Flushing out the USA's best public restrooms

Happy World Toilet Day!

Since 2001, Nov. 19 has been designated a day to draw attention to the fact that 2.5 billion people lack access to decent facilities. And yes, its major sponsor is a maker of toilet-cleaning products. But it has the blessing of the United Nations and is co-sponsored by a number of non-governmental organizations.

It also is the day that the best public throne in the USA is crowned in the America's Best Restroom Contest. Fresh nominations are received annually by Cintas, a facility services provider. A team winnows down the selection to 10 finalists and then puts it to a public online vote.

And the winner is…

The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, where the restroom/lounge looks as if it was built by a "drunken (brick) mason on a bender." One of the city's last vaudeville houses has been reincarnated as a multipurpose entertainment venue and its restroom is "one part old-fashioned powder room and one part lounge." The attitude: ornate and sassy. You can even get a drink here — bartenders serve over the back counter into the restroom, where patrons have a view of the onstage action.

No. 2 honors go to Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade in Portland, Ore., where the sinks pulse with changing light colors and the décor, from the tile work to the mirrors, let you know you're in an arcade that pays homage to the golden age of video gaming.

In third place is the public glass restroom on the town square in Sulphur Springs, Texas, where users can see out, but the world can't see in. Consider these two one-way-mirrored restrooms (cost: $54,000) "functional art."

See the slide show above for photos of all the finalists.