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He said it was a decent place, but focused more on show cats, while his museum was devoted to what he called "the everyman cat." As for exhibits, "It's like night and day," he said. "They've got a few things; I've got a million things." After walking through the barn doors, visitors will be greeted by an enormous mural of a cat’s face.
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In fact, a bronze of the feline goddess Bastet dates back to 600 BC! This is a showcase of 30 years of collecting by Dr. Harold Sims - aka CatMan2. If you love arts and crafts architecture, this is the house for you. A well-preserved and fascinating example of Arts and Crafts architecture, designed by Greene and Greene, it was built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter & Gamble Company. The point of sharing all of his stuff, Harold said, is to show visitors the bond that's existed for centuries between people and cats.
Futaba Cake Building
We especially love the carousel cats and carnival related items. Above are some mid-century Italian ceramic "spaghetti" kitties. Our American Museum of the House Cat is a Mecca of antiquities and oddities that will fascinate, amuse, and even educate you about he House Cat.
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Harold said that there are no live cats in his museum because some people are allergic to certain breeds. If visitors want to see live cats, Harold or his docents direct them to businesses in town that keep them as pets, or to Harold's shelter, which the museum helps to support with its admission fees. After all was said and done, the people did want a house cat museum. Housed in an old antiques mall, the museum is festooned with giant metal feline sculptures and murals of the ordinary house cat. You can’t miss it from the road, and you definitely don’t want to!
Right Meow WNC Magazine - wncmagazine.com
Right Meow WNC Magazine.
Posted: Mon, 31 Jul 2017 13:18:25 GMT [source]
Around Town: Sylva’s American Museum of the House Cat lands on its feet
It includes everything from paintings and carousels to pottery, books and music about cats. The house is open for guided tours without appointment most Saturdays. Tour guides are architecture students from Cal Poly San Obispo. Today it's open as a museum, located in Malibu Lagoon State Park and open to the public for guided tours. Enjoy a collection of fascinating, historic pieces of Los Angeles architecture that were built as private residences. Today, they're open to the public - and well worth a visit.
"It's going to be a big 'wow' for people when they walk in," Sims says. "And when they leave, it'll be, 'I can't believe he did that.' Hopefully, it'll live on long after I'm gone." Sims originally wanted to put his museum in Asheville. Often considered the East Coast's answer to Austin, the city of 91,000 prides itself on its cultural weirdness. If there were ever a place befitting of a cat museum, Asheville would be it.
“One day, this barefooted guy came to the door,” Sims recalls. “He had hair down the back of his neck, a sheet over his body and a cat in his arms. He was apparently going to jail for marijuana and he wanted us to take his cat. SYLVA, North Carolina – America has a number of museums devoted to niche topics but Harold Sims decided they had overlooked one area for far too long. We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month.
However, only one is considered to be the “cat’s meow.” The American Museum of the House Cat is in Jackson County, and some say it is the perfect place for cat lovers. The Jackson County-based educational museum originally opened in 2017 inside the Old School House Antique Mall in Dillsboro to showcase founder Harold Sims‘ large collection of feline memorabilia and collectibles. Organizers shut it down in late 2019 when the mall closed, with plans to reopen in its new location in spring 2020. When you first enter, you’re almost overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of feline objects, estimated to be over 10,000 in number.
This awesome cage-free, no-kill shelter in Jackson County is also run by Harold, alongside his wife Kay. By visiting the House Cat museum, you are directly supporting the 80-plus cats currently housed at the Catman2 Cat shelter. Your museum ticket price helps with the rescue and adoption of these cats. Sims, a retired biology professor, has operated Catman2, a nonprofit, no-cage, no-kill shelter in Cullowhee, for more than two decades.
One such gem, the American Museum of the House Cat, is an excellent pit stop if you are passing through Jackson County, North Carolina. On many days, Harold is there to share interesting tidbits about items that fascinate you. During your guided tour, see antique cat toys, collectibles from around the world, dolls, beer steins, cat art and even a Medieval petrified cat discovered in England.
His attraction to felines and their history eventually evolved into this unique space called the American Museum of the House Cat. At the museum, guests will be introduced to a small prototype of Sims’ “cats without cages” open sheltering approach. “Our curator [Sims] is an educator and believes museums bring joy, amusement, learning and inspiration to the world,” Crow says. That shelter, now known as Catman2 ("Like Katmandu," Sims explains), is still going strong today.
The Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum, housed in an old jail, features 8 rooms of gems and minerals from all over the world. And The Scottish Tartans Museum & Heritage Center was established to be a source of “reliable information” on traditional Highlands dress and heritage. The American Museum of the House Cat near Dillsboro is not to be missed for a memorable vacation stop. Their two rooms are packed with 5,000+ cat-related curiosities, including many rare and fascinating antiques.
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