See Rock City Barns

The iconic See Rock City barns celebrated and restored to their original glory.

Beginning in the 1930s, roads leading toward Chattanooga asked travelers to "See Rock City," a simple directive in bold white lettering intended to trigger curiosity about the out-of-the-way attraction at the pinnacle of Lookout Mountain. The roadside barns beckoned travelers, and they responded in droves, flocking to the garden again and again. On route, spotting the barns became as enjoyable--and as memorable--as the Rock City garden itself. By the 1960s, over 900 scripted barns stood throughout the South, originally hand painted by Clark Byers. Only 40 Rock City barns remain, and many have gone through a restoration that's beautifully captured here.

Author Judith Garrison takes readers on a tour of this true slice of Americana.