Just off of Interstate 25 in Southern Colorado, about halfway between Denver and Santa Fe,

there's a little dusty old ex-mining town called Walsenburg.

Here you'll find your usual gas stations and fast food joints, the occasional coffee shop,

but what you might not expect to find right on Main Street

is a full-blown, real-deal contemporary art museum.

That whole thing that happens, that people are driving through

and they had no intention to stop, but they stop,

and then their whole world is blown away.

That's part of the fun here, is that people will stop and say them are museum here,

and they'll come in and have their minds blown.

Forever, forever.

That's Brent and Maria, the people who built the museum. And this museum isn't only in an unusual place.

It also has an unusual origin story.

I would know because I've been lucky enough to watch them create this museum from the ground up,

with a little help from their friends.

It's been several years since I've seen them, but I was stoked to reconnect for this episode.

Well, it's great to see you guys. You look great.

Yeah, thank you. You do too.

You look self- distinguished and handsome.

You mean gray?

Yes.

I'm Luce Fleming and this is Atlas Obscura, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible,

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