Atlas Obscura - Curious and Wondrous Travel Destinations

Schaefer's Auto Art

A quirky collection of outsider art made from automobile parts. 

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If you’re driving around Erie, Pennsylvania, looking for something unusual and out of the ordinary, you may just find it driving down Hershey Road. There, you’ll spot Schaefer’s Auto Art, which is home to a medley of outsider art.

Schaefer’s Auto Art contains larger-than-life sculptures created from old automotive parts. At this unconventional sculpture garden, bits of old cars and trucks are transformed into whimsical works that range from a Bumblebee made from a cement truck and the front of a SAAB car to a spider made from an entire VW Beetle Bug. These two monstrous “bugs” are joined by a 40-foot-tall Rocket, an “Automan,” a two-headed dinosaur, and more.

Schaefer’s Auto Art has been in Erie for over 25 years. Its creator, Richard Schaefer, developed an interest in auto art in the late 1980s. Using his creativity and welding and fabricating techniques, he created this roadside attraction that has charmed visitors for decades.

You cannot park in the driveway, signs are posted. However, there is a small pull-off area in front of the display.

Know Before You Go

It's free to visit and parking is alongside the road.

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