If one of your 2026 goals is to add more culture and creativity to your life, a close-to-home option is calling: Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden, located in the Pennville Community in Chattooga County near Summerville.

Davia Weatherill, Executive Director of the Paradise Garden Foundation, says one of the biggest highlights is the World’s Folk Art Church, which reopened to the public last summer after an extensive restoration. Weatherill explains the church was part of Finster’s vision of building “mansions in the sky,” and after being closed for more than 25 years due to serious structural concerns, renovations have now made it far safer and more accessible for visitors.

Weatherill encourages Northwest Georgians to come experience not only the restored church, but also the wider collection of folk art and one-of-a-kind treasures throughout the garden. Paradise Garden is also recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, adding to its significance as a destination for both locals and visitors.

For more information, visit www.paradisegardenfoundation.org.