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You need to see these unique roadside attractions in all 50 states
Photo courtesy of iStock/jacoblund
An attraction in every state
Ready for a road trip? Plot a quick course to one or more of the nation's most off-center roadside attractions. From graffiti art to grave sites to the World's Oldest Ham, read on for a weird, wacky photo-op in every state!
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Photo courtesy of RuralSWAlabama/YouTube
Alabama - Bird's Farm
Eight miles north of Demopolis, Ala., in the town of Forkland, motorists enjoy the whimsical hay bale creations of farmer Jim Bird. Along with several other installations, you'll see a 32-foot Tin Man made with bathtubs, a fuel tank and other recycled materials. The collection started in 1993 when Bird’s hay baler went a bit haywire, creating oddball shapes that inspired him to pursue creative endeavors.
Photo courtesy of By Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons
Alaska - Igloo City
In the "how has no one used this place in a horror movie yet?" category, enter Igloo City, an abandoned would-be hotel on the George Parks Highway between Anchorage and Denali. Built in the 1970's, the property fell short on code requirements and never opened to guests. Makes for a great eerie photo-op, though.
Photo courtesy of QuesterMark via Flickr
Arizona - Standin' on the Corner Park
When Eagles' co-founder Glenn Frey penned "Take It Easy" with Jackson Browne, it was doubtful either imagined they’d put the town of Winslow, Ariz. on the map, but stranger things have happened. In 1999, Standin’ on the Corner Park was dedicated, with a mural and bronze statue depicting the famous verse. Following Frey’s death in 2016, an additional statue, this one a '70s-era Frey, was added in tribute.
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Photo courtesy of The Mammoth Orange
Arkansas - Mammoth Orange Cafe
This Redfield landmark began its life as "the Big Orange" back in 1966. Its current incarnation, described by one online reviewer as "a very good greasy spoon," serves the usual fare – burgers, shakes, onion rings – but likely does its best work as a kitschy Instagram hot spot.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth K. Joseph via Flickr
California - Bigfoot Discovery Museum
Its enthusiastic directors opened this Felton, Calif. museum in 2004 with a dedicated interest in sharing all the information they had about this elusive simian superstar of cryptozoology. And visitors LOVE it! Director Michael Rugg intrigues guests with artifacts, videos and stories of sightings. Admission is free, donations are encouraged.
Photo courtesy of Larry Lamsa via Flickr
Colorado - UFO Watchtower
This unassuming area of Saguache County had long been frequented by UFO enthusiasts and alien observers. So in 2000, its wise and enterprising landowner decided the platform and on-site campground would be a smashing idea. It was. Visitors enjoy the sweeping 360-degree views for the modest fee of $2 per person or $5 per car. Camping will cost you $10.
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Photo courtesy of The Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum
Connecticut - Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum
A seasonal museum – its doors reopen in September – this Bristol attraction honors the classic monsters of early cinema and the performers and effects artists who brought them to life. Authentic props and life-sized figures are among its chief exhibits. In operation since 1966, it bills itself as "the longest-running Halloween attraction in the country."
Photo courtesy of Tom Hart via Flickr
Delaware - Futuro Home
Think tiny homes are a new advent? Think again! Back in the '60s and '70s, Futuro Homes were conceived as neat, leisure-based pre-fab homes that would be easy to move. Only a few are left standing and they're scattered around the world. You'll find this one in the town of Milton at Eagle Crest-Hudson Airport.
Photo courtesy of Coral Castle
Florida - Coral Castle
Miami is home to what has to be one of the most astonishing creations borne of heartbreak in history. Coral Castle was the remarkable work of Latvian-born Ed Leedskalnin, whose 16-year-old love, Agnes, called off their wedding. To this day, no one knows how the diminutive man managed to sculpt and move more than 1,100 tons of coral rock, but there it is.
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Photo courtesy of Goats on the Roof
Georgia - Goats on the Roof
What's in a name? In the case of this Tiger, Ga. attraction, pretty much everything. Goats are amusing and quirky and, yes, known to climb. Visitors here can feed them, of course, but also procure Amish gifts, wares and foodstuffs. Goats on the Roof hosts all kinds of events, year-round, as well.
Photo courtesy of Mark Goebel via Flickr
Hawaii - Phallic Rock (Kaule o Nanahoa)
The Hawaiian Kaule o Nanahoa translates to "penis of Nanahoa," which makes sense, him being a male fertility god and all. Also known as Phallic Rock, it has been standing erect for ages in what is now Pala'au State Park on Molokai. Perhaps Nanahoa should have read the Cialis fine print before partaking.
Photo courtesy of amanderson2 via Flickr
Idaho - Oasis Bordello Museum
The Oasis Bordello Museum in Wallace provides not only a snapshot of the world's oldest profession, but a snapshot of '80s-era fashion. The fascinating operation was left precisely as it was the night its employees fled in fear of an FBI raid, with mannequins acting as stand-ins.
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Photo courtesy of City of Olney, Illinois
Illinois - White Squirrels
White squirrels have become so synonymous with the town of Olney that it has embraced these blindingly bright recessive rodents as mascots of sorts, allowing a small tourism industry to evolve around them. They do a formal count of the critters every fall, but we’d bet they're easiest to spot in spring or summer.
Photo courtesy of PunkToad via Flickr
Indiana - RV/MH Hall of Fame
If you're reading this piece, you might be an avid roadtripper. And if you’re an avid roadtripper, you might just love the city of Elkhart’s funky museum showcasing the many ways in which we've road-tripped over time. The recreational vehicles here date all the way back to the 1930s!
Photo courtesy of Galleria De Paco
Iowa - Galleria De Paco
Sarajevo-born artist Paco Rosic's diverse family background helped shape him as an artist, but made life in his homeland that much more dangerous during Yugoslavia's ethnic war of the early '90s. Eventually, they found their way to America, and today, Iowans in Waterloo – and visitors from everywhere – enjoy his phenomenal works while they dine.
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Photo courtesy of TigerPaw2154 via Wikimedia Commons
Kansas - World's Largest Ball of Twine
Should a gargantuan cat ever find itself in need of a home, we'd send it straight to Kansas, where one of the state's most famous attractions is still growing. Members of the community add to the twine ball every August, and visitors, too, can become a part of history, adding to the massive orb that put Cawker City on the map.
Photo courtesy of Barton 1792 Distillery
Kentucky - World's Largest Bourbon Barrel
Bourbon sampling is on the to-do list of most folks road-tripping through the Bluegrass State. So why not pop into the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown for a taste of their liquor and a photo-op with their enormous cask?
Photo courtesy of Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
Louisiana - Bonnie & Clyde Ambush Museum
This Gibsland museum is located inside what used to be Rosa's Cafe, where the romantic (if felonious) couple had their last meal in 1934. Interesting artifacts, displays and newspapers are there to check out, but the literal roadside attraction is about seven miles away, where a monument marks the site where they died in a hail of police gunfire.
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Photo courtesy of daveynin via Flickr
Maine - The Desert of Maine
A vast, sandy desert amid the green pines of Freeport, Maine? Yes, really. Well, sort of. The Desert of Maine is actually a 40-acre expanse of exposed glacial silt, but that only gives this curiosity – in operation as a tourist attraction since 1925 – some scientific street cred.
Photo courtesy of Something Original via Wikimedia Commons
Maryland - Elijah Bond's Grave
Looking to contact a soul from the great beyond? You don't have to bring your Ouija board to Baltimore's Green Mount Cemetery, because the grave of this iconic paranormal toy's earliest patent holder has one built in.
Photo courtesy of Daderot via Wikimedia Commons
Massachusetts - Emily the Cow
A powerful symbol for vegetarians, vegans and animal rights activists, this statue memorializes Emily, a cow who became famous after escaping a slaughterhouse and eluding capture for more than a month. She eventually came to live at the Peace Abbey in Sherborn, where a statue marks her grave.
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Photo courtesy of National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods
Michigan - Nun Doll Museum
Whether you find the National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods' collection of 525 dolls and 20 mannequins inspirational, adorable or creepy, it's an undeniably unique museum. In fact, it earned a blessing from Pope John Paul II in 1988 for helping to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. You can find the museum in Indian River.
Photo courtesy of McGhiever via Wikimedia Commons
Minnesota - Big Fish Supper Club
Casual fans of National Lampoon's Vacation may remember Christie Brinkley in her Ferrari over this Bena resort's 65-foot open-mouthed muskie. But its appearance in the movie burned it into cinematic history and secured its place on the roster of famous roadside attractions billed with the "world’s largest" designation.
Photo courtesy of VisittheDelta/YouTube
Mississippi - Witch of Yazoo's Grave
For those who dig on the boneyard vibe, Yazoo City's picturesque Glenwood Cemetery (think HBO's True Blood) could be worth visiting all by itself. Add the colorful tale of an old woman wronged and her subsequent revenge, and you’ve got the makings of an old Southern legend passed down through the ages.
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Photo courtesy of Leila's Hair Museum
Missouri - Leila's Hair Museum
Billed as the world's only hair museum, this Independence institution is heavy on wreaths and jewelry pieces. Mementos of human hair were popular in Victorian times, and this odd collection numbers in the thousands. The oldest piece in Leila's museum was made in 1680.
Photo courtesy of The Sip 'n Dip Lounge
Montana - The Sip 'n Dip Lounge
Much of Montana was once covered by a vast inland sea, which must be the reason you can still find mermaids in Great Falls. The Sip 'n Dip Lounge features a glass wall that separates the bar from the pool of the O'Haire Motor Inn – the charming oasis in which said mermaids frolic.
Photo courtesy of Jimmy Emerson, DVM via Flickr
Nebraska - World's Largest Porch Swing
The porch swing would be an easy, breezy emblem of idyllic small-town life in America and as such, the town of Hebron is proud of its distinction as Nebraska's Porch Swing Capital. Their oversized swing can hold 32 people and is a favorite spot for wedding photos.
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Photo courtesy of Clarence Risher via Flickr
Nevada - International Car Forest of the Last Church
There's stiff competition in Nevada among roadside attractions. This one, in Goldfield, is among its most interesting. Comprised of more than 40 vehicles in various configurations, the free outdoor exhibition is colorful, inspirational and exceedingly photogenic.
Photo courtesy of John Uhrig via Flickr
New Hampshire - Madame Sherri's Castle
Madame Antoinette Sherri was a costume designer from New York who built a glamorous summer home in the Chesterfield woods that now bear her name. A sweeping stone staircase to nowhere is all that remains of the manse, and it seems enchanted – a magical place where faeries might dwell.
Photo courtesy of Lucy the Elephant
New Jersey - Lucy the Elephant
This beach-borne pachyderm is listed as a National Park Landmark and is a proud part of Margate City's history. Visitors delight in 30-minute tours through "the only elephant you can walk through and come out alive!" Panoramic Jersey Shore views from Lucy's back are a highlight of the experience.
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Photo courtesy of Alyson Hurt via Flickr
New Mexico - Recycled Roadrunner
Meep, meep! Las Cruces' beautiful recycled roadrunner sculpture, an imposing piece by artist Olin Calk, first arrived on the scene in 1993. It stood at the city landfill – apt, since its parts and pieces were scavenged therefrom. It got a makeover in 2001, however, and moved to its current location on I-10 where it makes a stellar roadside photo-op.
Photo courtesy of Jason Eppink via Flickr
New York - World's Largest Kaleidoscope
Most of us remember fondly the colorful, tumbling objects inside the kaleidoscopes we played with as children. The one at Mount Tremper, N.Y.'s Emerson Resort & Spa is a whopper, though. At 56 feet tall and 38 feet in diameter, it has been certified by Guinness as the World's Largest.
Photo courtesy of Nick Sherman via Flickr
North Carolina - Reminiscing (Giant Legs of Henderson)
It's a pretty leggy (and cheeky!) art installation for a country road in Henderson, N.C., but there you have it. Entitled "Reminiscing" and reportedly inspired by Marilyn Monroe's gams, the large bushes at the center don’t do much to suppress the adolescent jokes.
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Photo courtesy of Al via Flickr
North Dakota - Wee'l Turtle
The town of Dunseith is nestled into North Dakota's Turtle Mountains, so the Wee'l Turtle, made up of more than 2,000 steel rims, makes sense as a massive, upcycled objet d’art. Its head alone weighs in at more than a ton.
Photo courtesy of The Troll Hole Museum
Ohio - Troll Hole Museum
A colorful and odd attraction in the city of Alliance, the Troll Hole pays homage to all things troll, from ancient folklore to the modern-day toys that line the cubicle wall of your odd-but-lovable co-worker. Pairs nicely, if in sharp contrast, with a visit to the nearby Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Photo courtesy of TravelOK.com
Oklahoma - Spider VW Bug
This whimsical creation, like something from a Tim Burton stop-motion feature, combines the charm of the iconic VW Beetle with the dark, spindly silhouette of a 15-foot-tall brown recluse or black widow. Incidentally, both of these spiders are found in Oklahoma, so stay out of the basements while you're in Lexington!
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Photo courtesy of The Original Pronto Pup
Oregon - The Original Pronto Pup
Ride the corn dog! It could be the town of Rockaway Beach's battle cry. Corn dogs were invented here in Oregon and the Pronto Pup original location boasts not only the World's Largest Corn Dog, but the World's First Mechanical Riding Corn Dog. Grab your batter-dipped dog and hop in the saddle for a Snapchat post to inspire endless snarky captions from your friends.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Kubina via Flickr
Pennsylvania - Koontz Coffee Pot
Sadly, you can't get coffee at Bedford's 18-foot coffee pot like you could back in 1927, when it was attached to a café-gas station. Nor a beer, which you might have swilled 10 years later when it became a bar. These days, thanks to locals bent on its preservation, though, you can still get a picture in front of it. It was restored in 2004.
Photo courtesy of Jim McCullars via Wikimedia Commons
Rhode Island - Carey Mansion
Old-timers and fans of the '60's Dark Shadows TV series (which enjoyed a decent Ben Cross-led revival in 1991, followed by a dismal Johnny Depp film in 2012) may recognize the Carey Mansion, which served as the fictional home of vampire Barnabas Collins. Rhode Islanders know it as the last of this city's great "summer cottages." It's private, so don't expect to explore its dark corners.
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Photo courtesy of anokarina via Flickr
South Carolina - The Peachoid
South Carolina is a leading peach producer (ahead of Georgia, behind California), which is what the Peachoid water tower, built in Gaffney in 1981, is supposed to signify. Gaffney hosts an annual Peach Festival, as a matter of fact. The Peachoid got a pop culture bump with an appearance in the popular Netflix series House of Cards.
Photo courtesy of Jim Bauer via Flickr
South Dakota - Art Alley
Nestled between 6th and 7th Streets in Rapid City, Art Alley – the art of which changes constantly as new images appear over old – is a colorful corridor of culture in the Mount Rushmore State, where the most popular attraction has to be considered the untouchable Holy Grail of tagging locations.
Photo courtesy of Great Beyond via Flickr
Tennessee - Jack Daniel's Grave
Easily one of Lynchburg's favorite sons, Jack Daniel died in 1911. There's debate over whether the safe in his office or an infection that came after he kicked it in anger killed him, but his final resting place at the Lynchburg City Cemetery is certain. It's a favorite place for fans to swill for a photo-op.
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Photo courtesy of juliegomoll via Flickr
Texas - Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum
It is neither the Alamo nor the Riverwalk, but rest assured that Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Art Museum in San Antonio is flush with fans. (Yeah, we went there.) Smith, a former plumber, turned 97 in 2018, and his book, King of the Commode: Barney Smith & His Toilet Seat Art Museum, was released in May. The museum is free, but by appointment only. Call ahead.
Photo courtesy of GSEC via Flickr
Utah - Beehive Kilns
The Frisco mining operation in Beaver County was booming back in the 1870s. Its charcoal kilns, which extracted the metal from the ore, are among the only things left in this genuine Wild West ghost town. Visitors say they still smell smoky.
Photo courtesy of Lori Shaull via Flickr
Vermont - World's Tallest File Cabinet
An ideal attraction for fans of Dilbert, this towering art installation in Burlington was built in 2002 by local architect Bren Alvarez. Eleven metal cabinets, 38 drawers, it reaches some four stories into the sky. A steel rod serves as an invisible spine. Its official name is "File Under So, Co., Waiting for…,"
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Photo courtesy of World's Oldest Ham
Virginia - World's Oldest Ham
In 2018, the World's Oldest Ham, a treasured artifact at the Isle of Wight County Museum in Smithfield, was 3-D scanned in celebration of its 116th birthday. Now visitors can take home 3-D-printed models. No word on whether they are more or less edible than the original.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Fingerhood via Flickr
Washington - Nutty Narrows Bridge
Whether billed as the World's Narrowest Bridge or the World's Narrowest Animal Crossing, Longview's Nutty Narrows was built in 1963 as a sky bridge for road-crossing squirrels, many of whom were losing the battle against traffic on Olympia Way. It is 60 feet long and, adorably, designed to look like a petite suspension bridge.
Photo courtesy of Jason W. via Flickr
West Virginia - Mothman Statue
The Mothman legend, born in Point Pleasant in 1966, has spawned books, movies, a museum and festival among other things with tales of a tall, red-eyed creature, something like a man – but with wings. Some tales simply tell of the creature, while others depict him as a harbinger of bad things to come. Either way, the 12-foot statue's pretty darn cool.
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Photo courtesy of EarlRShumaker via Flickr
Wisconsin - World's Largest Six-Pack
Laverne and Shirley toiled happily as employees at Milwaukee's Shotz Brewery, but it's LaCrosse that holds the distinction of being home to the storage tanks painted to look like a six-pack. Built in the 1960s by the G. Heileman Brewery, today the cans bear the name of LaCrosse Lager.
Photo courtesy of david_jones via Flickr
Wyoming - World's Largest Elkhorn Arch
This rustic and lovely structure, spanning the four lanes of Afton's Main Street, is comprised of some 3,000 elk antlers. The 18-foot arch was completed in 1958 for $2,500. The Star Valley Chamber of Commerce estimates that today, the antlers alone would cost over $300,000.
About A.D. Thompson
Amy Drew has spent nearly three decades as a professional writer and roughly half her life as a Floridian. The words, she has found, come easier with bare feet and rum. A roller coaster enthusiast, A.D. readily admits there is fun amid the madness of the theme parks, but has found there is magic, as well, in the outer-lying reaches of Mickey’s long shadow. She is delighted to share with you the spoils of her adopted city. Visit her colorful compendium at www.amydrewthompson.com.
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