Carolina Gourd Museum
Just off NC 55 between Fuquay-Varina and Angier, N.C., is the Marvin and Mary Johnson Gourd Museum, open all daylight hours year round. “We got so many gourds in the house,” says Marvin Johnson, 94, “Mary wanted to move them out, so I built the museum.” Marvin, long-time president of the Gourd Village Garden Club, founded the museum in 1964. Nephew Mark Johnson, who lives next door, now owns and operates the museum. Inside the small white building under the pines are gourd crafts from around the world. There are tiny miniature gourds like robin’s eggs, dippers taller than a tall man and giant African mammoth gourds so strong Marvin had his picture taken standing on one. A master gourd grower, Marvin grew more than 200 different kinds of gourds. He says he’s never sold a single one, but he’ s shared them with crafters who shared their craft with him. The carved gourds of Dr. Leslie Miller are some of Marvin’s favorites. Even the lights are made from gourds. When you visit, sign the guest book. School groups, TV crews, Fuquay farmers and gourd lovers from every continent have left awed comments since the museum opened. Admission is free. --Mary Ann Rood
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