Lawyer Garage in Virginia Beach: Movie Cars, Custom Builds & Unexpected Finds
There are plenty of places with confusing names, but Lawyer Garage might be one of the most unexpected.
Despite what the name suggests, it isn’t a lawyer’s garage. Their Facebook page actually describes it as a “private collector of rare automobiles and automobilia, buying, selling, trading, and auctioning unique vehicles and memorabilia” — which explains a lot once you see the parking lot.
We’d driven past it several times while exploring Virginia Beach before finally deciding to pull in and see what all the fuss was about. From the road, you can already see just how much is packed in there — it’s almost too much to take in at once. Once we actually got out and started walking around, we realized it went even deeper than what you can catch driving by. Everywhere we looked, there was another movie car, custom build, or oddball creation waiting to be discovered.
The funny part? We all left talking about completely different favorites.
The Mystery Machine Was an Easy Favorite
The first thing that caught my eye was the Mystery Machine.
Scooby-Doo has been one of my favorite cartoons ever since I was a kid, so there was no chance I was walking past that van without stopping. Seeing it parked there instantly brought back memories of Saturday mornings and the old Hanna-Barbera days.
You don’t need me to explain what it is.
Apparently Barbie Boxes Keep Finding Me
Then I spotted something I wasn’t expecting.
Another Barbie Box.
This actually wasn’t my first one. A few months earlier, I climbed into a Barbie Box during a visit to the Winter Wonderland exhibit next to the World’s Largest Christmas Pickle in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Apparently Barbie Boxes are becoming an accidental theme of our travels.
Naturally, I couldn’t pass up another photo opportunity.
Meanwhile, Everyone Else Had Their Own Favorite
While I was busy taking pictures of the Mystery Machine and Barbie Box, everyone else had wandered off in different directions.
Zach immediately made a beeline for the brightly colored Rastacarian car, stopping to check out all the details painted across it. And the dreads. According to Zach, the dreadlocks were the best part of the whole car.
Mason, on the other hand, was far more interested in the chopped truck sitting nearby. Riding so low, you gotta use a remote control from the roof.
CarriAnna – she was just busy being Care .. taking pictures of everyone else being silly!
It’s funny how four people can walk through the same collection and somehow notice completely different things.
Then We Found an Airplane
Then we all wandered over to the plane.
Not a little model.
An actual airplane.
A Beechcraft Model 18 to be exact.
Walking around it was wild enough, but peeking inside made it next level. Between the cockpit, the cabin, and all the little details, it easily became one of the most photographed parts of the visit.
I definitely wasn’t expecting an airplane while visiting a collection of classic and custom cars.
Tiny Rides With Big Personality
Not everything at Lawyer Garage was full-sized.
One thing that made me laugh was the tiny replica of the legendary Bigfoot monster truck. From the right angle, it almost looks enormous…until you stand next to it and realize it’s only a few feet tall.
I couldn’t resist getting a photo with it.
I love a good mini vs mega photo!
A School Bus Always Gets My Attention
It probably won’t surprise anyone that we wandered over to the little “Lawyer Garage Cool Bus.”
After all, when you live in a converted school bus, it’s almost impossible to walk past one without taking a closer look.
This one wasn’t built for cross-country adventures like ours, but it definitely had plenty of personality. Between the weathered paint, the Peanuts characters looking out the windows, and the oversized school crossing sign, it fit right in with the rest of the collection.
Bigger Really Is Better
Then there was the Jurassic Truck.
Unlike the tiny Bigfoot replica, this thing looked like it had escaped from Jurassic Park and rolled straight into the parking lot.
It doesn’t matter where you’re standing. You’re going to notice it.
There Was Plenty More Than Cars
The cars may be what first catches your attention, but they aren’t the only oddities in the bunch.
There’s a vintage Big Boy statue. A TV cutout that practically begs for a photo. King Neptune, casually hanging out with a pack of dinosaurs. And a garage door wrapped floor to ceiling in a printed mural of old gas pumps and vintage signs — not real ones, just enough to make you look twice.
Every time we thought we’d seen everything, we’d spot something else.
Apparently I Like Climbing Inside Things
By this point, I should probably just accept it.
If I find something weird that you can climb inside, chances are I’m going to climb inside it.
A few months ago it was a Barbie Box.
This time it was a giant strawberry. (and another Barbie Box)
I’m not sure why someone built a strawberry big enough to sit inside, but I wasn’t about to question it.
Apparently, that’s just what I do now.
Worth Taking a Look Around
The funny thing is, if you asked each of us what our favorite part was, you’d probably get four different answers.
For me, it was the Mystery Machine.
Zach couldn’t stop looking at the Rastacarian car.
Mason kept talking about the chopped truck.
And CarriAnna just enjoyed the weirdness of it all.
And I still wasn’t expecting to find another Barbie Box…or an airplane.
Lawyer Garage isn’t a museum, and it’s definitely not your typical roadside attraction. It’s just… a lot of stuff, crammed into one lot, and somehow every bit of it is worth looking at
If you’re already exploring Virginia Beach, it’s an easy stop that rewards curiosity. Just don’t be surprised if the vehicle everyone else is photographing isn’t the one that ends up being your favorite. And don’t be surprised if you see some we didn’t, and find some that we saw are gone! They do change them often! Which is part of the fun of this place, it’s not a one and done. It’s more of a “hey, let’s see what’s new at Lawyer Garage” situation!
📍 Lawyer Garage
489 London Bridge Road
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Admission: Free