The Barberville Yard Art Emporium

By Michael Warren

The truth is — and the owner of this head-turning marketplace freely admits it — there’s nothing at the Barberville Yard Art Emporium that you need.

But on that rare occasion when you’ve got an unusual hankering for a 19-foot aluminum giraffe, monster chicken, dinosaur or life-sized herd of buffalo . . . . Well, then it’s time to head out on State Road 40 to an intersection that’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

Two guarantees: You’ll find something you’ve never seen before. And you’ll come away smiling.

Barberville Yard Art Emporium — The Barberville Yard Art Emporium bills itself as America’s largest collection of “outdoor art” — a kitschy and colorful collection of lamposts, fanciful creatures and surprising odds and ends. And if you don’t happen to need a 12-foot replica of the statue of liberty, at least you can stop in for some local honey, brittle, boiled peanuts and other roadside refreshments.

Mary and a Pink Flamingo — Most of the unusual items of metalwork are imported from Mexican artists, but they’re welded, finished and painted in Barberville. “Each piece is an original expression of art,” says owner Carlos Pendola. “We live in a world where you can buy three million of the same thing. But when you look at any of the items we carry, somebody had to put thought into it and decide what shape and color and expression to give it. I find that beautiful.”

Iron Man and a Cast Aluminum Cow — You can call it “junk art” if you like, but the large pieces sell for thousands of dollars. Carlos bought the emporium on a whim after relocating to Barberville from Miami, where he retired from the car business. Barberville is so small it didn’t participate in the 2010 census. Only a handful of families live here on the east edge of the Ocala National Forest.

Herd of Buffalo and a row of street lamps. — Quite a change of pace from Miami? Carlos answers, “I can describe it in medical terms. I used to take a 60 milligram blood pressure pill and now I take 10 to 15 milligrams or nothing at all.” A native of Buenos Aires who spent three decades in Miami, he now enjoys hearing coyotes at night, seeing an occasional bear in his backyard, and watching the two bald eagles who come to visit each winter.

Yard Art Emporium — Barberville, Florida is located at the intersection of State Road 40 and U.S. Highway 14, about midway between Ocala and Daytona. It was established in 1882 to be a whistle stop on the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West railroad.

Indian — “I used to sell stuff that people needed, like cars,” Carlos says. “Now I sell stuff people want. You don’t need any of what I sell.”

Teakwood Furniture — If you don’t stop in for a visit, you’ll miss this unusual hand-crafted teak furniture from Indonesia as well as local chainsaw art.

Mexican Pottery — Colorful Mexican pottery, kitschy wall decorations, garden gazing balls . . . you just never know what you’ll find at this unusual, two-acre roadside attraction.

Barberville Yard Art Emporium — The Barberville Yard Art Emporium is located at 140 West State Road 40 in Pierson, Florida. The phone is (386) 749-3562. When you stop by, tell them that Florida Traveler sent you!

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Gerry says
October 3, 2022 at 9:14 pm
Do you still have the mailbox with sea turtle on top. I saw one at a neighbor’s house she said she bought from your place. Absolutely beautiful.
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