LAKE PLACID, Fla. — Debbie von Arx never wore makeup. Until her second career required it.

“I was a respiratory therapist for 35 years. I worked the night shift,” von Arx said. “So, when this job came along, I was like, ‘This is easy.'”

She lets out a big laugh. And that’s how Silly Dilly was born.

She runs Toby’s Clown School and Museum in Lake Placid, where she teaches clown skills like ballooning and von Arx can make a dog with ease.

Cats are also dogs, but with whiskers. And giraffes are also dogs. But with a longer neck — and spots.

From balloons to instruments, clowns made their noisemakers.

They look like walking sticks decked out with bicycle bells, clown horns and strings tied tightly across disposable pie pans that clowns plink at will.

These are vintage items now and donated, like most of the artifacts.

That includes a clown salt and pepper shaker collection: 1,188 sets of them, which von Arx helped unpack. It took a half-dozen clowns 10 hours to unpack the collection.

Also on the walls are original paintings by American entertainer and clown legend, Red Skelton.

After six years in this clown house surrounded by symbols of joy, Silly Dilly is as silly as ever.

“I think we are very fortunate to have all this and for people to come in and actually see it,” von Arx said.

Clown school classes are in November and February.