Sandia Park, New Mexico: Tinkertown

Great attraction ~ something to see everywhere you look! Well worth the $3 admission fee ($2.50 for geezers and geezettes). Beautiful drive in the Sandia Mountains.

Best. Roadside. Museum. Ever.

Great stop of our cross country trip. Worth the detour from Hwy 40. We got there about an hour before they were closing on a Wednesday, so they people there were kind enough to let me go through the museum with my dog, Cowboy. Plus, there was a sign in the yard that provided me with one of the best pieces of advice ever: "Live life as the pursuit of happiness."

We stopped here on our way up the mountain to Sandia Crest. I was in heaven! If you love antiques and collectibles, it's even better. I could have easily spent more time there looking at all of the intricate carvings behind the glass. There are a few buttons that when held down make items move within the scenes. Also, there's a real fortune telling machine, complete with a gypsy lady inside. Bring a few quarters along because there are plenty of gadgets and machines; besides the Fortune Teller, there's a handshake gauge, plus a couple that put out music. "Otto, The One Man Band" is spectacular!

There were walls built out of old glass bottles and cement, old license plates used to cover up uneven places along the wooden walkway, and horseshoes embedded in the concrete. Not to be forgotten is the Theodora R, which is an antique sailboat on display there that actually sailed around the world in 10 years. Fritz Damler donated the boat to the museum, and has written a book about his voyage.

If you're headed to Sandia Crest, plan to leave a couple of hours earlier and stop at Tinkertown on your way!

Tinkertown is still alive and well, although Ross has passed away. His wife, Carla, and other family members keep the museum going. We are on an 8 week RV trip around the country, and Tinkertown is one memory we will keep smiling about for a long time. Maybe the best three bucks I have ever spent. P.S. Don't miss Otto, the one-man band!

Still the same as it was 10 years ago, the last time I visited. Went there with my 23 year old daughter and her girlfriend. the place is still as it was described in the other posts. A wonderful thing that wasn't mentioned in the other reports is a coin operated mechanical band that has been kept in good shape and plays wonderfully. A lot of wonderful stuff here, some of which fully deserves to go into a real museum someday. The museum was fairly busy, as it was Easter and many people had come into the area to go picnicking, and had stopped by "just because."