Best Sculpture Garden
6000 block of East Speedway Boulevard
Staff Pick
6000 block of East Speedway Boulevard
6000 block of East Speedway Boulevard
1965 was a banner year for folk art in Tucson. That's when Lee Kaplin built Magic Carpet Golf. Kaplin, a welder, revolutionized mini-golf in the postwar years, dolling up the dull putting game with whimsical reinforced concrete sculptures that were copied all over the country. Tucson was his final tour de force: the wicked wagging monkey, the psychedelic flowers and, of course, the beloved Easter Island walk-up tiki head have a special place in our hearts. Next door, in front of Casa Molina, El Toro the Brave Black Bull was commissioned by the Molina family and built by Kaplin in the same year. Contemporary pranksters redecorate his cojones periodically with glitter and paint; as of this writing, they're peppermint-candy striped.
© 2024 Tucson Weekly
