Pennville, Georgia - Rev. Finster's Paradise Gardens Park and Museum

Finster's Paradise Gardens is open, and people are working hard to restore the place. It is well worth the trip. While the chapel is currently closed while they fix it up, there is still plenty to see. You can tell that this place was a huge part of the man's life and it shows the love, dedication and passion he had for what he saw as his life's calling. If you're visiting, contact one of the people running it ahead of time, and they're generally happy to let you in, show you around the place, and tell you about it. [Daniel, 03/01/2009]

I was thinking of hitting Paradise Gardens this summer, but ran into a small problem. According to their web site, Paradise Gardens is currently closed, and they are looking desperately for assistance and donations to renovate the gardens and the chapel within. [auridicyl, 05/04/2007]

Folk artist Howard Finster has departed, but his work can still be seen at Paradise Gardens, Summerville, GA. While most "outsider" creators are barely clammy when locals bulldoze their misunderstood eyesores, Finster's work should endure -- shouldn't it? Artists and Finster preservationists Grace Kelly and C.M.Laster are concerned that the Reverend's exterior work -- items not enshrined in museums -- are in peril:

Arguably America's most well-known folk artist, Rev. Howard Finster, 84, died at a local hospital Monday, Oct.... [10/28/2001] Complete News Story