Tacky Places

American Visionary Art Museum - This museum is one of those places that doesn't mind being called a tacky treasure. It's all about honoring the quirky in all of us, and especially those brave souls who make art outside of the fine art world. >> more

Tune Inn - The Tune Inn is back.  This historic bar, with the second-oldest liquor license in the city, has been renovated following a kitchen fire. >> more

The Mystery Hole, Ansted, West Virginia - True to the grand tradition of the American roadside attraction, the Mystery Hole does everything it can to draw you in. >> more

Foamhenge - Cox Farms in Centreville, Virginia is the home of Foamhenge, a full-sized replica of Stonehenge made completely of foam by Mark Cline of Natural Bridge. >> more

Harper’s Lawn Ornaments - What I really wanted was a concrete dinosaur, preferably a Tyrannosaurus Rex, about three feet tall, for my garden. >> more

Coal Country Miniature Golf, Fairmont, West Virginia - Learn about the coal mining industry, and have fun playing miniature golf at the same time! >> more

Enchanted Forest, Ellicott City, Maryland - Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City, Maryland was a much-beloved amusement park that opened in 1955, and closed in 1989. >> more

Cooter's Place, Sperryville, Virginia - Cooters, the D.C. area mecca for Dukes of Hazzard fans, is back in business. >> more

The Miracle on 34th Street, Hampden, Baltimore, Maryland - You stroll down Chestnut Avenue, and take a left on 34th Street, and suddenly evening turns to almost day. The houses are lit, and the street is bustling with people. >> more

Tacky Tiki, Kensington, Maryland - In Kensington, Maryland, there is a replica of an Easter Island Head looking south toward Washington, D.C.
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Mt. Rainier Antique, Thrift and Salvage, Mt. Rainier, Maryland -- GONE! - I can't think of a more entertaining way to spend a Saturday afternoon than rummaging around my favorite antique store. >> more

The American Dime Museum -- GONE! - The American Dime Museum opened in 1999, and closed in 2006. I feel like this is a personal loss. Where else could I indulge my fondness for the weird and tasteless than a museum devoted to sideshow chicanery? >> more

Clog Palace, Silver Spring, Maryland -- GONE! - The Clog Palace was a mecca for the Washington D.C. area old-time music and dance crowd. Lots of wacky, tacky things happened there. >> more

Planet Wayside, Hamilton, Virginia -- GONE! - I am sorry to say that one of my first designated Tacky Treasure Places is no more. The quirky establishment known as Planet Wayside closed forever in 2006. >> more