UFO Welcome Center

This place is interesting but definitely needs a bit of love. You can tell it has fallen down a bit but it's still cool. I wouldn't go out of the way for it but if you're passing by, definitely stop on in. It's free and there's a parking lot behind the gas station.

Place is in disarray, falling apart but spoke to owner and he lives now in a trailer next to it but interesting! Real nice old man, no kids leaving to waitress friend 😁 He let me climb to the top🤩 gave him a tip and continued my road trip happy I stopped!

Ten minute off the main highway. Gas station near by. Odd attraction but worth the detour if you’re into that stuff and aren’t bothered by driving off course. If it were more like 30 min off the main road There is a better chance i probably would have bypassed it. Free. Just a drive by site.

Sounded like something really cool to see, but it is very junky. I'm sure it was neat when it was first built but needs a lot of up keep to get it back in shape. Of it was any farther off out of our way than the 20 minutes my wife would have been mad.

It's definitely worth a look! It's only 5 or 6 miles off i95. Do it. Just be careful inside. Not very sturdy. There is a trailer next door. It's worth it...truly.

Stopped by on a road trip to Florida because my madien name is Bowman. We did not enter this space but took a few pics from the parking lot. I don't think it's open? But very unique and cool to see. It will be a good story.

We saw a billboard for this spot while driving to Charleston and I’m glad we did. It was only about 5 minutes off of the highway. It looks like it’s in someone’s front yard. It’s literally a silver enclosure that you can go inside. There is electricity inside and a bunch of random items. It was a cool photo op. Free to go inside but there is a tip box.

Remarkable roadside art installation including large structure along with adjacent thematic display in private yard. Unfortunately, main structure is not maintained and is beginning to collapse. Not suitable for small children as structure is hazardous and not secured. Also not sure whether it's ok to access yard to view displays. Good for a few photos and some smiles.

I had absolutely no idea this existed and would not have found it unless I was detoured off I-26 and also searching for "park" to picnic with my Bojangles. The UFO Welcome Center came up and I have GOT to check this out. I've seen a few bits of weird kitsch but this is definitely a top ten crazy thing. I mean, this is BOWMAN SOUTH CAROLINA. It's practically in the middle of nowhere. But yes, it's a welcome center for aliens to park their spacecraft, hit the restroom and maybe take a nap. The space ship is visible from the road and there is parking nearby. If you want to tour it, that's an option but it is not free. The Welcome Center is only a couple of miles off I-26 and if you're planning to connect to I-95 southbound, it's maybe a five minute detour. Totally worth it. [Review 14845 overall, 347 of 2021, number 810 in South Carolina.]

Found this spot on Roadside America and just had to take a detour to see it. Designed to make aliens feel welcome upon meeting Earthlings for the first time. Ohhhhh kay. If you like quirky and kitschy, this is the stop for you. Otherwise, I don't think I'd make a special trip to see it!

It's odd It's unlike anything you may ever see It's an oddity in the archive of US weirdness It's only 6 miles off the interstate For reasons unknown to most and if you gravitate to the strange, then this is a must see It is just over 1 hour from Charleston and 45 minutes from Columbia. It is worth it for the photo opportunity. Otherwise , the town of Bowman doesn't offer much else.

I'm pretty sure when "they" finally come "they" will come here first. This was the first stop on our one year anniversary road trip. It makes sense since my bachelor party was a road trip to New Mexico. Someone needs to start a gofundme or put up an actual tip jar for this guy. He's got all the lights on all the time. I've been to the UFO museum in Roswell. This is better. It's also free. There are accommodations that would allow you to stay the night. I'm not sure anyone does. It's nice to have the option though. Don't forget to sign the log book!

So at one time this was probably the height of a manic episode and in safe condition, and therefore worth the short 10 mile drive off the interstate on the way somewhere else. Today it looks like it would be dangerous to take more than a step inside the fence. We came, we saw, we left- and got cheep gas next door.

WOW, the other reviewers on here were clearly anticipating a high-tech welcome center for aliens, and that just seems like an unreasonable expectation, honestly. The premise of the place is that a gentleman in Bowman felt compelled to give outer-space visitors a place to rest and go to the restroom after a long journey to Earth. In actuality, and after meeting the builder, I'm not convinced he actually believes aliens are coming. I think he just likes building things and annoying the neighbors, but that's entirely my own supposition. The toilets aren't even connected to plumbing, and unless he knows something I don't about alien refuse that seems like piss (and poo) poor planning. As I sit here typing in April of 2017, the structure is definitely a safety hazard, and one that would be condemned if it were regulated--so climb at your own risk. I saw someone clambering around the outside while I was there, which seems unnecessarily risky and also--why? It's not a jungle gym. I still recommend going inside the structure, I personally just didn't climb to the tippy-top as that didn't feel super sound to me. The owner, Jody Pendarvis, has increased his building skills substantively from the initial structure, and the new object he is building in the yard looks like one of those expanding spherical toys every kid tried to convince their parents to buy for them at one point or another--and looks pretty solid. He's an interesting guy who has led an interesting life, and he's well-worth chatting with when you visit. The reviewers who wanted a state-of-the-art professional welcome center will be disappointed. Those who visit who like seeing the passion projects of others--and meeting the visionaries who dare to live out their dreams, no matter how odd others may find them, will enjoy the visit. Some may even leave behind lights, knitted aliens, and other gifts.

Into bat shit kitsch? Definitely worth short jaunt off I95 to see this craptacular roadside atrocity! No admission charged (convenient for hobos & tweekers who likely call this place home in the dark of night away from the prying eyes of "the man") Open toilet prominently displayed as you walk in. Be prepared for powerful smell of rotting alien bodies apparently still decomposing somewhere within the bowels of this ancient crash. Curiously large amounts of tinfoil randomly scattered around wreckage site.....suspect visitors get so overwhelmed by this treasure they tear their hats a bit in the excitement. Judging by the smell, many also pee a little. Was told you can actually climb to top of ship interior! Unfortunately I am not current on my tetanus shot & feared catching something worse than Covid. Cannot recommend this assault to the senses & sensibilities highly enough. Five stars!!!!

Very odd and strange art. I am very surprised that the town allows this to stand with all the live electrical wires and circuit break open, I guess it down not matter since the fire house is down the block. It is a bit odd, no one is around. And walking through you can see it is built, but not safely. I did not hear and noise walking around in the space ship, so I guess it was a good thing.

4 miles off the interstate. And I think they stopped taking care of it because it looks like it fell apart. I don't think we should welcome aliens there, it looks dangerous.

We were really excited to go see this and thought it was fun but instead it was a run down and just a joke. Please don't go out of your way to go to this.

We stopped on our travels north on 95. The girls loved the photo ops and the quirkiness of it. We did not climb up into it as it. We parked in the market lot and did not venture too much around, would only stop during the day.

Great place to stop and check out. Any UFO enthusiast will enjoy this place. Love it! Short drive off i95 and you're there. I found plenty of parking in the abandoned store across the street.

Pentagon claims they've seen UFOs but I have proof. We were re-routed through Bowman and couldn't help but visi the UFO Welcome Center. This is very difficult to describe in words. Apparently its gained notoriety through Vice TV show. It sits on a corner lot behind a convenience store. You can tour the inside of you dare but I'll leave that right there.

So worth a five minute stop to break up a long drive. It is so interesting to see what the imagination can come up with. Easy to pull off and never crowded.

Oh my word! I could not believe my eyes when I saw that someone had already yelped the UFO welcome center. So I googled the welcome center and it has a facebook page...seriously a facebook page and a wikipedia page???? I have been here (well kind of). My ex-boyfriend's uncle created the whole thing. I almost feel bad for the guy. He really thinks that aliens are going to visit or have visited his place, but in truth is is the laughing stock of the town. Please do not encourage people to mock him, but at the same time..do not waste you time by visiting!

Does driving to it and seeing that it's a complete heap, count? Basically, it's a run down trailer with a large UFO on top, surrounded by a huge fence. Too creepy to go in thank you.