Creative jewelry and FacePots (more on that later) may fuel the economic engine that keeps Luna Parc thriving, but the creative whims and genius of Ricky Boscarino are the driving force behind this truly outlandish house, studio and art-infused landscape. This weekend, Nov 7-8, is a rare -- and last opportunity this year -- to visit the grounds of Luna Parc.
More than 30 years ago, Boscarino bought a few acres of land in Sandyston near Stokes State Forest and the NJ/PA border. He knew that this would be his forever home, studio and artistic labor of love. Starting from a small hunting cabin, he has expanded and added to that structure so that it is now more than 5,000 square feet and has 11 distinct levels, including two levels on the roof.
The exterior of the house is an amalgamation of different architectural styles, an homage to Gaudí's Park Güell in Spain here, a bit of the Hundertwasser House in Vienna there and a Storybook Land here. At every turn there's the unexpected including a newly installed outdoor sculpture that's a concoction of spare plumbing and shower heads, appropriately just outside the vast indoor bathroom.
On the grounds, there's a reclaimed windmill, a decorative outhouse and other sculptures in a beautiful wooded setting.
After your tour, you'll have an opportunity to buy Boscarino's signature jewelry or FacePots -- wildly inventive clay pots, all one of a kind. They can be used as a bud vase, decorative sculpture or a holder for toothbrushes, pencils, chopsticks or for small kitchen utensils like wooden spoons. If you can't visit, you can buy them online here.
Boscarino requests an entry fee of $25 per group. Visits are by appointment only. Email ricky@lunaparc.com or call 973-948-2160.