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The UFO Welcome Center was a 16-foot-tall, 39-foot-diameter classic 1950s-style silver flying saucer, built from roughly eight tons of plywood and boards by Jody Pendarvis in his Bowman, South Carolina backyard starting in 1994. Pendarvis envisioned himself as an ambassador to visiting aliens, furnishing the saucer's interior (reached via a powered ramp, mounted on motorized columns) with a bed, satellite television, air conditioning, a toilet, and a shower, later adding a second, smaller saucer on top. The attraction drew worldwide tourist and media attention, including multiple appearances on Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' and on Roseanne Barr's talk show. On May 9, 2024, the structure and Pendarvis's adjacent residence trailer were completely destroyed in a fire.
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This Big Thing is recorded for its history. It is no longer at this location, so it is not a stop to plan a trip around.
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UFO Welcome Center
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Approximate location · 33.358° N, 80.681° W
FIELD GUIDE
About this Big Thing
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PRACTICAL
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WHAT TO EXPECT
Formerly a freestanding backyard folk-art structure, freely viewable from the road; the structure no longer exists following a 2024 fire.
ACCESS
Destroyed as of May 2024; formerly located on Homestead Road, Bowman, SC.
COMMUNITY
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TRANSPARENCY
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