Years
ago, here's what some of our visitors said -
good
"Without
a doubt, the best 3 bucks we have spent since leaving Kazoo"
and bad
"Most of the stuff should have been in the county dump"
we get so many blab blab comments we stop posting them
We also have reviews on a variety of travel sites: TripAdvisor RoadsideAmerica
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02-18-03 We especially enjoy meeting people who follow their muse and/or
live their dream. So we were pleased to find John Preble at the UCM Museum
in Abita Springs, LA. As John tells the story, he has always been a collector
of things: bottle caps, paint-by-number art, vintage postcards, etc. This
habit was just another facet of his diverse life until he was inspired
by Tinkertown, near Albuquerque, to create a museum back home. At the
UCM, "you-seem-em", he has created assemblages of southern living
scenes: Martians at Mardi Gras, Tornado hits Cajun Country, Funeral Procession
in New Orleans, etc. Besides the dioramas, you can see over a quarter
million bottle caps, a house covered in shards of glass, mirror, and tile,
and, of course, a fifteen foot long Bassigator. Without a doubt, the best
3 bucks we have spent since leaving Kazoo. John also has lots of suggestions
on where to go and what to see. Time well spent, and, for the first time
this trip, we were tempted to buy one of his paintings. Considering our
lack of extra space in the van and wall space at home, this is a high
compliment. - David and Margaret,
(from Michigan) |
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11-16-2002 We enjoyed meeting you too and visiting your unique museum.
We also loved your paintings. Good luck to you and your wife. - Norm and
Linda Payne, http://www.seeya-downtheroad.com
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07-09-02 Meanwhile,
UCM has become something of an Abita Springs town square: on any given
day you'll find neighborhood kids working the cash register, sweeping
the floors or constructing whirly-bird airplanes out of aluminum cans,
which are sold in the gift shop. If you're lucky, you may even find Preble
conducting an small symphony of adolescent accordion players belting out
"Old Susannah." - Keith Pandolfi, Gambit |
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07-02 Abita Springs is a quiet country town but giggles come from behind
the door of the 1950s-style gas station that is home to the UCM Museum
(pronounced “you-see-’em museum”). - Carolyn Thornton,
New Orleans Northshore |
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02-16-03 The magic begins as soon as you enter the museum by way of a
1950s gas station. The ceiling is covered with “stuff”—old-time
radio parts, discarded computer chips, Coke-can airplanes. Pass through
the gift shop filled with quirky art, and you’ll encounter one of
Preble’s favorite creations, a 22-foot bassigator (combination fish
and alligator) he constructed from plywood, chicken wire, and fabric.
Off to the side is a flying saucer that’s crashed into an Airstream
trailer. Then you get to the House of Shards, an old stucco building with
walls covered with a mosaic of more than 15,000 pieces of broken glass,
tile, mirrors, and ceramic. Inside: collections of memorabilia from the
’50s and ’60s, including vintage bicycles. - Andrea Gross,
American Profile. |
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01-02 We took a detour
to visit this place which we had heard about from others. We were not
disappointed. |
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04-08-01 This is a
family museum with dioramas that have a lot of buttons kids can push to
make things move. Also have bottles planted in the garden and around fish
ponds. Very funny things here. - Dave Ford, Roadside
America |
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01-03-01 It was a collection
of the worst junk you have ever seen. Most of the stuff should have been
in the county dump. - Bill Rocheleau |
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