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Within the yard of a single-story dwelling in Austin, Texas, rises a towering attraction referred to as the “Cathedral of Junk.”
The 35-foot construction is made up of 60 tons of steel, rubber, concrete and glass, and constructed from outdated tires, lighting fixtures and whirlybirds long-established right into a pyramid-like form.
“Skis, crutches — I feel I’ve acquired sufficient procuring carts lastly,” the artist and home-owner Vince Hannemann, 63, informed The Impartial.
Step contained in the Cathedral of Junk and also you’ll discover dozens of glass bottles poking by way of the partial cement partitions. Gentle shines by way of the highest of the construction’s body the place rescued treasures have but to fill all of the gaps. Guests publish photos of themselves outdoors the set up, subsequent to a “Welcome To Fabulous Trash Vegas” signal or sitting on a throne fabricated from upside-down crutches.
Hannemann defined the structure as finest he can, noting it “doesn’t essentially make any type of linear sense.”
“There is a large domed room up entrance — it is virtually three tales tall and kaleidoscopic, and that may be the most important room,” he mentioned.
“The remainder of it’s actually a bunch of various staircases that go as much as not an entire lot, however there is a second story. You possibly can in all probability put possibly six or seven or eight folks on the second story, after which the third story is generally a variety of steps,” he defined.
“There is a sitting space on the high for like about three or 4 folks, and that is about it.“
In 1988, when Hannemann was in his mid-twenties, he started constructing the Cathedral of Junk behind his dwelling with out rhyme or purpose. He’s been slowly including objects you’d usually discover at a scrap yard ever since, with the assistance of holiday makers who donate their very own junk.
The Cathedral of Junk began as a grouping of particular person sculptures “however over time they type of grew collectively,” Hannemann mentioned.
When requested about his inspiration for the challenge, Hannemann defined how his love of artwork began in childhood.
“I have been constructing sculptures within the yard ever since I used to be a child, so it is simply type of what I love to do,” he informed The Impartial throughout an interview that may at occasions be interrupted by Hannemann greeting guests on a busy Saturday.
Hannemann mentioned one in every of his favourite components about operating the Cathedral of Junk is seeing little youngsters work together along with his relics.
“I had this little woman right here the opposite day, and she or he was like, ‘Mommy, mommy, take a look at these outdated computer systems,’ and she or he was pointing on the typewriters,” he mentioned.
Hannemann additionally recalled a candy second with one other little woman when she noticed strings of CDs hanging and reflecting daylight: “Her eyes acquired all huge. She goes, ‘Mommy, fairies!’ And I used to be like, ‘Aw, that is too cute.’”
Hannemann — who grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, earlier than shifting to Austin in 1989 — went to school to review structure for a semester, however “found that that was actually not my scene.”
“I did not wish to be an architect. That is manner too structured for me,” he mentioned.
Hannemann began displaying off the Cathedral of Junk within the early Nineties. He lastly grew to become a full-time artist in 2008 after Financial institution of America filmed a nationwide business that included a clip of his large sculpture, giving him residual funds for a yr.
“And when that occurred, folks began asking me, ‘Hey, what do you name that?’ So I did not know what to inform them,” Hannemann mentioned. “My mother began calling it the Cathedral of Junk, after which that caught like glue, and it type of acquired a lifetime of its personal after that.”
He ran right into a snag in 2010 when town of Austin made him get a constructing allow following a grievance from a neighbor. However he mentioned “occasions have modified,” and for the final 4 years his neighborhood affiliation has had its annual celebration on the Cathedral of Junk.
Hannemann informed Austin’s official tourism website that there was no profound that means behind the sculpture.
“I simply did it as a result of I preferred it. And once I cease liking it, I am going to take it down,” he mentioned.
And in case you go to the Cathedral of Junk, you might depart a mark. Hannemann accepts donations — that’s, in case you can half together with your outdated bowling trophy gathering mud within the storage. “That’s the place I just about get all of it from,” he mentioned.
Whereas admission is free, Hannemann mentioned he additionally accepts money donations. Folks from everywhere in the nation, and around the globe, have stepped inside Hannemann’s yard to see the Cathedral of Junk with their very own eyes.
“Each nation, each state, in every single place,” Hannemann mentioned.
Austin journey influencer Yvette Arriaga referred to as the Cathedral of Junk “probably the most thrilling and craziest issues I’ve ever seen and is a good spot for photos.”
One unnamed customer from Ocala, Florida, even took post-wedding pictures at Hannemann’s colossal creation in 2024.
Daniel Schramm of Bastrop, Texas, famous on TripAdvisor: “You will see your self residing up to now attempting to see the whole lot. It will be inconceivable to truly rely what number of crutches he has in his murals. Really a masterpiece and due to him we nonetheless hold Austin Bizarre!”
“Preserve Austin Bizarre” is a slogan utilized by residents to protect town’s distinctive tradition by supporting small companies and native artists.
Austin can be dwelling to The Little Longhorn Saloon, a dive bar the place clients can drink beer whereas enjoying Hen Shit Bingo — a recreation the place patrons purchase tickets for numbered squares and wait to see if a rooster will defecate on their fortunate spot.
There’s even an attraction in Austin referred to as the Museum of the Bizarre, full of mysterious relics. “Monsters, zombies, mummies, shrunken heads & the fiji mermaid await you on the Museum of the Bizarre!” the attraction’s web site reads.
And in case you go to town through the summer season, don’t be alarmed in case you see a colony of bats flying within the sky. These winged creatures are Mexican free-tailed bats, and they’re North America’s largest city bat inhabitants.
However what makes the Cathedral of Junk so distinctive will not be solely the hidden treasures contained in the construction however its location.
A customer from Canberra, Australia, referred to as the Cathedral of Junk a “unusual attraction hidden in suburbia.”
“It’s each wonderful and loopy,” the customer wrote in Might 2024.
Robyn W, from Carlisle, England, wrote in October 2025: “Actually cool place! Very Austin! Undoubtedly price testing in case your within the space.”
Regardless of the glowing critiques, there are additionally some challenges with operating a vacationer attraction out of your yard.
“There’s not a single day that I haven’t got folks present up unannounced,” Hannemann mentioned. “So I needed to lastly construct a second layer of fence up by the road as a result of in any other case folks have been coming all the way in which down just a little bit too in my house.”
Similar to the Cathedral of Junk itself, visiting hours are created on a whim. There are not any set occasions when the yard is open for enterprise, so it’s best to name Hannemann at (512) 299-7413 to seek out out when he’ll present it subsequent.
