This is "Frog Fantasies," owned by Pat and Louise Mesa at 151 Spring Street in Eureka Springs. They claim that it is the largest collection of graven frog images in the world, and I have no reason to doubt them. They have gathered over 6,000 frog sculptures, salt-shakers, spoons, soap dishes, plush toys, puppets, pipes, humidors, candy dishes, ironing sprinklers and what-have-yous; and they have displayed them in five tightly packed rooms, including a kitchen and bathroom. These is a lots of frogs.

Should you care to discuss the matter in more depth, or should you require a deep-seated psychological reason why somebody would want to collect 6,000+ frogs, Louise will be glad to discuss the mythological and literary history of the frog as a transformational figure--tadpole becomes frog, frog becomes prince, that sort of thing.

This shop hosts conventions of collectors of frog knick-knacks. A favorite event attending such a convention is an after-dark frog hunt, in which participants with flashlights look around the grounds to find as many frogs (lawn ornaments, garden sculpture, etc.) as they can in a set time. Louise tells me there are over sixty ornamental frogs permanently stationed on the grounds.

RTJ--10/18/97

In the neighborhood: Pedestal Rock and Natural Bridge | Quigley's Castle