Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

by Jamie Hale | The Oregonian, OregonLive

The 21st century isn't kind to old-fashioned roadside attractions, and while there are some success stories in Oregon, others look to be barely hanging on.



That seems to be the case at Petersen Rock Garden, a central Oregon attraction known for its detailed architectural sculptures, intricately decorated with rocks and shells. The garden started in 1935 as the pet project of Danish immigrant Rasmus Petersen, but today it's in a sad state of disrepair.



Petersen built the sculptures on the land surrounding his house, found just off U.S. Route 97 between Redmond and Bend. He built towering castles surrounded by moats, models of famous buildings, even a Statue of Liberty – all connected by a gravel pathway and concrete bridges that span the property.



Today, many of those bridges are closed to the public, with old "Caution" tape barring entry. Many sculptures have bare spots where either visitors pried rocks away from concrete, or time took its toll on the adhesion. Several buildings are closed and abandoned. Trash litters parts of the property.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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In 2016, owner and manager Susan Caward said she had to shut down the entire attraction, due to concerns from her insurance company over the safety of the features. She fought the decision and eventually reopened the rock garden, though she said there was still a lot of work to be done.



"Bottom line is I need paint, I need lumber ... I need people who are willing to donate their time, donate their money and right now I don't have it," she said in an interview last year. "We basically do everything ourselves."



Caward did not respond to a request for another interview.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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It's a quick downturn for the roadside attraction: In 2013, Peterson Rock Garden was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Caward said crews cleaned up the place for the application process, but it doesn't look like it's had much attention since. Sites can be removed from the register, but usually only after they're demolished.



After closing last year, Caward said she was planning on making the necessary repairs to the garden, but the only evidence of that now is the pile of rocks and tools sitting neglected on the lawn. She complained that money was a primary roadblock to fixing the place, but the only method of collecting admission is a cashbox sitting in the shadows of the driveway.



The Petersen Rock Garden simply looks neglected.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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It's no knock against Caward. Family-owned roadside attractions are closing all over Oregon, victims of a shifting culture and lack of enthusiasm among family members who inherit the businesses.



Kiki McGrath, owner of Prehistoric Gardens on the Oregon coast, said she's the last in line to take care of the dinosaur-themed attraction, and doesn't know if it will survive beyond her. Over at the Oregon Vortex, manager Elena Cooper – who married into the family-owned business – seems to be keeping the place running with a remarkable amount of enthusiasm and dedication.



Douglas Kirby, author of two books on roadside attractions, told Fox Business' "Strange Inheritance" (which recently did an episode on Prehistoric Gardens) that a lot of places like these have shut down in recent years.



"A lot of those great parks were also the vision of a single person, and you could feel their enthusiasm in everything," he said. "But by the third generation, there's nobody to carry them on, and all of a sudden they're gone."

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Losing the Petersen Rock Garden would be a blow to the generations of Oregonians who have fond memories of stopping by, but it shouldn't come as a surprise. As sad as it is to see the dilapidated attraction, it's remarkable that a rock garden in a rural backyard has lasted 82 years as a popular destination.



None of this is to say that you shouldn't go. Petersen's sculptures are still amazing, even if they're missing some rocks. The bridges are still beautiful, reflecting in the still ponds. The peacocks and hens that roam the gardens add a splash of color that old paint doesn't. Still, it's hard not to look at it all and wonder how long it will remain.



There's a plaque at the garden, beneath a replica of the Statue of Liberty, that reads, "Enjoy yourself, it is later than you think." That message might be truer now than ever for central Oregon's little roadside attraction.



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Petersen Rock Garden is one of Oregon's best-loved roadside attractions, started in 1935 as a pet project of Danish immigrant Rasmus Petersen, who constructed intricate sculptures out of locally-sources rocks and shells. It closed temporarily in 2016 after some aging structures and bridges were deemed unsafe.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

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