I have been driving by this cute barber shop for years. It is located in the Geist area, only 5 minutes away from it. One day, two weeks ago I decided to stop there with my son, Alex and look around outside and inside. What I found was fascinating, charming and very unique.

McCordsville Barber Shop
Gary Wiley (owner)
317-335-9207
Open Daily: 8AM - 6PM
7745 N.600 W.
McCordsville, IN 46055
Closed: Sunday -Monday

Dr. Sandor Gal

Bells, Whistles and a Haircut Too!
By Jill Supancik

Have you ever passed by the McCordsville Barber Shop and wondered what it might be like on the inside? The structure itself resembles a train station with an actual ticket window by the door with a figure inside meant to collect the tickets and an actual caboose on the side! White barber figurines adorn the building in the front complete with a barber pole.

The owner/ barber Mr. Gary Wiley is a collector of sorts. He collects train memorabilia and is also a jack of different trades such as pen making. He makes pens out of all kinds of materials such as rare wood. When he isn’t cutting hair he is in his shop within the Barber shop working on his pens.

Gary attended barber school forty three years ago. In the Barber school, his teacher made all the students clean out railroad cars in Beanblossom. He had a great idea while cleaning to someday put a barber shop in one! While he started the shop in McCordsville twenty eight years ago, the caboose came fourteen years later. He had just spent a fortune on his daughter’s wedding when he thought about his railroad car barber shop again, only the timing wasn’t quite right just yet due to finances. Then, his grandson Aaron arrived and a few years later was playing with train tracks and a caboose on his lap which he took as a sign that it was time to realize his dream of owning a caboose with a barber shop in it. He then found two cabooses for sale in Evansville, Indiana. Gary states that without the help of Ron Seals he couldn’t have pulled it off. Ron purchased one of the cabooses for two thirds of the total price. The feat of getting the railroad car to McCordsville would be easy, right? Well, the cars were a little worn out and couldn’t meet traveling standards on the rail, so they had to get creative. They decided to load it by crane onto a truck and ship it to him. Going out of town, the car standing up on the truck would not pass under the bridge so they then had to turn the car onto its side on the truck to fit under the bridge and continue its journey to McCordsville.

Inside the shop is definitely eclectic. You would have to visit Gary for a haircut to understand; however, there are murals by Mary Watkins that would have you believing you are in a scene from a movie. There is a lamp in one of the murals with an pull chain that Gary says customers have actually used trying to turn the light on. You walk in and there is an old barbers chair in a room then you pass through to the waiting room where you will wait to hear “All Aboard”! That means it is the next persons turn (be ready as he may ask you for a green ticket).

Even if you don’t see Gary upon arrival, he will know you are there; he can monitor the waiting area from his shop! You had better behave while waiting because only the patient people will get some of his best surprises. For instance, if a train goes by while getting your hair cut you do not have to get up and look outside because he has a camera on the top of the shop that catches the train and you can view it from your chair on the TV screen. The kids think it is brilliant! Kids can watch a Thomas the Train DVD while they are in the chair. There is a map of the United States from 1840-1880 that shows where the train tracks were at that point spreading west but hadn’t reached farther west than Texas. When you are finished with your haircut you will be sent out the back door and off the caboose!

Now, another thing to look for when you are at the McCordsville Barber Shop is the wood work by a gentleman by the name of Dick Goar. If you are extremely well behaved, then you may get a piece of bubble gum from the train bubble gum dispenser that was entirely handcrafted by Mr. Goar. His work within the shop is phenomenal.

Gary sees his shop as a Work In Progress. His love for antiques, trains and people really shows in his establishment.

Gary’s hours are Tuesday thru Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 pm. It will be a learning experience and a great hair cut. His hair cuts are ten dollars each and he is located at 7745 N. 600 W. McCordsville. My nephews who are four and seven years old love his shop and so does their grandpa! His regulars were trickling in around lunch time and some have been with him quite a while!