On our way home we finally arrived in Illinois.  Have you ever drove down I 55 and around 40 miles north of St. Louis, their is a little town, Livingston, that has an Antique Mall?   Out front is a pink elephant and a Twistee Treat Ice Cream cone building.  We have always wanted to stop their, but seems like one is always heading somewhere with a time schedule.  This was our day finally.

We parked out front and looked at all the fun things in the yard.  The Pink Elephant Antique Mall is located in the old Livingston High School.  This school was built in 1927.  The gym was added in 1949, and continued to educate the children of Livingston, Population 825.  As all the small schools were consolidating, finally it was time for Livingston to consolidate with nearby Staunton.  The school closed in 2004.  Soon it opened as an Antique  Mall.  The antiques themselves are really no different than any other antique mall.  The unique thing about this one is the fact it is located in the gymnasium.  On the outside attached to the corner of the building is the Twistee Treat building.

The story goes that the owner called the manufacturers in Florida asking to buy one. The manufacturers said they didn’t make them anymore and that there were a number of them around the US, and one in Pennsylvania that was unwanted. The owner drove to Pennsylvania and found this building in a ditch, with every type of animal living in it. The building comes apart into 17 pieces. The owner hauled the building from Pennsylvania to Illinois on a trailer through a snow storm.

By the Twistee Treat is an old 50s diner.  Its decorated as an old soda shop.  Out side are these 3 chipmunks.  Cute as can be.  Alvin is in the middle.  Over by the front door that goes to the gym is an Elephant that looks as it is coming out of the building.  Next to the Chipmunks is a big Beach guy in swimming trunks.

As we entered inside, we realized we were in the gym.  The floors and walls were still original, but now it was full of lots of little cubicles showing of their antiques.  We made a left and entered on the stage. It was also full.  The original curtains were still their.

We walked across the stage and back down the stairs back into the gym.

The stage was even outlined in Pink…..

As we walked through the many antique booths, I seen this cute little boat.

It was a Kiddie Boat Ride…..Price…..$1250….It is an extremely scarce piece of Coney Island History invented by German immigrant Wm. F Mangels.  he was responsible for many other amusement park attractions of the turn of the century and later.

Looking up you see the original Painting of the school.  The Big L and Eagles with painting of 2 eagles on each side.  This is positioned at the end of the gym where the basket would have been.

On the other side we came to a very pretty Pink and White double stair case.  This took you up to the classroom part of the school.

Between the stairs was another corridor that descended to more classrooms.

This dude was sitting at the end of the hallway…..Rather rugged isn’t he…..lol…..

View from the top of stairs looking at the stage.

View looking over to where the basket ball hoop would have been.

We went back out side and walked over towards I55.  Out their sits a UFO….lol..It is called a Futuro…..

The distinctive flying saucer-like shape and airplane hatch entrance has made the houses popular among collectors. Futuro, or Futuro House, is a round, prefabricated house designed by Matti Suuronen, of which fewer than 100 were built during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The distinctive flying saucer-like shape and airplane hatch entrance has made the houses popular among collectors. It measures 13 feet high and 26 feet in diameter.  It was originally designed in Finland to be used as a Ski cabin.  Easy to transport and put together.  Could be built on almost any terrain, mountain side or beach.  It could be heated up in about 30 min.  By the mid 70s it was taken off the market.  It had collected lots of hostility due to the appearance and zoning regulations.   It is really quite interesting.  Google Futuro House and read more.

Also out there is a Large Tricycle,  and A Harley Davison man.

Proudly facing I 55 is a huge Pink Elephant, pulling a semi trailer with their sign on it…lol…This place was really cool to stop at.  It had a lot of unique things to see.  It is a fun place to stop and spend an hour or two off the road before you continue your trip.  Its just so cool to think about all those kids who use to attend school their, can now say that a Pink Elephant and Alvin and the Chipmunks live at their old school….lol…Even a UFO

We had stopped at a fuel stop and they had some really neat things their.  This fish tank was just huge.  It was in the middle of the store and you could walk around it.  Notice the big fish near the top.

Also they had a really different Bathroom.

All the sink facets were motion sensitive.

They were hammered copper basins with a western flair.  The water spigot was motion sensitive and shaped like a cowboy hat and opened onto a trough.   Really different.

They also sold Patio Furniture.   This really cool painted tall bench sold for only $995.     Really….

This 3 piece set sold for around the same.   Really nice but,  It’s just a little OVERPRICED……

All in all, Another Safe Trip…….Kitty is starting to enjoy I think…..

Ps.   For those of you who don’t know.  We are home now with the family but will be going to our next job, around May 17th.   DesMoines Iowa…..”ADVENTURELAND “…..It’s our summer job.   Rich is working Rides ……and I’m doing Games….