ucm museum

This is one of my all-time favorite places on Earth. Everything about it captivates me. It's a living piece of art and the owner ain't bad either. Love, love, love.

My boyfriend and I went on an Abita daytrip mainly to check out the museum since I had seen photos of the place as a background from a local burlesque dancer, haha. Visiting is certainly worth it to see off the beaten path kind of things like an alligator with 100 legs or the cool little quarter fortune teller in the back. The shop at the very front is pretty intriguing as well with classic prank items and general souvenir objects.

It's tacky. It's goofy. Parts of it are very run down but it is a lot of fun, especially if you like old stuff. It is even more fun if you go to the Abita brewery tour first which is 10 minutes away.For $3 a person you can't go wrong.

Nestled on a quiet corner in this quiet little town north of New Orleans is whimsical "museum" that collects oddities of all types, both original and found. I'd long wanted to visit it, and the experience exceeded my expectations. John Preble's automated "tornado," dubbed "Tragedy on Dogpound Road," was alone worth the three-dollar admission. I'll go again next time I'm in the area.

The place makes you dream! It's fun and interactive and goes beyond anything you have seen before. Just bring your imagination. The gift shop has exotic, unique and fun little presents to bring back. The museum truly captures the southern surrealism, a must stop if you are in NOLA.

Here is a place that you must see for, after all, seeing IS believing. The UCM is an interactive, educational, kooky, and witty little gem-of-a-place that's sure to turn any frown upside down. Be sure to bring a few quarters to play pin ball or to have your fortune read by psychic Claire Voyant!

This collection of eccentric art and oddities won't appeal to everyone, but it's well worth the visit if you are anywhere nearby. The combination of fun art and social commentary are hard to beat. It's not called the UCM Museum any longer though, it's now more appropriately called the Abita Mystery House

As a folk art/roadside attraction buff, the UCM Museum/Abita Mystery House was my favorite kind of unforgettable experience. There was another treasure around every corner and more jokes, clever touches and amazing creation than I could've imagined. A must see if you're anywhere near Abita Springs.

Inexpensive, interesting and fun. What DO you do with all of those paint by number paintings when you grow up?? You hang them on the wall of your museum....right next to all of those outdated computer parts/keyboards/computer mice/etc.I really liked the building that had the broken shards as its exterior finish. Very interesting.My boys like playing some of the original arcade games that were in the museum. AND the owner gives you the quarters to play some of them!Glad we went.

Great unusual museum. Worth every dime and your time! John Preble and taken common throw away junk and made interesting pieces of art, displays, things that make you think!

This little museum is, yes, odd. But I enjoyed it very much. The exhibits are nostalgic, quirky & very entertaining. Some of the retro games are actually functioning. I played a pin ball machine for a quarter! How fun is that? With an entrance fee of $3 you can't go wrong. And, Well behaved dogs are allowed on a leash which was important for us since our beloved pet travels with us.

crazy little fantasy museum with funky whimsical stuff- lots of stuff. My kids love it. I take people there from out of town.

If, in the world of outsider art, Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) represents the hip urban neighborhood where Chihuahuas sip their own six-dollar lattes, Louisiana's Abita Mystery House is the somewhat sketchy part of town that still draws local creative-types for its cheap rents and lack of pretense. AVAM it's a truly unique space in the art museum world that celebrates untrained artists whose work is generally born of very personal and singular obsessions, and a must-see for anyone visiting Baltimore. However, in presentation and form, the Abita Mystery House is better than AVAM. And the gift shop is no less engrossing than the museum itself, stocked with everything from very cool screen-printed AMH t-shirts to reasonably priced matted prints of owner John Preble's incredibly detailed woodcuts depicting various animals (including a nutria); select quotes ("If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers." - Charles Dickens); and blues legends like Slim Harpo and Bessie Smith. Indeed, the Abita Mystery House is a lens through which visitors may vicariously view the world as seen by a most unique and talented artist, exemplifying wonderfully bizarre Americana in the tradition of such obsession-built roadside attractions as Rock City and Coral Castle.

This is the nexus of folk art museum, junk yard, artist gone mad and temple of roadside finds. For the price of $3.00 you get an experience. It is not a serious museum, but he is a serious (albeit off-beat) artist. Well worth the three bucks. Go slow. There is a lot to look at. You'll miss some treasures if you're not careful. It moving dioramas were wonderful (push the button and make them dance and all that). Personally, I liked the UFO meets Airstream.

For only $3, this attraction was definitely worth it. Lots of fun and interesting stuff to see and great photo opportunities.