Funky, fantastic Tinkertown is worth the detour

Trying to explain Tinkertown is not an easy feat. It’s one of those places you have to see to fully grasp. And most likely, when you do, you’ll be at a loss of words, except for a very resounding, “Wow!”

Located off New Mexico Highway 14, known as the Turquoise Trail, Tinkertown is the brainchild and labor of love of one man – Ross Ward. A South Dakotan by birth, Ward showed artistic talent at a young age. He began creating sophisticated works of art as a child, inspired by tales of the Wild West. At fifteen, he carved circus performers for his first miniature circus and made life size replicas of Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody.

When he was just seventeen, Ward joined a circus. He also worked at an antique car museum in the Black Hills of South Dakota, lending his skills to painting signs and building displays. He became a “show painter,” producing signs for carnivals, parks, ranches, restaurants and more, visiting nearly every state in the U.S., as well as Australia and Central America.

Ward eventually settled in the mountains of New Mexico, just north of Albuquerque. It took him over forty years to carve, collect and build what is now Tinkertown Museum. The displays actually began as part of a traveling exhibit that Ward drove to county fairs in the 60s and 70s.

Tinkertown opened in 1983 and was widely lauded by visitors– all 836 of them. It continued to gain word-of-mouth recognition and since then, the place has welcomed over 700,000 people from across the globe. Many make the pilgrimage to this famed roadside attraction while traveling between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, or as a detour while following Route 66.

Though Ward passed away in 2002, Tinkertown is still alive and well under the stewardship of Ward’s wife, Carla. She has preserved it as a legacy to this unique man, who chose to express himself in his own eclectic and humorous way, and share this special brand of magic with others.

Anyone with imagination and an appreciation of folk art or nostalgic memorabilia will enjoy Tinkertown. Housed in a rambling, multi-room indoor/outdoor space, the museum is notable for its walls built of 55,000 recycled glass bottles. In full carnival funhouse style, halls are narrow, pathways are uneven, rooms zig and zag, and every surface from floor to ceiling is chocked full of objects of all kinds. Hidden nooks and crannies abound, and experiencing the place is akin to being on a scavenger hunt with a hefty dose of whimsy and fun.

There are tools, bones, horseshoes, farm and mining relics, toys and dolls from yesteryear, old license plates and arcade machines, along with iron stencils art, antique and handwritten signs such as, “Set your watch back 80 years,” and “This is that place your friends told you not to miss!” Some of the sayings are affirmations and emphasize positive thinking, such as, “Make ‘yes’ your favorite word,” “Transform negatives,” and “Allow yourself to feel rich without money.” There are also quotes from the likes of Mark Twain, Will Rogers and E.B. White. The latter is attributed to one of my favorite messages: “I get up every morning determined both to change the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult.” 

Make sure you take plenty of quarters to use in the old-fashioned machines, as you’ll want to hear the accordion belt out tunes, get your fortune told by the fortune teller and even take a personality test.

Enchanting, themed dioramas of elaborately hand carved miniatures take centerstage. The Wild West town, for example, stretches over sixty feet long. It’s a raucous, colorful scene with covered wagons, old-time buildings and signs, figures of townsfolk at work and play, animals and more. The details are extensive, from the articles of clothing and expressions on the peoples’ faces to the sawdust on the floor of the blacksmith’s shop. Some of the scenes are even animated with the push of a button. Experiencing this enchanted, bygone world in all its complexity is a veritable feast for the senses.

The other notable diorama is the Big Top & Side Show. Ward loved circuses and as a kid, he would go see the Ringling Brother’s Barnum and Bailey Circus when it came to his town each summer. His affinity for such a spectacle is apparent as soon as you get your first glimpse of this marvelous creation. 

Under the Big Top, crowds line up to buy tickets to see dozens of circus performers strut their stuff, whirling and twirling, defying gravity and taming animals. The excitement is palatable, as there is an air of frenzy and anticipation. You can almost smell the cotton candy and popcorn. With so much going on, however, you might feel that you missed something. And you probably did. Not only is it overwhelming to take in every bit of minutia, it’s mindboggling to realize that one man is responsible for all of this!

You might be a bit mystified to discover there’s also an actual sailboat at Tinkertown. The Theodora-R was donated to the museum by Ward’s brother-in-law, Fritz Damler. Damler spent ten years sailing the world on the Theodora-R. He quit his job, traded his house in New Mexico for the boat and began his adventure in Fort Lauderdale in 1981. 

There’s a map on the wall, which shows his route, along with brief descriptions regarding pertinent incidents that occurred at the various destinations. One indicates where he experienced the worst storm – in the Mediterranean near Sardinia – with over sixty-five mile and hour winds and near hurricane conditions. Damler didn’t expect the boat to make it and thought he’d have to jump and swim to shore, but thankfully that scenario didn’t come to fruition.

Other spots denote where he saw pods of whales and porpoises, caught a 120-lb tuna, encountered modern day pirates and more. His favorite place was Bodrum, Turkey, for the food, the sailing crowd, the culture and people, and because it’s also where he met his second wife. After sailing 80,000 nautical miles, Damler finished the voyage in Mobile, Alabama. The boat was eventually trucked to Tinkertown, where it found a permanent home.

If Damler’s around, he’s happy to talk about his travels and discuss the many rewards and challenges of such an epic voyage. He admits that keeping the boat afloat occupied much of his time, as repairs were ongoing. Sometimes he manned the craft on his own; other times, he had help. From his tales and the many mementos displayed in a nearby showcase, it’s obvious Damler was as much an avid explorer on land as he was at sea.

A visit to Tinkerton will leave you with an admiration for Ward’s genius, his attention to detail and level of craftsmanship. And you’ll also appreciate the opportunity to get lost in the wonder of it all, as a most welcome diversion from reality. 

If you go:

www.tinkertown.com 

Open April 16th – October 31st 

Timed entry tickets are required.