A True Austin Experience: The Cathedral of Junk

Austin is known for their live music, BBQ and its weirdness. The motto of Austin is even, “Keep Austin Weird”! If you have a chance to explore Austin you have to stop by the Cathedral of Junk!

The Cathedral of Junk is actually in the backyard of a residential house. You need to call ahead of time and make an appointment with the owner. You can reach him at 512-299-7413. The owner charges $5 per person for admission. He does take cash and card. When you arrive to his neighborhood, you will see the Cathedral poking out from behind the owners house, you can’t miss it! Please note to respect his neighbors he asked you to park on St. Elmo street and not in their neighborhood.

The man who build the Cathedral, Vince Hannemann, lives in the house in front of the Cathedral. He is very nice and will tell you about his artwork and the history behind the Cathedral. We enjoyed getting to know a bit about his past and what he enjoys in Austin.

Vince began building the Cathedral in 1988 and since then has held weddings and tourists from around the world! He has used over 60 tons of Junk and is still building! However due to city restrictions he cannot go up or backwards anymore. He explained that he has to start getting creative, like digging below and creating caves (he was joking of course)!

So if you are in Austin, come stop by! Get lost in his maze of a Cathedral. The Cathedral is 3 stories high and the rooms are even color coordinated. You won’t be disappointed!