When most people think of recycling empty beer cans, folk art isn’t quite what they have in mind. However, there’s a house in Houston, Texas, that’s famous for the unique way its owner decided to put those empties to good use. Located in Rice Military in Houston, the world-famous Beer Can House has become one of the city’s most recognizable structures.
This iconic piece of Texas folk art was the brainchild of John Milkovisch, who started work on it in the late 1960s. The property also included an interesting yard with no grass—instead, it features cement inlaid with marbles, buttons, stones, and metal. Apparently, Milkovisch wasn’t a big fan of mowing the lawn, so he came up with a unique and artistic alternative.
Photo: Facebook/Mattie Kannard
After reinventing his front and backyards, Milkovisch began work on the house itself, flattening beer can after beer can to be used as siding. He had a ready supply of building material, since he was a big fan of beer. In fact, his wife Mary said that Milkovisch seemed to think beer could cure just about anything. Over the course of 18 years, Malkovich added 39,000 (more or less) onto the walls of his beer palace. That apparently comes out to about a six-pack per day, by the way. The brands range from Coors to Texas Pride. Milkovisch even put the pull tabs to use, making them into curtains that doubled as windchimes.
Milkovisch’s artistic endeavor earned him a spot as Man of the Week on SpikeTV in 2004, and six years later Cracked.com said, “If there’s ever a vote on who the awesomest guy ever was, John Milkovisch ought to at least be on the ballot.” Sadly, these honors came after John Milkovisch passed away in 1988. His widow was always warm and welcoming to anyone who wanted to stop by the iconic Houston home until her own passing in 2002. The house is now owned and operated by The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, a non-profit that preserves “works of extraordinary imagination.” You can visit the Beer Can House at 222 Malone in Houston, Texas.
