A stunning house out of 51,000 beer bottles

In the heart of the Nevada desert lies a truly unique relic from the early 1900s—a house made entirely of bottles. Built in 1905 by a man named Tom Kelly, this three-room home stands as a creative solution to a very real problem of the time: the lack of building materials.

During the Gold Rush era, the booming town of Rhyolite had plenty of saloons but very little wood for construction.

Tom Kelly saw an opportunity where others saw trash. He collected around 51,000 discarded beer bottles, mostly from Busch, donated by the town's numerous bars, and used them—along with adobe mud—to build an L-shaped home that’s now become legendary.

What’s even more amazing is how functional and beautiful the house turned out to be. The glass bottles weren’t just practical; they allowed sunlight to stream through, casting colorful patterns inside the house. It was both a resourceful and artistic endeavor.

Despite its fragile appearance, the Bottle House has held up remarkably well over the years, surviving both time and the harsh desert climate. It's been restored multiple times, including a major restoration in 2005, and still stands strong today.

Now one of the few remaining structures in the ghost town of Rhyolite, the Bottle House is a powerful symbol of creativity, sustainability, and resilience. It draws visitors from around the world who come to admire this sparkling piece of American history.