The Weird Homes Tour keeps Austin quirky

Home and Garden

Casa Neverlandia. This towering yet whimsical mansion was built with love and care by James Talbot and friends and family since 1979. The home is a colorful, undulating playscape outfitted with solar panels, rainwater collection, fire poles, secret passages, an elevated footbridge, talk tubes, nooks, crannies, a hidden concert stage and other hideaways that are fascinating to explore. This house will only be open to those holding a VIP pass, and will be the location of our VIP party.

This Mexico-inspired hacienda is the hidden artist's retreat of owners Darryl Freeman and his wife. Behind its hand built, 6-foot limestone walls, one finds a chicken yard, two koi ponds, an aviary, many tropical and native Texas plants, and a rain collection system that sustains it all. There is an art studio and a private acupuncture practice here on the property, an urban oasis. The studio and home are full of strange, original, oil paintings and many unique treasures gathered in their over 20 years of travel and adventure together.

The Earthbag House in East Austin uses a technique popularized by architect the late architect Nader Khalili who conceived of using sandbags to construct simple shelters for refugee camps, developing long sacks that can be filled almost any type of earth and then stacked to form wall walls or coiled into igloo-shaped structures. Homeowner Thea Bryant has been working on the house for years, documenting the process online at www.earthbaghouse.com while also hosting workshops on earthern construction techniques.

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Casa Neverlandia. This towering yet whimsical mansion was built with love and care by James Talbot and friends and family since 1979. The home is a colorful, undulating playscape outfitted with solar panels, rainwater collection, fire poles, secret passages, an elevated footbridge, talk tubes, nooks, crannies, a hidden concert stage and other hideaways that are fascinating to explore. This house will only be open to those holding a VIP pass, and will be the location of our VIP party.

Today's Gallery Headlines

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Photos: Alexander defeats defending champ Tri-Cities in semifinals

Photos: Creekview defeats River Ridge to advance to state championship game

Photos: 3-pointer helps Woodward end Gainesville’s perfect season

PHOTOS: Greening of the Fountain