WHEELY WACKY
‘It’s amazing,’ says artist behind zany school bus graveyard filled with Homer Simpson and PAC-MAN-painted vehicles
Though it's free to walk around the outside of the site, it costs a few dollars to go inside and explore
A SCHOOL bus graveyard that opened in the 1950s still holds transit vehicles and is described as an amazing free adventure.
The Georgia school bus boneyard was started in 1959 by a business that sold buses and bus parts.
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Alonzo Wade opened the used cars and parts business that turned into a school bus graveyard about 50 years later when Walter Wade took over, local news affiliate WSB-TV reported.
It all started to combat theft and unwanted graffiti.
"It’s amazing," Walter Wade stressed.
"There’s a lot of things I’ve done in my life, but I’m never been able to (paint) like that. I just get a kick out of watching the people’s reactions."
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He said the boneyard has had visitors from all over the US as well as some people coming through from other countries.
"Just to stop by to look because they’ve seen pictures of it," Walter added.
"It’s totally different when you stop and look at it up close and personal."
There are more than 100 buses in the boneyard and some cars, as well.
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When the site was originally opened by Alonzo as an auto business, he faced a problem with thieves breaking in and stealing the radiators out of the buses.
To combat the theft issue, Alonzo created a makeshift fence made up of the buses themselves.
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Walter took on the business 50 years later and faced a new problem.
Unsolicited visitors started to paint inappropriate images and phrases on that bus fence made by Alonzo.
Walter called in some artists to paint over the graffiti and that is how the School Bus Graveyard was born.
Artists enjoy going to the graveyard from time to time to paint on the old school buses with Wade’s approval.
"It’s totally different when you stop and look at it up close and personal."
Walter Wade
Visitors can find all kinds of things painted across the vehicles like Homer Simpson, killer ants, PAC-MAN.
They can even take on the challenge of finding Waldo in the yard of buses.
Walking around the outside of the School Bus Graveyard is free which is something vintage car lovers enjoy doing daily.
Though it's free to walk around the outside of the site, it costs a few dollars to go inside and explore.
For those who are interested in the graveyard but not enough to travel to Alto, Georgia for a visit, there are ways to view the site online.
The School Bus Graveyard has a Facebook account with photos of some of the vehicles with outstanding paintings on them.
You could even inquire about the boneyard through the page.
"The OFFICIAL page for the School Bus Graveyard in Alto, GA," its intro reads.
"Please refer to this page when posting photos, asking questions or visiting the property."
Just this week a Facebook user commented on one of the posts on the School Bus Graveyard account, saying that it is a "great place to visit!"
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A post even featured a photo of someone with a sign listing rules for the graveyard.
"Welcome (kinda) to the School Bus Graveyard. No way you may not: paint, climb, break, take or leave anything," the large handmade sign said.
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