Spend a Magical Weekend at Paradise Garden

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If I made a list of Georgia’s 7 Wonders, Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden would be right at the top because it is a dream-like delight unlike anywhere else in the world. Finster transformed an ordinary plot of land into a living art environment of angels, mirrors, mosaics, bike parts, and bric-a-brac. If you’re into outsider art, or just in search of something immersive and handmade with a lot of heart, this is for you. For the best experience, stay overnight and take a moonlit stroll through the garden with the company of resident cats, Calvin and Hobbes.

The World Folk Art Church at Howard Finster's Paradise Garden

Location

200 North Lewis Street, Summerville, Georgia, USA
The closest city with an airport is Chattanooga (<1 hour away). It’s about a 2 hour, 40 minute drive from Athens, GA and about 2 hours from Atlanta.

woman standing in front of a man-made mountain of hubs in Paradise Garden
cover with painted words spelling 'Time waits for no one. Take time to be Holy. I never seen a person I didn't love.'
large white boot sculpture in DIY shed at Paradise Garden

Reverend Howard Finster

Howard Finster began building Paradise Garden in the 1960s. In 1976, at nearly 60 years old, he had a vision from God commanding him to paint sacred art. Rising to the occasion, Finster created more than 46,000 works before his death in 2001. His art is now celebrated in galleries around the world. Every corner of Paradise Garden bursts with color and boundless imagination, creating an art environment that transcends religious boundaries for visitors. He is celebrated as one of America’s most treasured outsider artists, and was a key figure in the Southern Visionary Folk Artists collective.

In pop culture, Paradise Garden can be seen as the backdrop for R.E.M.’s “Radio Free Europe” music video. Finster’s art is on the cover of R.E.M.’s album Reckoning (1984), as well as on the Talking Heads’ album Little Creatures (1985), and he collaborated on several pieces with Keith Haring.

woman looking up inside the Mirror House at Paradise Garden
Mirrors over the years. This was taken on my first visit in 2015.
petting an orange cat inside the Mirror House at Paradise Garden
My mom with Hobbes. Look at his hashbrown tail!
two women taking a ceiling selfie inside the Mirror House at Paradise Garden
Taken on my last visit in 2021 or 2022

When to Go

The garden is operated and maintined by the Paradise Garden Foundation, a Georgia Non-Profit. It’s open year-round, Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-5pm. Tickets are $15 (discounts to seniors and students). The color pop of Finster’s creations means it’s wonderful in every season (bring bug repellent if you go in the summer though!).

a painted car at Paradise Garden
a painted car at Paradise Garden
a man and a woman looking out the windows of a handmade play-size chapel

Finster Fest

Finster Fest is an annual arts and music festival (since 1991!), usually held in September. This year, Finster Fest is September 23-24. Tickets are $10.

colorful baubles hanging from ceiling beams

Tomb of the Unknown Body

Read about the unusual grave at Finster’s Paradise Garden on my friend’s blog Southern Cemetery.

orange cat in a garden

What’s Nearby?

*These photos are from my trips to the garden from 2015 to 2022


Check out more places to visit in Georgia!

split image of a folk art church and a woman looking around a room a mirrors

2 comments

  1. I like your blog. And you started out very near where I lived decades ago! Though I lived in NW Georgia only 4 years, they were formative years and were the only time I lived in the south. Certain places and people around there are forever in my heart.

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