Hamtramck Disneyland facts for kids
Hamtramck Disneyland is a super cool outdoor art display in Hamtramck, Michigan. It's a type of art called folk art, which means it's made by ordinary people, not trained artists. This amazing creation was started by a man named Dmytro Szylak. He began building it in 1992, and it was mostly finished by 1999. It's built right in his backyard, which is about 30 feet wide, and even stretches over the top of two garages!
Dmytro was born in Ukraine and also lived in Germany for a while. After moving to the United States, he worked for a big car company called General Motors. When he retired, he wanted a fun hobby. So, Dmytro started collecting and piling up all sorts of objects. Some were old, some new, some he bought, and others he made himself. This huge, towering structure grew taller and taller above his house and garages. For about 12 years, Dmytro kept adding new pieces, turning his backyard into an incredible collage of art.
How Hamtramck Disneyland Started
Dmytro Szylak, an immigrant from Ukraine, got the idea to build his artwork after he retired from General Motors. He had worked there for 32 years! After retiring, Dmytro wanted a hobby. This led him to the creative idea of building Hamtramck Disneyland. He wanted to use his free time and bring something new to his city. So, Dmytro began changing his own backyard into a giant piece of art.
His creation is a homemade structure built on top of two garages next to his house. It's a 30-foot-tall collage filled with all sorts of things. You can spot pictures of Elvis Presley, other pop stars, Christmas lights that stay up all year, wooden soldiers holding toy guns, and even American flags.
When Dmytro started building his artwork in 1992, it wasn't always easy. Some neighbors and city officials didn't like his idea of building art on his garage rooftop. But Dmytro kept going! Later, the mayor of Hamtramck actually honored him, and his art was shown in many local art shows. In 2006, a famous photographer named Bruce Weber even did a photo shoot there with supermodel Kate Moss for a magazine!
Dmytro Szylak passed away on May 1, 2015, when he was 92 years old. After he died, people wondered what would happen to his amazing artwork. But don't worry! In March 2016, a local art group called Hatch Art bought the property. They paid $100,000 for it. The houses on the property have four apartments. Three of them are rented out to help pay for the upkeep, and the fourth is used by an artist who lives there and helps take care of Hamtramck Disneyland.
What Hamtramck Disneyland Looks Like
Hamtramck Disneyland is a mix of many ordinary objects put together to create a tall, amazing structure. Dmytro Szylak, the artist, used these everyday items to make his own version of Disneyland. It's decorated with all kinds of things, from mechanical fan propellers to plastic horses and even a huge handmade jet aircraft.
One main idea you'll notice throughout the artwork is a carnival theme. Dmytro used plastic horses to make it look like a carousel. He often used yellow, blue, and red as his main colors. These three colors appear on many parts of the structure. This was Dmytro's way of showing his heritage. Since he was from Ukraine, he used yellow and blue to show pride for his home country. He also used yellow and red for some of his propellers, because he once lived in Germany before moving to America.
Dmytro also made many wooden cutouts of men in uniform. These wooden figures were placed under what looked like missiles that were brightly decorated with Christmas lights. The men even had one eye painted in the middle of their heads! On another side of the yard, there's a windmill with different cutouts of men and women who look like they are doing hard work, like cutting a log with a saw or cooking.
If you look at the back of the structure from the alley, you'll see even more bright colors and paintings. There are also framed newspapers that show articles about Dmytro's work. You can also see a collage of pictures of him with his art. The back of the structure covers both garage tops. From this side, the fans and propellers are placed close together, making the whole structure look like it's flying! There's even a sign on the back that says "Welcome to Art Show." It really is like an art exhibition! On this side, you'll find more frames and wooden objects, like a Statue of Liberty and soldiers. High above everything else, there's a carousel. From this view, you can clearly see how Dmytro combined his American, Ukrainian, and German heritage in his art.
Dmytro said that everything he made for his "Disneyland" was unplanned. He just let it all come together naturally. He didn't have a specific plan or blueprint for how it should look; he simply started building from the ground up.
How to Visit Hamtramck Disneyland
This amazing outdoor art display is located in an alley. You can find it between Klinger and Sobieski Streets, just south of Carpenter Avenue, in Hamtramck, Michigan.
