If you’ve ever wondered what Mad Max’s version of an art gallery might look like, the International Car Forest of the Last Church is your answer. Nestled just outside the tiny town of Goldfield, Nevada, this offbeat roadside spectacle is part junkyard, part open-air museum, and entirely mesmerizing.

I stopped here on a recent road trip from Reno to Vegas—one of those long stretches of desert highway that begs for a weird detour. I spent about an hour wandering through the dirt paths, weaving between weather-worn sedans, gutted vans, and old-school buses all jammed nose-down or stacked in sculptural defiance of gravity. It’s one of those places where you feel like you’ve stepped into someone else’s dream—or possibly fever dream.

My favorite? A massive bus, its front-end plunged deep into the earth like some apocalyptic Excalibur. There’s something strangely powerful about it, towering over the rest like the king of this strange metallic graveyard.

The whole place was the brainchild of artists Chad Sorg and Mark Rippie. Rippie’s original idea was to create the world’s largest car art installation, and Sorg couldn’t resist joining in. Together, they transformed around 40 vehicles into surreal canvases of graffiti, poetry, political commentary, and abstract expressionism.

How to Visit: Goldfield is about halfway between Reno and Las Vegas along U.S. Route 95. You won’t find signs, ticket booths, or bathrooms—this is public art in the raw. There’s no entry fee and no one to stop you from exploring. It’s dusty, remote, and completely worth the pit stop.

Just be prepared: there’s little to no cell service, and depending on the time of year, the Nevada sun can be brutal. Bring water, wear decent shoes, and maybe keep a snack handy unless you enjoy pondering rusty art on an empty stomach.

Why It’s Worth It: The Car Forest doesn’t try to be anything other than what it is: strange, bold, unfiltered creativity in the middle of nowhere. It’s the kind of place where art doesn’t just imitate life—it collides with it in the most chaotic and compelling way possible.

Whether you’re into urban art, roadside oddities, or just need a break from cruise control, this place makes a lasting impression. You don’t forget a bus standing on its nose in the desert.