Entry No. 5 — the Atlanta file — filed under: junkyard-art
Old Car City USA
A 34-acre former parts-salvage yard turned self-described "museum of junked cars": roughly 4,000-4,400 American vehicles from 1972 and earlier, left in place along six miles of wooded trails as pines and kudzu grow up through hoods and windshields.
The story
What started in 1931 as a small general store and auto salvage lot run by Walter Dean Lewis's parents in White, Georgia, slowly mutated into a 34-acre graveyard of classic American steel. Lewis grew up playing in the yard's rotting chasses, buying up thousands of pre-1972 vehicles that others were sending to the crusher. Around 2009, he stopped selling auto parts altogether after realizing that charging visitors to wander his forest was far more lucrative than selling off door handles—and it kept the patina intact.
Today, between 4,000 and 4,400 classic cars, school buses, and delivery vans sit frozen along six miles of color-coded pine-straw trails. Georgia's forest does not wait for permission: sweetgum and pine trees burst straight through hoods and floorboards, slowly lifting rusted frames off the dirt while kudzu drapes over fin-tailed 1950s sedans. Inside the main building sits another tier of personal obsession: an upstairs loft lined with over 5,000 Styrofoam coffee cups that Lewis has spent decades doodling on with ballpoint pen, displayed near the last car Elvis Presley bought before he died—a 1977 Lincoln Mark V.
What it's like
You'll pay your entry fee at the office—where there's a distinct price jump if you're carrying a camera—and step onto natural dirt and pine-straw paths that weave through dense woods. The vibe is quiet, heavy, and intensely humid in the summer. Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and apply bug spray before stepping onto the trails; decades of collecting rainwater in open hubcaps and rusted trunk pans make this a prime mosquito habitat. If you want crisp shots without harsh, dappled tree shadows, aim for an overcast day.
The move: Book a walking or photography pass online, then spend a couple of hours tracing the color-coded trails past whole rows of fin-tailed '50s sedans and school buses being slowly reclaimed by forest — this is a working pilgrimage site for landscape photographers.
- 📍 White, GA (Bartow County)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 3098 US-411 NE, White, GA 30184
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Tellus Science Museum — Bentley Planetarium & Observatory — Just over two miles down the road, trade Dean Lewis's forest of rusted iron for high-tech astronomy and polished fossils under a planetarium dome.
- Olde Rope Mill Ruins — Continue the theme of nature reclaiming Georgia industry by pairing 1950s chassis with 19th-century stone mill remnants along the Little River.
- Sope Creek Paper Mill Ruins — Swap four thousand decaying cars for multi-story Civil War-era paper mill ruins swallowed by the Chattahoochee forest.
- Yorkville Mine — Extend your decay tour from abandoned chrome resting on the topsoil to historic 19th-century gold shafts hidden underneath it.
Good to know
Can I buy parts or pull badges off the cars?
No. Old Car City ceased operating as an active auto salvage yard years ago. The vehicles are permanent art installations and taking parts or trim is strictly forbidden.
Why is there a different price for photographers?
The venue charges a separate, higher admission rate for anyone bringing a camera setup versus standard walking visitors, reflecting its status as a major regional photo destination.
Are the walking trails accessible?
No. The six miles of trails are unpaved forest paths composed of dirt, grass, and pine straw, full of exposed tree roots and uneven terrain.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · cbsnews.com
last checked: 2026-07-19