If you take a stroll through the Warehouse Arts District, just a few blocks from the outskirts of downtown St. Petersburg, you might not notice at first, but there is a little city growing on Emerson Ave South between 25th and 26th Street.
The growing city’s name? Tiny Town.
Its creator, Dan Painter a local artist, purchased the 5,715 square-foot lot in 2013. He transformed the industrial space into a time capsule of sorts dating back to the late 1950s. Every item in Tiny Town serves as a memory from Dan’s childhood and young adult life.
To give a sense of where his ideas stemmed from, Dan recalled the time his mother took he and his sister on a road trip to their next airbase where his father was stationed while in the military in the late 1960s.
“We would drive through the desert for hours, and then in the middle of nowhere, there’d be a motel. It would have those beautiful awnings that jetted way out and then you’d see a pool,” he explained.
Through pastels of pink and turquoise, and bold colors of red and blue, you’re able to visualize Dan’s memories as he takes you on tour through Tiny Town.
Dan, who is 56, describes himself as an artist and carpenter. His grandfather and mother were both artists. Dan started attending art school when he was in kindergarten. “As a child, I started taking lessons at the Norton Art Gallery in West Palm Beach.”
During his high school years, Dan was introduced to carpentry, but it wasn’t until after college that he really get to work.
“I had to go in heavy because I had to make a living,” he said.
Dan’s creative skills allowed him to build Tiny Town one piece at a time. He doesn’t have to go too far for supplies because everything is donated.
“As St. Pete goes through a change, where people are buying houses and tearing them down, my carpenter buddies can’t seem to dump all of this at the dump, so they drop it off here,” he said.
What you’ll find in Tiny Town will bring back nostalgic memories of a drive-in movie theater, an old school diner and a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air which sits in Dans Rattle & Crank Auto Garage, the town’s auto repair shop.
Even though each artifact of Tiny Town is reminiscent of Dan’s youth, he’s not emotionally attached to any of it. Everything in Tiny Town is for sale. From the Asian Bathhouse to the Flamingo Motel, as well as the town’s radio station, WTNT.
“If you were to purchase the Flamingo Motel, you’d get the swimming pool, the motel office and you’ll get the motel room. Then I’d build a general store to replace it,” Dan explained.
A few months ago, Dan sold the hardware store and delivered it to Tampa. People who are interested in purchasing parts of Tiny Town are invited to pay Dan a visit to test out each object to see how they work.
“Everything has electricity run to it but not in it,” Dan said. “That way I can transport it to your house and set it up.”
Dan said he hopes to use Tiny Town as a small event space.
“I would like to do something once a month. And because it’s just me, I’d like it to be low impact,” he explained.
Over the years, Tiny Town was the spot for a Halloween costume party, a wedding and even a set for a music video.
“One of our friends wants to do an escape town, similar to an escape room,” he said.
Tiny Town isn’t just a place for people looking to buy a piece of artwork or to host an event. Dan said visitors are welcome to take in the full experience anytime. There’s no cover charge or set hours office hours. Just drop by, knock once and wait.
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