John Milkovisch retired from upholstering for the Southern Pacific Railroad and, in 1968, started pressing marbles, rocks and bits of metal into concrete and redwood around his yard. When the yard was covered, because he got sick of mowing the grass, he turned to the house. Over 18 years the bungalow disappeared under flattened beer cans. Garlands cut from can tops hang from the eaves, and they did two jobs: they made the house sing in the wind and they cut the family's energy bills. Ripley's Believe It or Not estimated more than 50,000 cans. The brand never mattered; his favorite beer was whatever was on special. After John and his wife Mary died, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art restored the house and opened it for tours in 2008. Its sister site, Jeff McKissack's Orange Show Monument in the East End, is closed for restoration, but Smither Park next door to it is open daily.
What to expect
- Part of the visit is outdoors, so dress for the heat or rain.
- There's no lot; park on the nearby residential streets, which are narrow.
- Inside, rooms of displays and a family video show how John built it.
- Guided group tours and hands-on workshops are available if you request ahead.
What to do
- Stand under the eaves on a breezy day and listen to the can garlands chime
- Look down: the marble-and-metal inlaid yard came first, before a single can went up
- Drive to Smither Park, 2441 Munger St, for the mosaic park made by more than 300 artists
- 1968Started
- More than 50,000Cans (Ripley's estimate)
- 18Years of canning
- Since 2008Open for tours