Cathedral of Junk
Austin, Texas
Most people know of Austin's de facto "Keep Austin Weird" motto, and few places try harder to do so than the Cathedral of Junk. Located south of downtown in West Congress, this one-of-a-kind attraction was built by local artist Vince Hannemann, who started work on it in 1998 and estimates that it now contains over 60 tons of junk. It's easy to gawk at from the outside, but to get the full experience you need to climb up in it — via a bike tire ladder — and explore. If you're wanting to visit, you might want to hurry — it is a collection of junk, after all, and no matter its artistic value, the surrounding neighbors aren't the most supportive of the endeavor.
Photos: Matt Lancashire, Robert Kimberly
