I wanted to be six again. I wanted to hold my arms out and twirl then skip from place to place. Why do we grown ups stop twirling and skipping when there are still places of wonder that deserve a happy twirl and an enthusiastic skip?
The American Treasure Tour Museum is a warehouse of happy—crazy, cluttered, eclectic happy. A Mad Hatter and a child with a blank check went shopping together, purpose and whimsy. Purpose is evident in the collection of player instruments—pianos, organs, circus organs, and even violins. These may be anything from the beautifully crafted with art deco glass, intricate inlay boxes, to garish curlicues, bling and bright paint–music from boardroom to bordello. All manner of these instruments live on here alongside the equally purposeful (or so it seems) 45s and LPs displayed on the walls in their original jackets.
Circus organs connected to circus clowns, posters, merry go rounds, rides, and animals. Automated animals, including an elephant that moves both ears and trunk thread into automatons. A sword swallower, a mama goat and her kids, and these connect to seasonal store window decorations. Seasonal store decorations connected to store and product logos in one branch and plush animals in another. Perhaps I’m imagining the order in the chaos brought on by my dizzying, inner twirling.
My jaw never left the floor. My eyes never stopped darting about to find each and every hidden treasure. “Look at that. Did you see that?” My tour companions might have gotten bored with my pointing and “Look at that-ing” if they hadn’t been doing the exact same thing. Dolls, cars, trucks, lamps, signs, masks, costumes, dentist chairs and a giant slinky are but a small sample of the wonders in every nook and cranny.
Go visit and let your inner six-year-old out to play. Twirling and skipping are encouraged. I double dog dare you.
