During our summer road trip to Wisconsin, we stopped at a little town off the high-way promising Antique Malls. We saw this kind of thing pretty often, but this one was advertised as being in an old school. Pretty easy sell for me. I said "PLEEEEEEESE???" and Todd swerved into the off ramp.
When we pulled into the parking lot - we discovered this wasn't just a school . It was a HUGE brick 3 story school built in 1916! A school like this would have housed children from all the surrounding towns at one time. Imagine all the lives that passed their way through those doors.
We were greeted with some forlorn school relics. Mistreated and left to hold rain water and rust, a batch of pretty cute 50's school chairs. I wanted 4, but that probably would have put a cramp in our comfort for the rest of the trip, so I even passed a shell chair by.
We walked inside, discovering the HUGE open space which once was the gymnasium and large curtained stage in the auditorium. The tattered yellow curtains loomed, and the wooden stage was full of vintage randomness. This rack of pretty clothes sat in one corner.
I loved how worn the old stage floor was. I wonder, what kind of important moments in young peoples lives happened there?
When I saw it from the outside, I kind of doubted we'd be able to see the whole school. That would just be way too much stuff right? Wrong. EVERY room of this place was stocked FULL!
This was my favorite corner. Like, come on. It's all levels of interesting right?
There was an entire room on the 2nd floor dedicated to vinyl. GOOD old, well cared for, categorized vinyl. Todd kind of stopped here and we didn't see him again for a while. Luke an I followed the signs...
Sure. I guess it beats the alternative.
Ironically, this clever signage lead us up to the top floor, which was kind of like the attic of the school. It had huge rooms, and they were pretty scary. There was lot's of taxidermy, from rats to buffalo staring at us with their black unblinking glass eyes. Ick.
To top it off, I came across the most horrific paper mache sculpture/painting of what looked like a life sized 8 year old burned girl crawling her way out of the frame. I'm NOT kidding. Me and Luke RAN out of that room and didn't look back. Todd was mad we didn't take a picture.
I've deduced that sign was really just a mean trick.
Luke was not at all impressed by this time, being fairly sure this place was home to at least a few ghosts and monsters. It didn't help that the place was coated in silence, filled with only the sound of our own footsteps, with not another person to be seen. Creeeepy...
Too bad for him. I'm willing to risk monster attacks for awesome teal 'Tom Thumb' typewriters priced at $8!
And tiny lithographed tea cups and saucers with tinkerbells (from before tinkerbell).
I walked out of this place having my mind blown by it's randomness, massiveness, and basic existence. I mostly picked up some vintage accessories for Lune's Vintage update (remember that over sized, gold seed bead, chain link necklace from last post?). Some little things for myself like a pretty teal sugar container too.
All in all. This place is RAD and a must stop antique experience. If you talk with the owner, he'll tell you he visited Canada specifically to see a run down church. Then maybe his friend will come in and talk about giving ice cream to his goats. Maybe, maybe not.
Wanna see it too?
If you liked this post, check what else we've seen and done on Road Trip this year.
Damn, I love a good road trip.
- love Jill
