With a name like Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe, how can you resist visiting? You will love the wacky décor and the extra fun wares, guaranteed!
Squeeze Into Downtown Asheville
Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe is found in downtown Asheville. The Asheville area has become a big tourist destination over the years for good reason. The downtown scene is typically crowded in the afternoons and evenings.
Most shops and restaurants in this area do not have their own parking areas. Instead you will find public parking lots and garages scattered about. I HIGHLY recommend identifying the parking lot you intend to use before setting out if you are not familiar with the area. Parkopedia is a good resource for live Asheville parking or pick up the official city of Ashville App.
There are 2-3 different parking apps used across the city to pay, unfortunately. I had to go through my phone to delete them all after out trip. Most lots in the town no longer have a physical parking meter/station you can use. You now must use their app for the given lot. Unlike other Asheville locations like the Taco Temple, you do have plenty of alternative parking options.
Is That A Brain?
Kaitlyn and I were walking around during our big Asheville trip doing a bit of window shopping. Asheville has a lot of unique places so we decided to let the town speak to us. Needless to say, we were still amazed by Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe window display. The quirky sign really had us interested too.
We came around the mid-December timeframe so everyone was on the hunt for Christmas gifts. You could see all types of quirky things and we nearly grabbed a few. 95% of all our gifts had already been purchased but we were definitely inspired by what we saw.
The decorations and atmosphere were really captivating. I could hardly walk two steps before pointing something else out that was wacky, funny, or downright outrageous.
Inclusivity and Patches
Now on top of having awesome gag gifts, toys and some unique patches, they have one of the most unique missions. They believe that “neurodiversity makes our communities stronger and abilities always outweigh disabilities.” They follow through on this by staffing their shop with adults who have developmental disabilities.
Additionally a lot of their merchandise advocates for or is intended for people who have these type of disabilities. They also offer over-ear headphones to cancel out some of the music for anyone that needs them. This is something I have started to see other big public areas like some parts of the Asheboro Zoo offer. We were impressed to see this in a street shop.
Their collection of patches was quite extensive so I have had to snap a picture of some of them. My personal favorite was the one made of their own Clutterbucket logo. Do be warned, there are some items that are on the crude, leud or profane side of things on display. If you have small children you do not want to see these things, be warned. I did not include our “Family Friendly” tag on this post for this reason.
Very Vintage
As I mentioned Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe is non-traditional with its approach to…. well…. everything. The decorations constantly had my head turning. Their checkout counter is made out of vintage standup radios and TV’s from the early and mid 1900’s. They have a display of old remedies with original labels and contents. To be honest, they probably just took advantage of the active antiquing scene in the local area.
Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe
The name of Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe honestly says it all. There is nothing typical about this shop. From the blacked out chandeliers to their unique approach to workplace equality, Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe is the local shop you didn’t know you needed.
Overall
Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe is as fun to say as it is to visit. Kaitlyn and I got tons of laughs and smiles out of our visit and have added it to our top list of recommendations. Madam Clutterbucket’s Neurodiverse Universe has a special place in out hearts.
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