Beer Can House facts for kids
The Beer Can House is a special kind of house in Houston, Texas. It's covered with thousands of beer cans, bottles, and other items related to beer. People call it a "folk art" house because it was created by an ordinary person, not a trained artist, just for fun and personal expression.
This amazing house was built by a man named John Milkovisch. He started working on his home in the late 1960s. He wanted to change his house at 222 Malone Street in Houston into something unique. Today, the Beer Can House is famous in Houston as a cool example of folk art. It has more than 50,000 flattened beer cans, bottle caps, and other beer items covering its walls.
How It Was Built
John Milkovisch began his project in 1968. First, he decorated his yard. He put thousands of marbles, rocks, brass figures, and metal pieces into concrete blocks and redwood. He used these to make patios, fences, and flower boxes. Soon, his entire front and back yards were covered with cement, so there was no grass left. When people asked him why he did all this, John simply said, "I got sick of mowing the grass."
After finishing the yard, he started decorating the house itself. He carefully attached flattened beer cans to the outside walls. He also used bottle caps and other parts of beer containers to create unique designs. It took him many years to cover the whole house.
Who Takes Care of It Now?
Today, the Beer Can House is looked after by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. This is a non-profit group that started in 1980. Their goal is to protect and share amazing art made by people who have a lot of imagination. They want to give everyone a chance to show their own artistic ideas. Thanks to them, people can still visit and enjoy the Beer Can House.
A Famous Landmark
The Beer Can House has become quite famous. In March 2004, John Milkovisch was even named "Man of the Week" on Spike TV. In 2010, a comedy news website called Cracked.com wrote about the house. They said that John Milkovisch should be considered one of the "awesomest guys ever" for his creative work. The house is a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. It shows how creativity can turn everyday objects into something truly special.
See also
- List of public art in Houston
- Tin can wall
