Entry No. 39 — the Washington, D.C. file — filed under: neon sculpture
Glenstone Museum — Alex Da Corte's Rubber Pencil Devil (Hell House)
Inside Room 6 of the Pavilions sits a neon sculpture shaped like a house on fire — artist Alex Da Corte's 2022 walk-in piece Rubber Pencil Devil (Hell House), commissioned by the museum, which houses his own 2018 video work inside its glowing frame. Da Corte performs in his own videos, in prosthetics and costume, recasting familiar American cartoon imagery as something unsettling.
The story
Glenstone is famously serene. Located in wealthy Potomac, Maryland, the museum operates like a silent sanctuary of smooth gray concrete, manicured meadows, and hushed water courts. But navigate deep into the Pavilions to Room 6, and that quiet austerity gets thoroughly hijacked.
Inside sits Alex Da Corte’s *Rubber Pencil Devil (Hell House)*, a 2022 walk-in neon sculpture commissioned by the museum. Shaped like a suburban house outlined in blinding, fiery neon, it acts as a glowing frame for Da Corte’s 2018 video work running inside. Stepping inside the structure puts you face-to-face with the artist himself performing under heavy prosthetics and surreal costumes—recasting familiar American cartoon icons and pop culture nostalgia into something deeply unsettling and hypnotic.
What it's like
You cannot just roll up to Glenstone on a whim; you need a free timed-entry pass secured online beforehand, as security checks reservations at the front gate. After parking, you hike down a quiet, wooded trail toward the monolithic Pavilions. Step into Room 6, and the neon house casts an electric, unnatural glow across the concrete gallery floor. It is jarring in the best way possible compared to the rest of the museum's quiet minimalist exhibits.
The move: Book a free timed-entry pass, walk the wooded path between single-artist Pavilion rooms, step inside the neon Hell House, then finish at the Water Court for quiet contemplation.
- 📍 Potomac, MD
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 12100 Glen Road, Potomac, MD 20854
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Maryland Gold Mine National Historic Landmark — Trade Glenstone's hyper-sleek, manicured architecture for overgrown 19th-century gold rush ruins tucked in the nearby woods.
- Seneca Mill and Quarry Ruins — Balance a room-sized neon burning house with the raw, crumbling red sandstone ruins that supplied stone for DC's historic landmarks.
- National Museum of Health and Medicine — Pair Da Corte's uncanny prosthetic video portraits with actual biological oddities and forensic history down the road in Silver Spring.
Good to know
Do I need tickets to see the Alex Da Corte installation?
Yes, though admission is free. You must book a timed-entry pass on Glenstone’s website ahead of time. Passes are released on the first of each month.
Where inside Glenstone is Hell House located?
You will find it inside Room 6 of the Pavilions, the museum's main multi-room gallery complex.
What is inside the neon structure?
You step directly inside the glowing frame to view a series of video works starring Alex Da Corte, who performs in elaborate prosthetics to warp familiar American cartoon tropes.
How far is Glenstone from downtown Washington, DC?
It is located in Potomac, Maryland, about 15 miles or roughly a 40-minute drive from downtown DC.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Wikipedia · washington.org · washingtonpost.com
last checked: 2026-07-19