The American Visionary Art Museum

Vox Efx / CC BY 2.0

The art of farmers, postmen, the mentally ill, art done in secretly in the attic—all get equal billing at Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum. It’s a refreshing look at creativity and projects made far, far outside the “art world.”

Don’t miss the Giant Whirligig & Sculpture Plaza. The 55-foot tall central wind-powered sculpture was created by Vollis Simpson, a 76 year-old farmer from North Carolina who made his first whirligig to power a washing machine while he was stationed in the South Pacific during World War II. The museum also features a 16-foot model of the Lusitania made entirely from toothpicks, and is host to the incredible Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race.

And remember to exit through the gift shop, which houses a display almost as captivating as the museum itself.

We explored AVAM on Obscura Day - March 20th, 2010. Photos, stories and more here