Loogootee, Indiana: Birdhouse Paradise of Bill Larkin (Closed)
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Directions:
- Northwest of town. From US Hwy 231 turn west at the white St. Mary's Catholic Church sign onto County Rd 350 N. Drive west 1.5 miles. When you see the church on the right, turn right onto County Rd 1200 E. Drive north, crossing Boggs Lake. Make the first right after the lake onto County Rd 500 N. You'll see the dome ahead on the left.
- Hours:
- Closed permanently July 2022.
- Status:
- Closed
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Bill Larkin spent years filling the yard of his geodesic dome home with thousands of hand-painted birdhouses. Closed permanently when Bill passed away in July 2022.
Roadsideamerica.com Report... [07/31/2016]Visitor Tips and News About Birdhouse Paradise of Bill Larkin
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
The world became less vibrant this week with the passing of Bill Larkin (1944-2022), who lived in Loogootee, Indiana, in a geodesic dome he called "The Crazy Place." Bill, who died on July 10, had spent years locked in a windowless room as a military coder, so he filled his property with thousands of neon-hued, hand-painted birdhouses.
Bill told us he didn't really care about birds, "I just wanted color!" He also crafted birdhouses that he would offer as gifts to anyone who stopped by (he refused cash donations, but would accept gifts of cheap beer).
Instead of a TV or a smartphone, Bill filled his home with overstuffed recliners so that he could gaze up at its domed ceiling crammed with hanging twinkly lights and more birdhouses. "Everybody asks, 'How did you plan this?'" Bill told us. "There was no plan. I just went nuts. That's me!"
[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 07/15/2022]
You have to smile and enjoy. It's bright, colorful, whimsical, and fun. Mr Larkin enjoys sharing joy with others. Exploring the unusual can be so much more fascinating than the normal.
[Pam, 10/20/2019]
Charming. Bill is very pleasant, and there's so much to see.
[Meme and Gma, 09/07/2019]
Make sure you stop in and say hello to Bill. He is quite a character.
[Jerry, 07/07/2017]Page of 2 [Next 2 items]
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