Visit: Luna Parc

A quirky, eccentric, amazing place that you should visit at least once. Let’s check out Luna Parc.

Writing about this place gets over 100 photos off my phone – phew! Luna Parc is the private residence of artist Ricky Boscarino, and he opens it up for public tours just two times a year. I’ve seen it written about in various magazines, and it’s been on my “things to do” list forever, and I finally visited this year. I had really hoped to visit with my kids, but it was only open until 4 pm on three school days, so it wasn’t really conducive to taking them (and that may be the point of the day and hours it’s open), but hopefully I’ll be able to go back with them.

Just a $5 donation gets you entry into the weird and wonderful world of this artist. You get a brief overview from a docent before you tour the interior of the home, and, other than that, it is a self-guided tour. The project started in 1989 when Ricky found a home that was private and that was a place where he could use his artistic creativity to slowly transform the property. Originally a hunting lodge that had been vacant for ten years before he bought it, this is what it looked like when he purchased it:

It’s changed just a tad. ;)

*if this reading nook was in my home, I would never see my nine-year-old

While Ricky is still the main artist that is constantly adding, moving, improving, and tweaking his residence, there are several artists in residence as well. Situated on five acres of remote property, there is plenty of room to create. Ricky has said that he plans to live there until he dies, and haunt the property after he’s gone.

Photos won’t do this place justice, because it’s one of those things that you really have to visit to appreciate, and as it’s continuing to evolve, there will be something new around every corner if you choose to come back regularly.

Whether he’s using traditional artist mediums like paint and canvas, or recycled materials like yardsticks, old Mrs Butterworth syrup bottles, or bowling balls, it truly is a sight to behold. Broken rubber bands became a small sculpture inside the home, and those plastic tags that seal loaves of bread closed are in tall vases. I noticed things my friend didn’t, and vice versa – there is no way you can take it all in.

There is one floor of the home that is closed to visitors, even during the open house, because, after all, Ricky DOES live here, and there are subtle clues of that throughout. The bathroom is one example. In an interesting twist, the shower isn’t enclosed, so when you walk into the bathroom, you’re really walking into the shower as well, and when we were there, the floor was wet.

*the main bathroom

The outdoor property has just as much to see as the interior of his home.

*this is going to be a nine foot tall structure made entirely from syrup bottles, and he plans to illuminate it from within

*a sculpture made from trophies

*crutches!

When he is working on a new project, he’ll put out a call for what supplies he’s currently looking for (you can see a short wish list on his web site), and he said he has no problem getting what he needs.

The next time it will be open for public tours is in October, so be sure to put it on your calendar. There are also workshops scheduled throughout the year. You can find complete details on Luna Parc’s web site.

Luna Parc
22 De Groat Rd
Sussex County
Montague Township, New Jersey, 07827

Hungry for more New Jersey field trips?
You can visit Thomas Edison’s estate, museum, and laboratory for a rich step back into his life and mind.
Head for the Jersey shore and Jenkinson’s Aquarium. It’s small, but packed with many sea creatures and knowledgeable and friendly staff.
If you have an avid rock collector or history buff in your family, visit the Sterling Hill Mining Museum. Because of the cool temps inside the mine, it’s perfect for a hot day.
Brookhollow’s Barnyard might have been the cutest farm we’ve visited so far.
The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms is a great step back in time.
You can check out my dedicated Pinterest board right here.

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