Entry No. 6 — the Atlanta file — filed under: outsider-art
Pasaquan
Eddie Owens Martin — a Times Square street psychic who renamed himself St. EOM — spent three decades single-handedly covering his family farm in Day-Glo concrete murals, totem-topped pagodas, and a moat-ringed temple compound he called the capital of a religion he invented.
The story
In 1922, a fourteen-year-old Eddie Owens Martin fled his family's Marion County sharecropper farm for New York City, where he spent decades surviving as a street hustler, drag queen, and fortune teller. During a severe illness, he experienced visions of three towering humanoids from a future universe who proclaimed him St. EOM and directed him to found a new faith called Pasaquoyanism. When his mother passed away in 1957, Martin inherited the seven-acre Georgia homestead and returned home to build a physical sanctuary for his visions.
Funding the project by reading fortunes as a local self-described "poor man's psychiatrist"—wearing turbans, feathered headdresses, and vibrant robes—St. EOM spent nearly three decades transforming the pine woods into Pasaquan. Working with wire mesh, concrete, and high-saturation paints, he erected six painted structures, including totem-topped pagodas, a moat-ringed temple compound, and a redesigned 1885 farmhouse, all bordered by four acres of masonry concrete walls. Every surface is covered with geometric bas-reliefs blending African, Native American, pre-Columbian, and Lost Continent of Mu iconography.
Following St. EOM's death in 1986, the complex faced decades of decay before being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 and restored between 2014 and 2016 by the Kohler Foundation and Columbus State University. What sits off Eddie Martin Road today isn't a typical roadside curiosity; it is a completely self-contained, visionary art compound engineered by a queer Deep South outcast who simply built his own universe in the woods.
What it's like
Arriving at 238 Eddie Martin Road feels like driving through quiet Georgia pine woods until a wall of blinding Day-Glo concrete suddenly cuts off the trees. Walking the four acres of masonry walls and six painted structures under the unshaded southern sun hits far harder than looking at photographs—the intense, saturated blues, yellows, and reds vibrate against the soil and pine needles. The catch is the operating calendar: Pasaquan is strictly a Friday-through-Sunday afternoon destination, and it shuts down entirely during the months of July and December, so confirm current hours before making the drive. Plan for at least an hour to explore the grounds, wear a hat, and take your time looking closely at the relief carvings in the masonry walls.
The move: Go on a Friday-Sunday afternoon — it's closed Mondays-Thursdays and shuts entirely through July and December — to walk the six painted structures and four acres of masonry walls; the saturated color reads far more overwhelming in Georgia sun than in any photo.
- 📍 Buena Vista, GA (Marion County)
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 238 Eddie Martin Road, Buena Vista, GA 31808
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Curios Botanica — Pair St. EOM’s vision of self-invented spiritualism with a visit to this Jonesboro botanica stocking traditional hoodoo conjure oils, candles, and sachet powders.
- Doll's Head Trail (Constitution Lakes Park) — Continue exploring outsider art built from raw obsession by walking this wetland trail lined with discarded-object assemblages.
- Eyedrum Art & Music Gallery — Trade St. EOM’s solitary rural compound for Atlanta’s long-running, artist-run outpost for experimental visual art and performance.
Good to know
When is Pasaquan open to visitors?
Pasaquan is open Friday through Sunday afternoons, and is closed Monday through Thursday. The site shuts down completely for the entire months of July and December. Operating schedules can change, so confirm current hours with Columbus State University before visiting.
Where is Pasaquan located and how far is it from Atlanta?
Pasaquan is located at 238 Eddie Martin Road near Buena Vista in Marion County, Georgia. It sits about 30 to 40 minutes southeast of Columbus and roughly two hours south of Atlanta.
Who built Pasaquan and why?
It was created single-handedly by Eddie Owens Martin (St. EOM), a former Times Square fortune teller who returned to his family's farm in 1957. Inspired by visionary encounters with future beings, he spent roughly 30 years building a capital compound for his self-invented religion, Pasaquoyanism.
Who manages and preserves Pasaquan today?
The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Following a major restoration completed between 2014 and 2016 by the Kohler Foundation and the Pasaquan Preservation Society, it is now maintained and operated by Columbus State University.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: pasaquan.columbusstate.edu · Wikipedia · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-19