There’s No Other Home In America Like This One In North Carolina
Houses come in all shapes and sizes – big, small, colonial, brick, log cabin, modern…there’s plenty of diversity when it comes to what one calls ‘home.’ But one home in North Carolina is simply beyond different than the rest. You can’t specify it to a type of house, or even a type of attraction. It simply is what it is: the House of Mugs in Collettsville.
Hiding down a long, unpaved road is a little log cabin that is, yes, covered in mugs.
It all started over 15 years ago with a simple box of 15 mugs picked up at a flea market by Avery and Doris Sisk. At the time, they figured their home could use a little sprucing up, and decided to hang up the mugs for decoration. Over the years more were added, and 200,000 mugs later, the House of Mugs is a legend.
Many are unaware of the House of Mugs, or only hear about it through word of mouth. Before researching this quirky little attraction, I was told the mug house was very hard to access. But author Joe Sledge decided to recently pay a visit, and found it quite easy to access. His advice for visiting the mug house?
"I contacted the local general store, and the owner there said that most of the road was well maintained, and that I would have no problem, so I went for it. The road is paved up to about .7 mile to the house, and that is the hard packed smooth clay/dirt, with little rock marbles on it. No problem, it just sounded a little bad with those rocks popping under the tires. It was really worth the trip. There's the cabin, the front of a trailer, and two long fences all covered in mugs. The little bridges were the only scary part. They were one lane with no guard rails, and you just need to really keep your eye on entering them."
"I contacted the local general store, and the owner there said that most of the road was well maintained, and that I would have no problem, so I went for it. The road is paved up to about .7 mile to the house, and that is the hard packed smooth clay/dirt, with little rock marbles on it. No problem, it just sounded a little bad with those rocks popping under the tires. It was really worth the trip. There's the cabin, the front of a trailer, and two long fences all covered in mugs. The little bridges were the only scary part. They were one lane with no guard rails, and you just need to really keep your eye on entering them."
Today, the House of Mugs is not just a collection by Avery and Doris, but other mugs visitors have brought. While the main mugs do belong to the Sisks' (as they clearly love collectables) a lot have been dropped off by local travelers. You'll see all sorts of whimsical mugs, and even just the sight of a small cabin covered in mugs is amazing enough. Don't forget to bring a mug with you to contribute to the collection!
With over 200,000 mugs, there truly is NO other house in America like the House of Mugs, and better news, this little gem is easily accessible (with four-wheel drive, or at least a practical mode of transportation). On the weekend, you have a better chance of catching the owners to chat about their collection. This really is one of the most amazing houses not just in North Carolina, but in the US.
Have you visited the House of Mugs in Collettsville? Or better yet, added a mug to the collection?
If you love awesomely strange attractions in North Carolina, add these 15 to your bucket list!
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