Zack Walkter

Road trips are a blast, but sometimes you just need to break up the journey with a bit of roadside fun. Sure, you could spend your time going to some worthwhile attraction, but where’s the great story in that? It’s better to sacrifice a few minutes visiting something bizarre, like these strangest roadside attractions we’ve compiled for you. Without further ado, we give you the strangest roadside attractions in each state! Don’t see a state you’re looking for? Keep checking back; we’ll be updating the list regularly. Alabama: Unclaimed Baggage Center You may be wondering how exactly it’s legal for airlines to sell lost luggage. Well, you can rest assured that unless you fall off the face of the planet, yours is (mostly) safe. They conduct a three-month search, hoping to find a bag’s original owner. If they can’t find you, though, your luggage may be purchased by the illustrious Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. There, visitors can shop from an impressive selection of jewelry, electronics, clothes, and — of course — luggage. Alaska: World's Largest Santa Just because North Pole, Alaska, isn't the real North Pole, doesn't mean this town of 2,000 outside Fairbanks can't capitalize on the name, right? Their 900lb statue of St. Nick serves as a giant advertisement for the Santa Claus House – a place, like in your dreams, where Christmas never ends. Arizona: The Thing If you live near Tucson, Arizona — or are planning a trip in those parts — this could very well be a real conversation. You see, drivers on the I-10 start to see billboard after billboard for something called The Thing once they get about 40 miles outside of Tucson. What exactly is The Thing? You know, we could try to explain it to you, but it’s really best if you just mosey on down to Arizona and take a look for yourself. Mere words can’t do this bizarre attraction justice. We can tell you one thing for sure: After miles and miles of signs piquing your interest for The Thing, you are sure to be disappointed by this roadside attraction. Arkansas: Peavy's Monster Mart This little souvenir shop/convenience store -- with its mural and amateurish cutout in front -- pays homage to the Boggy Creek Monster, a Sasquatch-like beast said to have roamed the area since the 1940s. California: Salvation Mountain You won’t find a plethora of roadside billboards trying to lure you to Southern California’s Salvation Mountain, but you may feel like you’re called there by a, ahem, higher power, so to speak. Created by Leonard Knight, the mountain is a tribute to god and also features flowers, shrubbery, strange objects, and other bits of nature, like birds and sunshine and such. The 50 foot-by-150 foot adobe sight preaches love and kind of resembles a mountain onto which a gaggle of hippies threw up. But, you know, have at it. Connecticut: Cushing Brain Collection We’re constantly surprised at the weird things by which Americans find themselves intrigued, but alas, we’re not here to judge. Driving through New Haven, Connecticut? Have a stop at the state-of-the-art Cushing Brain Collection at Yale University’s Whitney Medical Library. The collection includes hundreds of tumor-ridden brains suspended in jars of brownish liquid. There’s even a self-guided scavenger hunt you can go on! It’s technically for children, but a scavenger hunt is a scavenger hunt in our book. Colorado: Cano's Castle Beer can folk art at its finest, Cano’s Castle is a four-tower chateau made almost entirely of suds cans and scrap metal. Also, heads up: Jesus lives inside. At least according to its architect, Donald "Cano" Espinoza. Delaware: Fountain of Youth If only Ponce de Leon and the cast of Cocoon knew this was here all along. Discovered by the Dutch in 1631, it's long since dried up. Which's bad news for Steve Guttenberg? Florida: Museum for the Man Who Invented Air Conditioning Who wants to live without their creature comforts? Well, if it weren’t for John Gorrie’s air refrigeration machine invention in the 1850s, we’d all be living without AC in the hot summer months. Gorrie created the machine to help cool hospital patients. Unfortunately for him, no one paid much attention to his life-changing invention, and he died pretty much penniless and without recognition. But now, all that’s changed thanks to the John Gorrie Museum in Apalachicola, Florida. Georgia: Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue This mildly unnerving, 13ft statue of a toothy nut was erected by the Indiana Democratic Party to honor the peanut-farmer-turned-presidential hopeful as he campaigned around the Hoosier State during the 1976 campaign. It's since found its way to Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia. Hawaii: World’s Largest Plant Maze Welcome to the Pineapple Garden Maze, which is what happens when agribusiness meets plant mazes. Deemed the world’s largest plant maze, the maze spans three acres and is created from roughly 14,000 Hawaiian plants. It’s located on the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, and will only run you a modest $8 for an adult ticket. Idaho: World's Biggest Beagle This is actually the Dog Bark Park Inn, a 27ft-tall B&B/Trojan Dog with a single room inside the Beagle's belly. Even weirder, it's connected to a park filled with quirky dog paraphernalia created by a self-taught chainsaw artist. Illinois: Gold Pyramid House Dying to see the majestic wonders that are the Egyptian pyramids, but can’t quite afford to trek to Africa? Go no farther than Wadsworth, Illinois, and cast your eyes upon the Gold Pyramid House, an elaborate family home built in the shape of a pyramid and featuring Egyptian décor. There are even tours, and you can rent out the house for your own private events and meetings. So, yes, you can do all those things, but why would you want to? Indiana: World's Biggest Ball of Paint Once upon a time, this was just a normal baseball... but 40 years and 24,350 coats of paint later, it's a 4,200-pound ball of paint and the world's largest at that. Iowa: National Hobo Museum Honestly, we’re not sure why it’s OK to use what’s usually considered a derogatory term as part of a museum title, but perhaps that’s a discussion for another day. Located in Britt, Iowa, the National Hobo Museum is dedicated to hobo life and is the home of the annual National Hobo Convention. It lives in the former Chief Movie Theater and includes artifacts and collectibles donated by former Hobo Kings and Queens. Kentucky: World’s Largest Baseball Bat Considering that Louisville, Kentucky also is home to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, it should take absolutely no one by surprise that the state’s weirdest roadside attraction is somehow baseball-related. The carbon steel baseball bat (yes, like the kind used for vampire baseball in Twilight) is a 120-foot replica of Babe Ruth’s bat. You literally can’t miss it. Kansas: The World's Largest Ball of Twine It’s a giant ball of twine. Louisiana: Nicholas Cage's Tombs What's even weirder than the fact that Nicolas Cage is still making movies is the fact that he has his burial plot already picked out -- and it's a 10ft-tall, National Treasure-esque pyramid inscribed with the phrase "Omnia Ab Uno", or "Everything From One." Maine: International Cryptozoology Museum You may be wondering what in the world the International Cryptozoology Museum is. We sure were. Cryptozoology is “a pseudoscience that aims to prove the existence of entities from the folklore record, such as Bigfoot or chupacabras, as well as animals otherwise considered extinct, such as non-avian dinosaurs.” Sound like your cup of tea? Then pull on over and pop into this tiny museum in Portland, Maine. Massachusetts: The Witch House Also known as the Jonathan Corwin House, this Salem, Massachusetts abode is the only building still standing with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. The house once belonged to Judge Jonathan Corwin, who lived there for more than 40 years and served on the Court of the Oyer and Terminer. The court was responsible for the deaths of 19 people. What a cheery pit stop. Minnesota: Spoonbridge and Cherry So, somewhere in Minneapolis, Minnesota, there’s a 7,000-pound aluminum and stainless steel sculpture of a spoon and accompanying bright red cherry fountain. The bizarre sculpture dates back to 1988 and was created by Claes Oldenburg Coosje van Bruggen. The sculpture (is that what we’re calling it?) is one of many at the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. We wish we could say there were some worthwhile sculptures there, but from the looks of it, that would be false. Mississippi: Mammy’s Cupboard This not-very-PC roadside restaurant was founded in 1940 and repainted in a lighter skin tone during the Civil Rights Movement. Also, yes, you're eating breakfast underneath the woman's dress. Montana: Garden of One Thousand Buddhas The Garden of One Thousand Buddhas is an international peace center dedicated to preserving the Tibetan culture. It’s home to a central figure, Yum Chenmo, surrounded by 1,000 images of Buddha arranged in the shape of a Dharma wheel. The western portion of the site is just north of Arlee in the Jocko Valley. Anyone planning a trip to Glacier National Park will find themselves in the vicinity of this massive religious roadside attraction. Maryland: God's Ark of Safety Let's hope the world doesn't flood anytime soon because, despite the fact that it was started in 1976, this exact replica of Noah's Ark (right down to its Biblically outlined specs) is still nothing more than a steel and concrete skeleton on the side of the interstate. Who knows, maybe the dude who built it will get inspired by last year's Russell Crowe movie. Michigan: The (Former) World's Largest Cherry Pie Pan In 1976, this 17,420lb pan was used by local businesses to bake the "World's Largest Cherry Pie.” Unfortunately for Charlevoix, though, the neighboring town of Traverse City said "not so fast," and in 1987 unveiled an even bigger -- if you can believe it -- cherry pie pan. Missouri: Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail and Museum Because why wouldn't you want to frolic on a mound of nuclear waste? No really, this 75ft-tall pile is made up of 1.5 million cubic yards of entombed hazardous waste. Apparently, there was a uranium ore processing plant on the site until 1966. Abandoned for 20 years, U.S. Department of Energy finally decided to cover it with a pile of rocks. Nebraska: World's Largest Ball of Stamps Collecting stamps? Not exactly a hobby that's landing you a cheerleader girlfriend. But use 4,655,00 of those stamps to make a giant ball and suddenly you're the coolest dude in the 10th grade, and proud owner of the world's largest ball of stamps. Okay, still not true. But this must-hit Nebraska attraction does weigh 600lbs and has a diameter of 32 inches. Nevada: Clown Motel Nevada’s Clown Motel in Tonopah is, in fact, a working motel, but we recommend just taking a detour to check it out despite the undeniable pull of free parking and Wi-Fi. Unless you’re into staying in small motels — with neighboring abandoned graveyards — that are adorned with thousands of clowns, you should plan to make this a drive-by excursion, not a part of your itinerary. New Hampshire: Redstone Rocket It's just a real-life missile in a public park, NBD. Installed in 1971, it was one of America's first ballistic missiles (and the first type to carry a nuclear warhead) and did time in the US arsenal in the late 1950's and early '60s. New Jersey: Lucy the Elephant Meet Lucy, the world’s greatest elephant. It must be true, despite not being an actual real-life elephant, because the internet told us so. Located in Margate City, New Jersey, Lucy is a six-story tall, elephant-shaped wood-and-tin structure just south of Atlantic City. The building was constructed way back in 1881 by James Lafferty. We just can’t seem to stop asking why some of these structures exist. Fun fact: There’s also a Lucy the Bull in Verona, New York. (Can we get a little more creative with the names, guys?) New York: World’s Smallest Church Outside of Syracuse, New York, sits Cross Island Chapel, a tiny little chapel on a dock in the middle of a pond. The nondenominational church only seats two people. If you’re planning a wedding and feel like the guest list is getting a bit out of hand, just do like a couple did in 1990 and get married here, where there’s only room for the bride, groom, and minister. New Mexico: World's Largest Pistachio Not surprisingly, this giant (and startlingly realistic) 30ft pistachio is designed to lure unsuspecting passersby into the McGinn's Pistachio Tree Ranch and Arena Blanca Winery. North Dakota: Enchanted Highway Um, the word “enchanted” may be a bit of a stretch here. The so-called Enchanted Highway is actually a collection of scrap metal sculptures placed along a 32-mile stretch of highway. The sculptures are at intervals along the two-lane highway that runs through Regent, North Dakota. Seems mildly interesting if you’re already driving down Main Street, but a special trip to this bizarre roadside attraction is probably unwarranted. North Carolina: World's Largest Chest of Drawers Oh, you didn't know that High Point was the Home Furnishings Capital of the World? Well, this 38ft dresser is here to remind you. Oklahoma: Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park Somehow, the U.S. National Register of Historic Places recognizes this culturally insensitive construction. The park, located in Foyil, Oklahoma, was built by retired teacher Ed Galloway. He constructed what now claims to be the world’s largest concrete totem pole, along with a Fiddle House. The pole is decorated with some pretty offensive imagery, intending to depict the Native American creation story. We’re sure no one thought twice about it back in 1948 when the pole was created, but today it needs a bit (read: giant) of a makeover. Ohio: Giant Horseshoe Crab A giant crab in the middle of Ohio? Doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? Well, turns out this well-traveled crustacean (which is 68ft long and 24ft tall) was originally built for the Baltimore Maritime Museum. Annnd now we're getting somewhere -- Maryland crabs! Weirdly, the statue also spent some time at the Creation Museum in Kentucky before becoming Freedom Worship Baptist Church's mascot in Blanchester. Oregon: World's Largest Pig Hairball You'll find the world's largest pig hairball comfortably nestled among hundreds of years' worth of Catholic memorabilia inside the museum at the Mount Angel Abbey. Naturally. Pennsylvania: Haines Shoe House “There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…” Anyone familiar with this timeless nursery rhyme (it was originally published in 1794!) is sure to invoke it when they set eyes on the Haines Shoe House in Hellam Township, Pennsylvania. Unsurprisingly, it’s located on Shoe House Road. The house was finished in 1949 by Colonel Mahlon Nathaniel Haines and was meant to serve as an advertisement for the 40 shoe stores he owned across Maryland and Pennsylvania. Today passersby can get a tour and really dive into the shoe house’s, er, history. Rhode Island: Fighting Sea Bee This scary-looking bee at Rhode Island's Seabee Museum and Memorial Park is the longtime mascot of the United States Naval Construction Forces. Get it? Sea Bee Construction Battalion. South Carolina: South of the Border It’s really amazing that some of these attractions and destinations have managed to survive until 2018 when PC is the name of the game and there are a plethora of other more advanced, technologically engaging things all vying for everyone’s attention. For whatever reason, Dillon, South Carolina’s South of the Border rest-area attraction remains popular. It features restaurants, a motel, a truck stop, an arcade, and more. To each his own, we guess. South Dakota: World's Only Corn Palace No doubt the corniest attraction on this list, the 123-year-old Mitchell Corn Palace's exterior (and intricate murals) is made entirely out of local corn and grains. Tennessee: World's Largest Cedar Bucket Guys, it's not just a humongous bucket -- it's a humongous cedar bucket. The world's largest, in fact. We absolutely HAVE to stop. Actually, it's a fake. The original, which was built in 1887, fell victim to arson. This 6ft-tall replacement, however, is capable of holding 1,566 gallons of beer. Texas: Cadillac Ranch Pretty much the most OCD junkyard you've ever seen, Cadillac Ranch consists of 10 upside-down Cadillacs half-buried in middle of the desert, allegedly tilted at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza. Utah: Hole N The Rock With a name that doesn't give too much away, this spot in Moab is actually a 14-room cave-house (and gift shop) carved into the stone in the 1940s. With no rhyme or reason, it also houses a small zoo, a ton of Native American pottery, and the largest collection of Lyle Nichols metal art sculptures. Vermont: Giant Gorilla When you come across the giant gorilla holding up a VW Beetle in front of Pioneer Auto Sales, just keep on driving. Virginia: Foamhenge As we've said before, the, er, artist behind this non-biodegradable masterpiece made sure that every stone was positioned exactly like its original in England. Washington: Seattle Gum Wall Colorful as it may be, it's basically a wall of saliva. West Virginia: Farnham Colossi (Land of Giants) Presumably sick of living in city apartments that couldn't hold giant action figures, Pam and George Farnham moved to West Virginia and promptly began adorning their lawn with a random assortment of massive statues. Wisconsin: U.F.O. Landing Port So many questions about this one. Mainly, though, why would aliens land their super futuristic spaceship on a rinky-dink, 42ft-tall platform made from an empty fuel tank? Wyoming: America's Smallest Town Originally just Buford, the town was founded in 1866 during the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad and grew to 2,000 residents before shrinking back down to a single, lone citizen. The one remaining resident put the 10-acre town up for auction in 2013, and it sold to two dudes who promptly slapped the Vietnamese coffee brand they peddle, Phin Deli, onto the town's name as an advertising gimmick. Credits: thrillist.com definition.org

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