Very strange places: 23 sights in America, puzzling
America is a country of attractions and experiences, each state and region has its own unique flavor, culture and memorable places. And all of them are as varied as they are unusual. Edition Only in Your State collected 23 bizarre landmarks that will remind you how strange and wonderful America really is.
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In the remote desert of Southern California lies one of America’s most unique roadside attractions, Salvation Mountain. This colorful art installation was created by Leonard Knight to convey the message “God loves everyone.” The installation is made of adobe clay and covered in thousands of gallons of colorful paint, decorated with Christian murals, messages, and images. It took Knight over 20 years to complete, and it’s truly a breathtaking site.
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One of Southern California's quirkiest attractions, Bubblegum Alley is exactly what it sounds like: an alley lined with bubblegum graffiti. The lane is 70 feet (21 m) long, 15 feet (4,5 m) high, and covered in a seemingly endless amount of chewing gum. The tradition of "decorating" this alley with chewing gum began in the early 1970s, and the amount of chewing gum covering the wall is currently unknown.
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Dog lovers will appreciate this fun and functional roadside attraction in Cottonwood, Idaho. The Dog Bark Park Inn is located just off Highway 95. The rooms at this quaint bed and breakfast are appropriately decorated with dog-themed décor and literature, making for a delightful experience. If you don’t want to stay overnight, you can stop in to admire the structure against the backdrop of the picturesque prairie. There’s also a gift shop on site.
Only in Wyoming will you find the world’s largest elk antler arch towering over the center of town. In the small town of Afton, visitors are in for a big surprise: a colossal arch made entirely of antlers. The arch was built in 1958 from discarded elk antlers collected by townspeople, and locals still help maintain the massive arch. More than 3000 antlers were woven together to form the magnificent display, and there are two smaller arches on either side of the four-lane road it sits on top of.
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The Enchanted Highway is home to metal sculptures that depict local culture, including Teddy Roosevelt Rides Again and the World’s Largest Tin Family. This is a collection of the world’s largest scrap metal sculptures, created by Gary Greff with the goal of keeping small towns like Regent alive. And considering the number of people who flock to the attraction each year, it’s mission accomplished. There’s a special shop selling miniature souvenir sculptures of this wonderfully bizarre roadside attraction.
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Majestic and mighty, full of pomp and circumstance, Mount Rushmore is an American treasure and certainly one of South Dakota’s proudest claims to fame. It is arguably the largest and most famous landmark in the world. Featuring the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, Mount Rushmore is the world’s largest sculpture, with each bust carved from granite and standing approximately 60 feet (18,2 m) tall. Originally created to attract tourists to South Dakota, today the iconic roadside attraction draws three million visitors annually.
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While South Dakota is best known for its natural features (and man-made monolith), Wall Drug Store is largely an unofficial tourist attraction. What started out as a place to get free cold water in 1931 is now a popular tourist attraction. It now offers snacks and coffee for just five cents, as well as kitschy souvenirs like figurines, bumper stickers, shot glasses, and cowboy boots.
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Did you know that the second most photographed national statue in the country (after Mount Rushmore) is in Bemidji, Minnesota. It's Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox. Built in 1937, Bunyan stood alone for two years until a 1939-foot (10 m) blue ox was added in 3.
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This 8000-pound (3,6 t) 55-foot (16,7 m) giant is considered the local superman. And this is the largest Jolly Green Giant statue in the world. You can admire this cheerful green guy in the park of the same name. The statue was built in 1979 with permission from Green Giant. Like many of America's quirky roadside attractions, this unique statue was built with local businesses' money to draw attention to the city. Decades later, the giant continues to do its job.
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Hole N' The Rock is one of the strangest places you'll ever visit. This 5000-square-foot (465 sq m) home is literally carved out of a giant rock. Hole N' The Rock was once a real home. The cave-like dwelling belonged to the Christensen family. Over the course of 20 years, the family dug out a cozy spot for themselves in the living rock. The home opened for tours in the 1950s and has been drawing crowds ever since.
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Fans of the classic cartoon The Flintstones can visit the real Bedrock City. The town first opened in the 1970s and is a 30-acre (12 ha) attraction themed around all things Flintstones, complete with fake Stone Age buildings, cartoonish decor, and a brontosaurus slide for kids. The attraction closed in 2015, but was purchased by Raptor Ranch in Arizona, which has preserved the entire tourist attraction for tourists to visit.
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Holbrook, a sleepy Route 66 town of just over 5000 permanent residents, is known for its historic Wigwam Village, but that’s not the only roadside attraction in town. The sidewalks of downtown Holbrook are lined with prehistoric creatures. The dinosaurs have been here since 2007, when the International Petrified Forest and Desert Exposition closed. The massive creatures were shipped to local stores and other businesses, where they’ve remained ever since. However, some of the dinosaurs, like those in front of the Rainbow Rock Shop, weren’t from the exhibit; rather, they were built to attract tourists. The plan has clearly worked, as visitors don’t hesitate to pay money to get a photo with the extinct herbivores.
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One of America's proudest inventions is the automobile, and at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, the iconic Caddy is on display in a wonderfully colorful art installation. The exhibition was conceived by a local billionaire. He sought to create an art installation that would shock and attract travelers, so he teamed up with a group of San Francisco artists to create what is now known as the Cadillac Ranch. Over time, this installation has evolved into a collaborative dynamic facility where visitors paint luxury cars with colorful graffiti.
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In the middle of the desert in Marfa, Texas, there is a real Prada store. Situated on a desert stretch of Highway 90, this roadside attraction is as mysterious as it is intriguing. It just beckons road-weary travelers to stop and explore. When you do, you'll find that this store is nothing more than a mirage in the desert, with no inventory or staff, and you can't even get inside. In fact, there is Prada's fall 2005 collection, donated by Miuccia Prada herself.
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A collection of vintage American cars painted grey to mimic the historic English landmark, Carhenge is truly a sight to behold. It is one of the most daring roadside attractions, and what could be more appropriate for a roadside attraction than a collection of real cars?
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There is some debate about whether the giant ball of twine in Cawker City is the largest in the world (there is another one in Darwin, Minnesota). In 1974, Frank Stober created an 11-foot (3,5 m) ball of twine. After his death, Cawker City built a gazebo where the Twine-a-thon is held each August, and more twine was added. What makes this attraction so amazing is that it is a living, breathing work of art that continues to grow and evolve over time.
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In Newark stands a seven-story, 180-square-foot (000 sq m) basket. It is the largest basket in the world and the former headquarters of the Longaberger Company. After it closed, the future of the basket was in limbo. The building has since been purchased and there are plans to reuse the structure in a unique way.
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Kentucky Wigwam Village #2 has been welcoming guests since 1937. Inspired by a trip to California (where there was a teepee-shaped ice cream stand), Frank Redford returned home to Kentucky and created his own teepee-shaped snack bar and gas station. The lone teepee soon grew to six, and Redford created a "teepee village" of 15 concrete dwellings.
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WonderWorks is an upside down building in Pigeon Forge. An upside down journey awaits you, reminiscent of something from Alice in Wonderland. In addition to the striking appearance, what's inside WonderWorks is also wonderful. This upside-down building houses an epic children's museum, an amazing indoor theme park, and countless possibilities. This is the best kind of roadside attraction: a place with fabulous form and content.
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Blending history and sci-fi, this quirky ride features real-life characters battling dinosaurs, including Yankee soldiers, mad scientists, Stonewall Jackson, and even Abraham Lincoln. The park is set up as a walk through the woods where visitors walk through a spectacular display of dinosaurs and soldiers in combat. It's a supernatural, slightly unsettling, and utterly delightful experience.
West Virginia is home to some really quirky sights, but nothing beats the world's largest teapot. Chester is the former center of the world's largest pottery industry and a kettle has been erected to represent this. When the pottery business was sold, the teapot was demolished, but the Chester community rallied to successfully save this unique treasure. Today, this 14-foot-tall (4,2 m) teapot serves as a fun and unique rest stop in West Virginia.
Situated along the beach at Josephine Harron Park in Margate, New Jersey, the world’s largest elephant stands strong, beautiful, and proud – Lucy the elephant, a New Jersey treasure. Standing six stories tall (65 feet, nearly 20 meters) and weighing 90 tons, Lucy is the largest elephant in the world. Visitors can climb a spiral staircase inside Lucy and learn more about her and the rest of the park on a guided tour. Lucy is America’s oldest surviving roadside attraction, attracting more than 100 visitors each year. She is easily the most photogenic pachyderm in the world.
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Wild Blueberry Land in Maine is by far the tastiest roadside attraction in America, as it is both a tourist destination and a bakery. As for entertainment, there is a blueberry-themed miniature golf course that is a must-see for anyone. Inside the giant blueberry, you will find almost everything you could possibly need, including blueberries: pies, muffins, scones, jams, jellies, baking mixes, candies, teas and coffees, ice cream, dog treats, and more.
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