The Stabin Museum — Attraction in Jim Thorpe

Our first time visiting Jim Thorpe we made our way up the curvy hills of Broadway. We noticed randomly placed signs of a type of graphic, usually an animal, on metal with the same large red arrow pointing up the hill. Every 10th house or business had a very different image with the same bold, red arrow. We decided two things- we had to find the destination and had to purchase a graphic sign. We were sold and in for the hunt. At last we found an old converted warehouse with various graphic displays attached to it. This find was hitting all cylinders as our dream vision is one day convert an old warehouse to reside in. The aesthetics were a delicate balance that enhanced the surroundings of old Jim Thorpe without the vulgarity of modern upgrades. The painstaking process of 20 years of renovation has a labor of love encoded into it. The museum exceeded our expectations. The layout encouraged exploration. The treasure hunt didn’t stop. Every corner, every room entrance was a new discovery We loved everything about it. We had a great meal at the attached cafe while contemplating the art we wanted to purchase. We had the unexpected fortune of meeting Victor Stabin, the artist, creator and engineer of the whole operation. He gave us a personal tour. Victor is definitely an interesting character and a wealth of information on his creative process of this special little universe. We spent a good amount of time here and ended up purchasing 2 framed prints that he personally took the time to resize and frame while we waited. There is so much more to write about our visit here. We’ll be returning to stay at the beautiful, spacious Air B and B above the Warehouse, enjoy the Thursday night jazz cafe and more art to fit in our space. If you visit Jim Thorpe put this on...

If you are ever in Jim Thorpe, this is a must see. This is better than the Jail, Mansion, Train, or anything else you'll see in Jim Thorpe.

We were a group of 4 women that came to Jim Thorpe to ride the train. Once done, we decided to see what else Jim Thorpe had to offer. We started seeing these cool signs with neat drawings and a red arrow. We decided that these arrows were telling us to go somewhere and we were determined to find out where they wanted us to go.

When we arrived at the museum, the door was unlocked but no lights were on. We started yelling "hello" to see if anyone was around. Joan had appeared from behind a curtain and was very warm and welcoming. She quickly turned on the lights to the museum and told us to take all the time that we wanted. Soon after, Victor came down to speak to us about his life and art. He never once made us feel rushed or unwelcome. They even took the time to show us around the restaurant and their Airbnb. Two of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life.

We are already planning our next trip to enjoy the Airbnb and restaurant. I was so sad that we had missed the restaurant being open, but I can only imagine how amazing the food was earlier that day. When Joan opened the door to give us a quick tour, you could still smell the amazing aroma of food being prepared earlier in the day.

If you are around the area, stop in to see this amazing museum. You will not be...

The creative and entertaining artworks in this unique venue are obviously the product of an artist who has a fertile mind and a rich imagination; this artist and his wife own the museum and the restaurant (Cafe Arielle) which is a part of it. Very considerately of them, they do not charge a specific fee for entering their art gallery but have a box for donations.

I really enjoyed strolling around the place and taking in the whimsical and inspiring works. My wife and I then had dinner in their restaurant. I had one of the best steaks I’ve ever eaten in my life (Cajun-style), and my wife had a wonderful three types of seafood dinner. We ordered cocktails which were outstanding!

Please check out the YouTube video of this art gallery/museum/restaurant. To be honest, that’s what got us interested in coming here, after reading about it at a bed-and-breakfast in Jim Thorpe while on vacation.

I liked the fact that the artist and his wife were there, and were very personable. The wife was the hostess at the restaurant and told my wife and I interesting things about their establishment and how it came to be. Her husband (the artist) was seen in the art gallery, retrieving his dog who had wandered in, and putting him back upstairs (where they evidently live.) How nice to deal with real people in a society dominated by giant impersonal supra-national corporations.

This was a...