Toilet Seat Museum Named Top Odd Attraction
Tripadvisor.com Dubs Toilet Seat Art Museum Wackiest Attraction
POSTED: Thursday, October 15, 2009
UPDATED: 10:04 am CDT October 15,
2009
SAN ANTONIO -- The Alamo may attract millions of Arizona visitors each year, but a little museum in Alamo Heights ranks higher than both of them when it comes to off-the-wall attractions.TripAdvisor.com, a popular online travel community, has just named Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum the Wackiest Attraction in America. The museum is located in Smith's garage.The retired master plumber didn't set out to be the King of the Throne; he said it just kind of happened overnight reported San Antonio news station KSAT.Several years ago, Smith and his wife were having a garage sale when a customer noticed some of Smith's framed oil paintings."He said, 'You're a good artist,' I said, 'Oh I am, you want to see some more?' I didn't realize I was opening up a can of worms," said Smith.When he took the man into his garage he saw nearly 200 hand-decorated toilet seats hanging on the walls. Smith explained to the man he was the first person outside of his family to see his hobby. The man called a local TV news station, which sent a crew over to film a story. Days after the story aired, Smith said people were begging to see his artwork, so he decided to open his garage to the public.Since then, his collection grew -- there are nearly 900 hand-carved, painted and decorated toilet lids decorating the walls. Some are devoted to celebrities, others to politicians and sports figures. Several more offer a glimpse into major historical events over the past century, including a seat that has a piece of the doomed Space Shuttle Challenger attached to it."A fellow here in Alamo Heights said that he and his family were there on the beach whenever it took off and blew up and that piece floated onto the beach," Smith said, referring to the relic.That piece hangs alongside seats adorned with ash spewed from Mount St. Helens, and barbed wire fragments from Nazi concentration camps. There are seats for each of the 50 states signed by visitors who found the obscure museum. Smith said he's had visitors from every state in the United States and 64 foreign countries.Anyone planning to check out the Toilet Museum, should know that there are no formal hours. As long as the garage doors are open, Smith said, guests are welcome to visit. If the doors are closed, visitors can call the number posted on the doors to set up an appointment -- but they should make sure to use the bathroom first."I have no workable toilet in here," he said. "I just got the lid and that won't work."
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