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Angier, North Carolina: Marvin Johnson's Gourd Collection

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Angier Municipal Building

Address:
28 N. Raleigh Ave., Angier, NC
Directions:
Angier Municipal Building. Downtown, northeast corner of the intersection of Hwys 210 and 55.
Hours:
By appt. only. No Sundays. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
919-639-4413
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
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Gourd Museum

Marvin Johnson's Gourd Collection

Personal collection of all things gourd by the world's greatest gourd-lover. On display in town since his death.

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Visitor Tips and News About Marvin Johnson's Gourd Collection

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Marvin Johnson's Gourd Collection

In one town: a 30-foot pyramid/tower of bells of all sizes, AND the artistry of Marvin Johnson's (decorated) gourd collection. We drove by and saw the bells; it's not clear whether one is encouraged to pull the attached strings and play them!

The gourds in town are cool -- many and varied. First, they're located in a combination building (library and "community building") -- and the later half is part courtroom, part meeting room, and part gourd collection!

[eric schansberg, 07/02/2010]
Marvin Johnson's Gourd Collection

What a collection of gourds! I wish I could have seen them in their original location. The Library/Community building they are in was okay. My wife and I just walked into the community meeting room, turned on the lights, and started viewing. We were all by ourselves and spent a good 45 minutes to an hour looking at all the gourds. It was impossible to pick one that we liked the best. If you like weird collections you must go see this!

[Cris Swanlund, 12/06/2007]
Marvin's Gourds Make Their Move

Thanks to a campaign led by Wanda Gregory, the mayor of Angier, North Carolina, the contents of the late Marvin Johnson's Gourd Museum have been saved. The new home of the gourds is a dozen glass-fronted display cases along the walls of Angier's municipal building meeting room.

...

[04/14/2006] Complete News Story

Marvin Johnson's Gourd Museum

The Marvin Johnson Gourd Museum is currently closed, but the mayor of Angier is making an effort to save the museum. The Johnson family land was sold to a housing development company and the doors are currently closed, but the mayor is making an effort to save the museum's contents and construct a new building in town to house them. Lets hope this effort works! It would be such a shame to see this unique place be bulldozed! I work for the local newspaper and visited the museum with the mayor, who has a key, last week and was amazed. Let's hope that town efforts are successful and that this piece of Angier, North Carolina and American culture is preserved.

[Jamie Strickland, 09/09/2005]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Backyard School Bell CollectionBackyard School Bell Collection, Angier, NC - 8 mi.
Ben Harris SculpturesBen Harris Sculptures, Fuquay Varina, NC - 7 mi.
Hattadare Indian NationHattadare Indian Nation, Bunnlevel, NC - 12 mi.
In the region:
Mexican Restaurant With Cow on Roof, Durham, NC - 34 mi.

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