arcata to Ferndale. Vehicles on display resemble everything from a space saucer to a bumble bee; many are made from paper mache.

Behind the museum room, Stan Bennett creates wonderful whimsical moving sculptures on display all over the building. Both are well worth a visit. [Jan Norwood, 07/02/2006]

[RA: Feb. 2009: The Museum is still open, and volunteer clean-up efforts are underway to bring it out of its current state of dustiness.]

I grew up on the scenic north coast of CA. There is a town off US 101 between Fotuna and Eureka called Ferndale. The town used to host a "Kinetic Sculpture Race" every year. Usually in conjunction with "Rhododendron days". The entire town was a roadside attraction. It included kitzchy galleries for stained glass interspersed with oddball attractions like a "puppet theater". All in all an eclectic mix for any traveler. [Kenneth Swanson, 11/11/1997]