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May 28, 2006
Bayernhof Music Museum
Last week, we visited an odd little museum. Here's our trip from Tim's perspective!
The Bayernhof Music Museum. Now here is a small museum that has as many surprises as most large museums. An eccentric chap named Charles Brown III, who had a lot of money and time on his hands, built a mansion and housed it with himself, over 150 mechanical instruments, and an odd assortment of collectable items. From the website:
“His collection is displayed in almost every room in the house. There are many antique music boxes, “monkey” organs, a Wurlitzer carousel organ, a Reproduco Piano-Pipe organ used in funeral homes and theaters, an Encore Automatic Banjo. There is also a Mills Deluxe Violano Virtuoso player violin and piano combination, a Knabe Ampico reproducing grand piano that faithfully “reproduces” the playing of the artist who originally recorded the roll and a huge Seeburg Pipe Organ Orchestra that was once used to accompany silent films to name just a few. In his will, Charles Brown III directed that his instruments be restored and his house opened to the public as a museum. Charles was the founder and chief executive officer of Gas-Lite Manufacturing, he died in 1999.”
Joanna thought our tour guide looked like Charles Laughton. Here he is with a player organ, and a funeral hall player piano.
Here are a couple carousel organs. They were bombastically loud! I loved it. Joanna cringed.
There were over 15 little bars (almost one in every major room) stocked to the gills with expensive liquor. There were secret passageways, doors in odd places, spiral staircases, etc... The bathroom off the master bedroom had a big Jacuzzi and a shower with 14 shower heads shooting water from every possible angle except from the floor up! Another little oddity was this bird cage, featuring a taxidermied bird that chirped and moved its head. Somebody's hobby was stuffing things (a la Norman Bates). Cute and creepy (just liked Norman Bates).
The strangest thing in the house was a passageway that was like an underground cave. It took you from the lower level to the main floor and was accessed by turning a little sword on a wall. Also in the cave were stalactites, stalagmites, a small waterfall, a bat, a scary troll, and a wooden door leading to a wine cellar.
The cellar had an authentic moonshine still (coming from Joanna's neck of the woods)! Eek! The devil's brew!
The pathway through the cave finally opened into the swimming pool room with a 10 foot waterfall. An expansive wall mural surrounded you. It depicted popular scenes from Germany (Sound of Music, Neuschwanstein Castle, etc...) There were surprises waiting around every corner. What a cool place!
Pittsburgh | By Tim and Jo | 10:05 PM
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Comments
My goodness, what a house! I feel as if I've been, now.
Posted by: funke at May 28, 2006 10:54 PM