Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Sparks Burbidge daughter of Sparky Sparks
Hi Tiffany Sparks Burbidge, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our Story began back when Sparky, the collector was a teen. He had a collector/picker heart from birth. He began picking as a young adult and started with antique car parts to restore his first car. This car was a Speedster and he still has it today. In his later years he found a love for gas pumps and porcelain signs and used them to “dress up”his business AAA Lakeside Storage, his storage facility located in Provo, Utah. Once the outside of the Storage Park was fully “decorated” with signs and pumps he had the opportunity to buy an old steel building. What to do with it???? With all the collections and love of the hunt it was apparent this would be a perfect place to house more of the collection inside this steel building once he built it. So build it he did and decorated it like nothing else in Utah. Filled with hundreds of porcelain gas signs which are known as Petroliana signs. He has one of the smallest jets ever made hanging from the ceiling along with many very rare antique cars. He didn’t stop there but added a coca cola collection, english phone booth and well known manequins such as Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis to bring back the retro vibe. The exterior houses what might be the largest collection of “signs on poles” in the world and has the look instead of field of flowers, field of signs. It also has a collection of steam tractors that changed the face of the farming industry. The collection bring to life the history of the gas and oil industry in a beautiful way enticing the visitor to question where it all begin.
Once the building begin, we knew it would be a great idea to share his collection with others so decided to make it a museum. Why stop there??? Why not An Event Center where corporate events, weddings, reunions, parties, quinceaneras and more could leave guests in awe since it unequivocally memorable and unique, unlike than anything else out there. So that is what he did, created this beautiful space that houses his museum and is available to the public to visit and to rent.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
What he thought would be a very inexpensive and quick project turned into a four year ordeal. This was not easy and we had nothing but problems getting things approved from Provo, City. Where we are located is tricky as there is no sewer line that goes to the property so we were told an absolute NO on building, and No on ever getting bathrooms on our property. We kept asking the question and reminding our neigh sayers that ” NO” was not an answer but instead an invitation to find a different way to make it happen. After many many months maybe even a year through much creativity we got approved to build and yes to have bathrooms. We had other problems of course with covid in the middle of the building process slowing things down and then once we were finished being told that we had to have a sprinkling system put in and slowed us down some more but we never gave up. Meanwhile Sparky was out collecting all over the Country more gas signs and pumps to be picked up on his week long trips as he and his wife Jeannie pulled his trailer to retrieve his purchased additions all over the United States.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Sparky as he is called (LaVorn is his given name) is a true entrepreneur. He is now 84 and lives most of the time in Kauai, Hawaii with his wife Jeannie. He has always had businesses he built and ran throughout his life. His mantra was if someone else can do it so can I. Currently he owns a Storage Park (AAA Lakeside Storage in Provo, Utah) but has owned rental homes, built apartments, owned a billboard sign company, and many other ventures throughout his life. His most recent adventure is building the Sparks Museum and Event Center which is open and taking bookings.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I the writer of this and am Sparky’s daughter Tiffany. I will switch gears in this question and answer it two fold. My father had many supporters. His parents LaVorn Sparks Sr and Beatrice Sparks were hard workers and influences on what that looked like his entire life. She was an acclaimed author, and he was a developer and builder and was ahead of his time in innovation.
I, Sparky’s daughter who partnered with him on the building of Sparks Museum and Event center had him as my mentor. He has always been the man who can do anything, or figure it out. Never a NO in his vocabulary, just a find a way mentality. He as been an example of fortitude and creation my entire life of never quitting and always finding a way to make the dream happen.
I have taken on this challenge as well and will continue in his legacy showing his collection to as many people who want to see it and experience what some of the history of gas and oil looked like.
Pricing:
- Monday- Thursday Rental $2600
- Friday- Saturday Rental $3300
- $10 museum entrance fee
- $80 hour photography fee
- Hourly rentals $400-$500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sparksmuseumandeventcenter.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparksmuseumandeventcenter
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparksmuseumandeventcenter/
