Austin, Texas: Cathedral of Junk

I couldn't get Vince [owner/builder] on the phone to make an appointment. He has a voicemail with instructions, but I figured if I ever wanted to see the Cathedral I'd have to take a chance he'd be willing to show it to me after driving 12 hours. I brought my own piece of junk and planned to leave it on his doorstep and take a photo from his fence.

However, as luck would have it he was there, and super cool. It probably helped that I had five kids bounce out with anticipation to see his sculptures; he caved fairly quickly after learning how far we drove just to see his art. He doesn't charge for kids to see his Cathedral but I gave him an extra donation since he allowed us in without an appointment. To me it was worth way more.

Park in front of his house, as he says that not all his neighbors are cool or fans of his art. I felt safe in his neighborhood; there were lots of people walking their dogs. He has a friendly personality and he seemed to enjoy our visit despite us interrupting his yard work, and even walked us to our vehicle when we decided to leave after about an hour. He allowed us to take live video, still photos, selfies with him, walk unsupervised through his backyard, and answered whatever questions we had. He does not do anything internet related, so don't expect to get an appointment through Facebook or any way other than his phone number.

Vince welcomed my piece of junk and said that's how he built the Cathedral, with other people's junk. He said it's not uncommon for people to show up without an appointment when he's not there and leave their junk on his doorstep (He is totally fine with that as well). The inside of the Cathedral really does feel much larger than it looks from the outside. Vince compared it to a Dr. Who TARDIS.

We visited today, and it is one of the best junk art stops I have ever been to! Filled my heart with joy, and I am an avid RA tripper. There's so much to this place, beyond what the photos show. The owner may be a touch surly, but in a lovable way. This is his art, his baby, and he has plans for expansion. Just please call ahead and park where instructed to. We went on a Saturday midday, and there seemed to be a few people milling about on respective pre-arranged visits. He asks for a $10 donation, and considering his effort, I'll give more the next time I go. And there will be a next time.

Totally rad! Make sure to call ahead. Guy that runs it is over being a tour guide I think, but definitely worth a stop.

I just made an appointment to see the Cathedral of Junk and was told it would cost $10.00 and he was busy until next week. So plan ahead and bring your wallet.

Absolutely amazing, 3 levels. Totally fun and ridiculous -- worth a stop indeed.