The Indiana Studio Where Bob Ross Filmed The Joy of Painting Is Being Turned Into a Happy Little Tourist Attraction

Even if you've binge-watched every episode of The Joy of Painting, you may not have have given much thought to where the show was filmed. But Bob Ross's beloved program isn't set in a magical place outside space and time—it was shot in a real home in Muncie, Indiana. Now, the Ball State Daily News reports that the historic house is being turned into a tourist attraction.

The L.L. Ball home at the Minnestrista museum and public gathering space served as Ross's studio from 1983 to 1988. It's where he crafted the landscape paintings, spoke the words of encouragement, and made the happy little accidents that turned The Joy of Painting into a sensation.

At the new "Bob Ross Experience" at Minnestrista, fans will get to walk in the footsteps of the iconic artist. The exhibit will showcase some of Ross's original paintings, as well as a real palette he used to paint them. Keeping with the spirit of The Joy of Painting, guests will even get to create artworks of their own in the house's "interactive painting studio."

In order to build the exhibit and restore Bob Ross's studio to its former glory, Minnestrista has launched a fundraising effort. The Indiegogo campaign has raised more than $19,000 of its $200,000 goal, with the streaming service Twitch matching every dollar that's donated up to $25,000. You have until the end of today, November 5, to contribute.

The "Bob Ross Experience" is set to open in October 2020 in honor of the artist's birthday on October 29. You can find more happy little facts about Bob Ross here.

[h/t Ball State Daily News]