Pasaquan: a magical place in the middle of nowhere, Georgia

If you're into finding really special places in the middle of nowhere

a la, Atlas Obscura, then you'll want to add Pasaquan to your list the next time you are in the state of Georgia.

Pasaquan reminds me of a place almost out of "Alice in Wonderland", as it sits on a 7-acre compound near Buena Vista, Georgia. (The biggest town near Buena Vista is Columbus; and that is 40 minutes away! So, like I said - it's in the middle of nowhere.)

There's a long history worth reading, and the property is now maintained by Columbus State University. But, I'll share with you a brief overview (as I understand it) - about this place and it's creator, before you watch my video tour!

I'm told that Pasaquan is a balance of supernatural, geometry, and snakes. It was birthed from a vision that came to the eccentric folk artist named Eddie Owens Martin, who called himself St. EOM.

He is now a local legend; and when you ask around, you get things like "he was a snake charmer", "he was recluse, but eccentric", and "he had visions of people from the future who told him to build Pasaquan."
(The stories go on. And as I said, it's worth reading more about him in depth.)
But, here is what is known for a fact - when he was 14, Eddie Owens Martin fled to New York City. There he explored many jobs, as well as, his sexuality. Despite the fact that he fled to New York to leave his humble, southern upbringing, he returned home to Georgia often, to help his mom take care of the farm (the property now known as Pasaquan).

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After his mother died, Eddie returned home for good - and this is where the magic, if you will, began. Eddie later said that he'd been wiped out with a fever when he was visited by three exceptionally tall humanoids from the future universe of Pasaquan. They picked him, they stated, to be their emissary, "St. EOM," the main Pasaquoyan of the twentieth century.

For the rest of his life, at least 30 more years, St. EOM built the art, now restored to it's full glory on the property.

As St. EOM, Eddie wore eccentric costumes, he grew his facial hair and added jewels to it. Locals say he earned his cash as a fortune teller, and when not doing that, he would hire workers to help him build out the grand art structures on property.

He was a peculiar character by which many stories about him are told. But, it seems that the complexity of what was going on in his head finally got the best of him as he shot himself in 1986.

So, now we're here - if you're in Georgia and have time for road trip, you can visit Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m

WATCH THE FILM OF MY TOUR: