Local sculptor Allen Christian established the House of Balls in Minneapolis’ Warehouse District almost 20 years ago as a physical incarnation of his idea that, “we all possess the creative impulse and we owe ourselves the balls to express it.” In the process, he’s developed a reputation as “the Willy Wonka of Twin Cities art.”

Originating from Christian’s belief that inanimate objects acquire a tangible life force when they come into contact with living beings, Christian opened the House of Balls as a public space. Guests are greeted with an open door policy in which, no matter the hour, an unlocked front door serves as an invitation for all to enter and explore unique sculptures and curious animatronics.

Rooms packed with touchable, lovingly-crafted art give way to successive recesses of reanimated plumbing parts, false teeth, pistons, headstones, typewriter guts, pianos and, of course, the eponymous bowling balls.

Should one happen to arrive at an off-hour, visitors can push a series of buttons to animate sculptures just inside the lighted windows. Depending on the button you push you will hear a cacophony of recitations and testimonies left by past wanderers answering various questions - “What is the oddest place you’ve made love?” “What do you do with the tears?” - posed by others a nearby chalkboard.

Besides exploring visitors are also encouraged to ‘leave their treatise’ at the intercom, contributing their voice to the perpetually looping audio that issues from the House of Balls. In the words of Christian, you owe yourself the balls to express it.

We explored the House of Balls on Obscura Day - March 20th, 2010. Photos, stories and more here