THE BLOTTER BARN: San Francisco’s Hidden LSD Museum

3466 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Amongst the bougie storefronts and housing boom, San Francisco is a town that's no doubt lost its freak flag in recent years. But that sordid message certainly didn't reach Mark McCloud and his glorious art collection of 30k hits of acid.

And it all lies here, at 3466 20th St, in a decrepit Victorian mansion in SF's Mission district. Passerbys, lattes in hand en route to barking pier seals or the 'Full House' experience, have no idea what lies behind these walls. Tech bros? A founder? The next great world-saving app? Na, herein lies a true artist...and lots and lots of LSD. So much LSD.

But before you take the trip, I must disclaim that this is one of those "hidden + close encounters" kind of excursions. There's no sign, no proper entrance, no ticket taker and no regular hours. This isn't a public museum by any means, it's simply one man's decades-old collection of drugs, displayed all over the first floor of his home. And prepare to spend some time with him IRL. The un-adventurous need not apply in these parts.

If you're lucky enough to connect with Mark for a visit, ring the doorbell and prepare yourself to party like it's 1974 all over again. The inside is an incredible time capsule of all things gnarly from the decade and everywhere you look is a reminder that one lick in the wrong place will send you to wacky town. Also, this is the part where you meet the legendary Mark, which is where the trip really starts.

Look at that dude. A colorful character, to say the least, he's exactly what I wanted to experience from a guy who's been collecting acid tabs for decades and making trippy art out of them.

A real warm gentleman, with an infectious laugh and wild stories for ages, Mark is a guy who's hung out with the likes of Timothy Leary, Abbie Hoffman and almost every radical from the day. A one-time producer and enormous advocate of the positive effects LSD (shocking, I know) he's actually evaded serious trouble with the law (he cops to having "a great, and busy, lawyer") several times over the last few years. Plus, he's walked the walk and has claimed to have tripped thousands of times, a feat which you'll 1000% believe after spending some time with him. Dude is something special, but you'll need to keep up with him. Bring your A-game.

Now, let's get to his art. It's glorious, fascinating and very unique to the eye.

What is acid art, you ask? Well, it's simply intricate designs and cool patterns made entirely from acid tablets.

They look basic from afar, but if you get up close/personal, you'll see that the meticulous tablets are welded together to make each design. There are some really unique pieces here, many which were numerically labeled by the DA's office to indicate how many tabs make up each design.

And each piece has its own flavor and style, which helps Mark distinguish the dealer origin/era which it was created. So with him as your trusty guide, ask lots of questions.

Mark MIGHT have an answer. If he can remember it...

You'll also come across some amazing artifacts from his life and times, which include an awesome photo of Mark with Timothy Leary, some family portraits from the early 20th century, his acid making kits, and all kinds of cool artifacts from the era.

In all, this is an incredible experience; a magical journey and a total throwback to a simpler and more interesting era in SF's rich history. Props to Mark for keeping this gem alive and being the character that he is. We salute you, sir!