Tinkertown--Sandia Park, NM

[satyrich]

Last week while en route to Phoenix, I finally got a chance to stop at Tinkertown, about which woodwhat had raved after her visit. I arrived ahead of schedule, and the creator's wife, who still maintains and runs the place with a couple of helpers, was gracious enough to offer to open up early for me.

Background information is available on the

Comments

[silverrose]

I'm not sure I get it- what's the point of this place? I went to the website too and couldn't really find any useful info...

[satyrich]

It began as a huge miniature circus that the artist (a painter for circuses and carnivals) displayed at county fairs. He added the Wild West town later, and then built the museum around the miniatures to give them a permanent home and filled the museum itself with all kinds of cool stuff too--collectibles, antiques, dolls, old signs, etc.

Basically just a big piece of spontaneous art without any real purpose but to entertain the artist first and anyone else as an afterthought. Like some of the best art, I find. ;-)

[hurricanecarol]

We actually have a similar place here in town, not too far from my house. I went there the other day with the intent of taking pictures, but it was already too late and the light wasn't right. It's just random art and some of it is just random stuff (like an inflatable Santa hanging from a tree with a big sign dangling from his feet that says "Elvis". It's a big artist and musician hang out.

That Boot Hill scene is really wild!