The United States is full of offbeat roadside attractions from Massachusetts all the way to California.
You can check out oddities like Milk bottle or elephant buildings as well as the world's largest thermometer or ketchup bottle.
Whether dinosaurs, Cadillacs, or trolls are your thing, there is a spot out there for you to plan a road trip around.
If you are looking to take a road trip, then you need to consider any of these unusual American roadside attractions to include on your next trip.
Pack your car with some delicious snacks and get the map ready, because you are bound to see something unique.
Let's check out some of the strangest roadside attractions in the US.
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Located along Route 66 west of Amarillo, Texas, you will find an exciting roadside display of Cadillacs. Invented by a group of art-hippies, the ranch was spearheaded by billionaire Stanly Marsh III. Here you will find ten junker Cadillacs half-buried nose-down in the ground and painted in Day-Glo paint. When you are here, make sure to bring your can of spray paint so you can make your mark on the Caddies. Don't forget to take a bunch of photo ops too.
Address: 13651 I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX 79124
Also Read: 30 Best Things To Do in Amarillo, Texas
Carhenge is a striking structure located on the western edge of the Sandhills in Nebraska. It consists of a circle of cars and three standing trilithons within the circle. This was formed from vintage American automobiles and is currently one of the top roadside attractions in America for people who are passing through Nebraska.
Address: 2151 Co Rd 59, Alliance, NE 69301
In 1989, the Fremont Arts Council was challenged by the local government to do something about the area under the Aurora Bridge. What came about was a massive troll monument that is dedicated to Fremont's popular Troll legend. Make sure to visit this unique roadside attraction during the annual Trolloween to experience terror and fear as you have never experienced before.
Accommodation: Where to stay in Seattle
Address: 3405 Troll Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Have you always been fascinated by dinosaurs? Make sure to check out the world's biggest dinosaur display at the Cabazon Dinosaurs Park. Take a photo with Mr. Rex, which is a towering three-story concrete beast or climb up Dinny, the 150-foot long Apato.
Address: 50800 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230
Also Read: The Most Unusual Places to Visit in the USA
Do you want to know more about one of the staple ingredients in your food? Visit the Corn Palace in South Dakota, where you get to explore and discover everything that you need to know about where corn came from and how they are processed. Visit the Corn Museum to explore galleries of interactive displays and drop by the Gift Store for a souvenir or two to take home with you.
Address: 601 N Main St, Mitchell, SD 57301
Located along the beach in Josephine Harron Park in Margate, New Jersey, the world's greatest elephant stands strong, beautiful, and picturesque for just about anyone who would want to take a lovely photo op. You will get to climb a spiral staircase inside Lucy, and you will get to learn more about her and the rest of the park during the guided tours. Definitely one of the weirdest American roadside attractions.
Address: 9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, NJ 08402
This 40-foot tall structure is located right beside the Boston Children's Museum. Here you can enjoy a scoop of creamy ice cream and some snacks to nourish your hungry stomachs. Also, make sure to have a group photo in front of the gigantic milk bottle.
Address: 308 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Founded in 1973 by Dave Longaberger, his basket making business has grown to become what it is now, America's premier provider of high quality handcrafted baskets. To honor the company's core product, the founders decided to transform their entire office into the shape of a giant basket. A trip to Newark, Ohio, would not be complete without several shots of the basket as well as a visit to their store. It really is one of the best roadside attractions in America.
Address: 1500 East Main St., Newark, OH
Standing 134 feet tall, this roadside attraction is located at Death Valley in California's Mojave Desert. In 1991, successful businessman Will Herron paid Young Electric Sign Co. to come up with this majestic thermometer as a tribute to the world's highest recorded temperature, which is at 134 degrees Fahrenheit.
Address: 72155 Baker Blvd, Baker, CA 92309
Standing tall and majestic next to Route 59, this 170-feet tall Catsup Bottle is one of the most visited roadside attractions in Illinois. It was built in 1949 as a water tower by the W.E Caldwell Company for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant and was restored in 1995 after attempts at demolishing it. In 2002, it was registered in America's National Register of Historic Places, which is why this is one of the best roadside attractions in the US that you should not miss.
Address: 800 S Morrison Ave, Collinsville, IL 62234
Take a detour along US Highway 169 to enter the Jolly Green Giant valley, where the giant, himself, dwells. The Jolly Green Giant statue is an iconic figure and a must-see roadside attraction for people passing by Blue Earth, MN.
The Jolly Green Giant is the Green Giant Company’s mascot, a popular frozen and canned vegetable brand. The statue was erected in 1979 when the highway was finishing to attract visitors to the quiet city. Today, over ten thousand people stop by the 55-ft pop culture icon.
Address: 1126 Green Giant Ln, Blue Earth, MN 56013
As if the scenic drive isn’t enough along Highway 94, you’ll eventually come across the world’s largest scrap metal sculptures. The Enchanted Highway creates a dream landscape with massive man-made sculptures extending for 32-miles along the route between Regent to Gladstone in North Dakota.
Enchanted Highway started in 1989 by a local artist hoping to drive attention to the town – the successful project draws thousands of visitors to see the roadside attraction.
The sculpture "Geese in Flight" is the world's largest scrap metal sculpture, with other famous sculptures including "Grasshoppers in the Field," "The Tin Family," and "Theodore Roosevelt."
Address: 607 Main St, Regent, ND 58650
We love to take pictures of a trophy fish, but the Muskie you’ll find in Hayward, Wisconsin, is much too large to hold in your hands. The Muskie sculpture is the world’s largest fish statue and the largest fiberglass sculpture in the world.
The sculpture is part of the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, where visitors can enter the inside of the fish to find the Shrine to Anglers. The sculpture is over four-stories tall and measures 143-ft long. The popular roadside attraction even includes an observation deck at the top emerging from the fish's mouth.
Address: 10360 Hall of Fame Dr, Hayward, WI 54843
A ball of twine might not seem like a major tourist attraction, but when you see the scale of the world’s largest ball of twine, you can’t help but stop off for a few moments to admire the creation.
The world's largest twine ball is the prized creation for the locals in Cawker City, KS. Its circumference is more than 40-ft and approximately 11-ft tall. The best time to visit this unusual American roadside attraction is during August when the city hosts the Twine-a-thon event when more twine is added every year.
Address: 719 Wisconsin St, Cawker City, KS 67430
West Virginia is home to many massive objects – if you’re driving along US Highway 30, you should stop by the Chester Teapot, the world’s largest teapot.
Chester, WV, is the former center of the world’s largest pottery industry, and the teapot was installed to represent the industry. The teapot measures 14-ft tall with a diameter of 14-ft.
It's a great rest stop attraction to take pictures on a typical day. However, if you arrive on National Teapot Day, this roadside attraction transforms into a bustling city event with special activities and locals serving snacks.
Address: Carolina Ave, Chester, WV
Bed and breakfast will never be the same after you visit the Dog Bark Park Inn. You don’t have to stay in the two-bedroom accommodation to appreciate the novelty of this famous roadside attraction in Cottonwood, ID.
Located roadside along Highway 95, Dog Bark Park Inn is beagle-shaped hotel accommodation. The dog-themed hotel is established in the world's biggest beagle at 30-ft tall. Inside, the rooms showcase decorations of wooden dog carvings and dog-themed décor.
Opened in 2003, the hotel also has a visitor center for people unable to book a stay in the one-of-a-kind Inn.
Address: 2421 Business Loop 95, Cottonwood, ID 83522
Hole N’ The Rock is one of America’s most unique homes – literally built into a massive rock. The house-turned-attraction was once a residential dwelling for its builder and his wife. Visitors are now welcome to visit the site, which offers lots of exciting roadside activities.
Take the guided tour to enter the home and see the thoughtful skill of creating a functional 14-room home. The tour details a lot of the history of how it was built and about the former owners. The site also includes a petting zoo and a gift shop.
Address: 11037 US-191, Moab, UT 84532
Also Read: Top 10 Things To Do in Moab, Utah
Visit the Oregon Vortex to enter a supernatural field of unexplainable events. Located just north of Gold Hill, Oregon, the site is where the line between myth and reality gets blurred.
Ever since Native Americans inhabited the area, the site has created rumors of supernatural activity that you can still experience today. Unexplainable occurrences such as tree growing towards a “center,” weird animal behavior, hearing spirits, and even your height changing are just a few of the things you’ll experience.
This roadside attraction is open seasonally from early Spring to Halloween, conducting guided tours of an abandoned house to participate in mysterious demonstrations.
Address: 4303 Sardine Creek L Fork Rd, Gold Hill, OR 97525
Drive up to the Dover International Speedway, and you’ll get a surprising welcome from Miles the Monster, the racetrack’s official mascot. Located in Dover, Delaware, this major track is a popular tourist destination for its NASCAR races and photos of the impressive monument.
Miles the Monster towers 46-ft tall at the entrance of the track. It was developed after the track’s nickname as “The Monster Mile.” It’s now featured prominently on everything from race tickets to the winner’s trophy.
This roadside attraction is great for snapping photos or checking out a race.
Address: 945 Old Leipsic Rd, Dover, DE 19901
Central Colorado is the least likely place you’d think to find medieval architecture, but hidden within the San Isabel National Forest is Bishop Castle. Stop by while driving State Highway 165 for a one-of-a-kind experience.
Bishop castle is the life project of Jim Bishop, who built the castle by himself over more than 50 years – the builder still adds new updates.
The medieval architecture features a tower more than 160-ft tall and a dragon head perched on the castle’s roof. This roadside attraction is open to the public, and visitors can freely roam around. Climb to the top of the tower for incredible views or visit the gift shop for souvenirs.
Address: 12705 CO-165, Rye, CO 81069
Sometimes if you want to create the center of the world, all you have to do is ask. That’s precisely how Mayor Jacques-Andre Istel came to create the famous roadside attraction off Interstate 8 in the Sonoran Desert. The Official Center of the World is a plaza full of interesting monuments and the officially designated center.
A 21-ft tall pyramid is the centerpiece of the plaza – inside you’ll find a plaque marking the world center. You can take a guided tour and enter the pyramid where you’ll receive a certificate of your visit.
Other monuments in Felicity include Museum of History, built with granite slabs detailing the world’s history, a spiral staircase acquired from the Eiffel Tower, and a beautiful chapel atop the town’s highest point.
Address: Center of the World Dr, Felicity, CA 92283
This is another one of the weirdest roadside attractions in the US. A visit to the Farnham Fantasy Farm will make you rethink what a farm is. The property, owned by George Farnham, is ample space for him to pursue one of his biggest collection passions – giant statues.
Located in Unger, the farm is self-declared “West Virginia’s Only Amusement Park.” It showcases massive fiberglass statues, many of which are familiar figures like the Simpsons and Yogi Bear. The collection includes statues sourced from around the country and set up on the property.
Farnham Fantasy Farm is open to the public to wander around and discover some of the quirky statues hidden throughout the farm.
Address: 14633 Winchester Grade Rd, Unger, WV 25411
It won’t be hard to notice the pointed red hat of Gnome Chomsky as you pull into the Kelder Farm. The family-owned farm located in Kerhonkson, NY, is home to one of the world’s largest garden gnomes.
Gnome Chomsky was built in 2007 when it broke the Guinness World Record as the largest garden gnome (it has since been surpassed). The gnome measures over 13-ft tall!
This farm is a popular roadside attraction along US Route 209 and a favorite kid-friendly site to enjoy activities like pick-your-own fruit, mini-golf, and of course, photos sitting on Gnome Chomsky’s feet.
Address: 5755 US-209, Kerhonkson, NY 12446
In a region where wild horses freely roamed, the Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies monument is an ode to the animals. Also referred to as the Wild Horse Monument, the public art display commemorates Washington’s 100th anniversary of becoming a state.
The life-sized horse statues were installed in 1990 – the display includes 15 figures of horses galloping across a ridge overlooking the Columbia River. It’s one of America's best roadside attractions while driving along Interstate Highway 90 near Vantage, WA, or hiking up the hill for an up-close look.
Address: I-90, Quincy, Washington, 98848
Also Read: The 10 Best Weekend Getaways in Washington State
The last on our list of strange roadside attractions in America is Salvation Mountain. The vibrant colors emerging from Salvation Mountain will undoubtedly draw your attention while passing through the California Desert near Niland, CA. Built by Leonard Knight, the mountain is dedicated to his devotion to his Christian faith.
The mountain’s primary message is ‘God is Love,’ depicted through large art murals and decoration displaying various religious messages. At the top of the mountain is a tall white cross, visible from miles away as you approach the sacred site.
Address: Beal Rd, Calipatria, CA 92233