Rock Garden, Calhoun — Attraction in Calhoun

The Rock Garden Highway 53 South 1411 Rome Road SW Calhoun, GA Great stop. About 10 parking sites at the entrance but if full, plenty of parking, especially if you are towing an RV on the backside of the church. We stopped on a weekday so the church parking lot was empty, not sure how full it would be on a Sunday. “This unique place was originally planned to be a prayer garden. The Biblical texts on stones and walkways emphasize God’s love and promises. He is the inspiration and creator of everything beautiful. Development began in 2007 by Dewitt Boyd “Old Dog”, who was later joined in his efforts by his wife, Joyce. The garden became an iconic and imaginative place of castles and medieval villages, flowers and plantings. It is indeed a place of art and wonder. It was later renamed The ROCK Garden because our ROCK is Christ Jesus, (1 Corinthians 10:4)”

There is also a one-mile walking trail over the hill on the other side of the creek. Enter at left bridge. Tennis shoes are recommended for best traction.

Structures; O Little Town of Bethlehem - build in 2013. 1 year to build Prayer Garden - In memory of Jere Stearman who gave us the Crepe Myrtles in 2013 Dover Castle Castle of Angels Japanese Castle Castle of Rejoicing Martin Luther Monastery Lighthouse (sometimes under water) Sea-Port - First village build by Old Dog in 2007. Sometimes under water Bridge Over Troubled Waters Castle of my Heart Church Hill Castle Susan’s Big Bridge to Nowhere Camelot Castle - Normandy France Notre Dame Cathedral - Stained glass windows by Beth Adam’s Monastery School Paris - City of Lights Children’s Castle Memorial Bridge Coliseum Jerusalem (unfinished) Village...

What a blast! If you're looking for an easy, walk-up, weird, and hand-crafted hidden gem, this is it. Don’t go expecting Rock City; it’s simply a miniature "rock garden" made up of old-world castles and cathedrals. Think dollhouses crafted from rock, stone, ceramics, shells, and wire. It can take anywhere from 5 to 40 minutes, depending on whether you’re just checking it off your list or actually wandering the path and taking in the construction and effort that went into this exhibit.

I’m so happy stuff like this endures. I personally love roadside attractions like this—they remind us of something more simple and unencumbered, it exchanges your time for a moment of just being, if that makes sense... There is an irony with what I'm writing, considering it has a slight religious aspiration, but this doesn’t impose; if religion's not your jam, it won’t get in the way. If it is, it’s warm, quaint, and unobtrusive. In my opinion, the church that owns it did well not to force it into a conversion labyrinth—that would have been an absolute shame.

I do wish it were rehabilitated a bit (missing figurines, glass, and such), but I understand things like this aren’t usually high on the operations budget. Still, I’d encourage investing just a bit more. You have something truly unique here, and, as a bonus, it likely reflects some of the values your institution tries to convey and represent. It’s on your grounds, so why not regard it as an important piece of art, history, and cultural reflection that quietly complements those values? It’s a unique way for people to connect with these fundamentals, so why not make it feel as valued as it truly is? FWIW.

You...

This place has been on my list for a while but never seemed like it was worth the 1.5 hr drive. We happened to be traveling through so I knew I needed to make a stop and we were not disappointed. There were many more little structures than I thought would be there and they were so elaborate and detailed! I was super impressed. Yes, they have been weathered and some are starting to fall in places but still quite a sight. And it’s free so if you want to see it get the maintenance it needs then donate! I knew it would be religious (and our family is not) but I wasn’t expecting the amount of scripture and religious imagery. They were literally everywhere! On the structures, on rocks around the structures, on the walls, on the walkway - everywhere! Not a judgement just worth a mention. There are plenty of tables to sit and have a snack or picnic and even a swing in an old funky dying tree! My favorite part was that there was an actual trail leading off the garden! This came as a very pleasant surprise. It went right down a perfect babbling brook, crossed at a swinging bridge and led to a rocky outcrop which is where we stopped. It was so beautiful we got distracted, played too long on the rocks and had to get back to leave but the sign said the trail was a 1 mile loop. Again, still would not have made a trip just to see this if the drive was more than 30-40 mins but if you are passing through,...