The 20 Best Arizona Roadside Attractions

Are you planning an Arizona road trip and want to find all the best Arizona roadside attractions along your route? Whether you’re getting your kicks on Route 66, visiting the Grand Canyon, or vacationing in Phoenix, Tuscon, Scottsdale or Sedona, you won’t want to miss these twenty must-see places to go in Arizona. They’re fun road trip stops and great additions to your travel itinerary or route.

Below are the 20 best roadside attractions in Arizona: from a giant green head to some big green dinosaurs, from a restaurant shaped like a giant gopher to motel with rooms shaped like teepees, from a yard full of eclectic things to a…thing? You won’t want to miss any of these bucket list worthy tourist traps and road trips stops on your Arizona vacation.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

Ready to hit the road? Let’s go! I call shotgun!

The 20 best Arizona roadside attractions (in no particular order):

1. The Thing

2631 N Johnson Rd, Benson, AZ 85602

There are more than 200 signs for “The Thing” next to the road between El Paso, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona. And my theory if that many sign beg for you to stop, you stop (see also Wall Drug in South Dakota and Little America in Wyoming). While The Thing was once a sleepy Arizona roadside attraction, it was remodeled in 2018 to take its kook up a notch. Enter The Thing and be prepared for an exhibit of dinosaurs, aliens, pharaohs, and conspiracy theories. All of this leads to The Thing itself. What is The Thing? You’ll have to follow the road signs and see for yourself.

2. Giganticus Headicus

Route 66 Antares Visitor Center and Art Gallery, 9855 AZ-66, Kingman, AZ

Part tiki. Part moai. All kitsch. Giganticus Headicus is a big green head at the Antares Visitor Center and a must-see roadside attraction in Arizona. In 2003 artist Gregg Arnold created this 14-foot-tall statue out of metal, wood, chicken wire, Styrofoam, cement, and green paint. He installed it at what used to be the Kozy Korner RV Park and renovated the area to now have a convenience and gift shop, restaurant and picnic area, and art gallery to display even more of his creations.

3. Rainbow Rock Shop Dinosaurs

Rainbow Rock Shop, 101 Navajo Blvd, Holbrook, AZ

Dinosaur roadside attractions abound across Arizona, and especially in Holbrook. But the place to see them is at Rainbow Rock Shop. The shop’s owner Adam Luna built 11 dinos out of cement and each is better than the last. Stop here to get your dino fix with these sculptures, a mural, and some bones, and pick up a few rocks while you’re there.

4. Standin’ on the Corner Park

Corner of Kinsley &, E 2nd St, Winslow, AZ

“Now I’m a-standin’ on the corner in Winslow, Arizona with such a fine sight to see…” If the Eagles hit song “Take it Easy” is stuck in your head, head to Winslow where you can experience the song in real life. On a corner in Winslow you’ll find a life-size statue of a man with a guitar, a mural with the girl and flatbed Ford from the song, and an eagle in honor of the band.

5. Topo Gopher

301 N Gilbert Rd bldg 2, Gilbert, AZ

When Joe Johnston set out to open a small food stand in 2019, he wanted to go big. His restaurant Topo is topped with a giant 7-foot tall styrofoam and steel gopher and is inspired by “iconic roadside architecture in the spirit of the great American road trip.” It quickly became a must-see Arizona roadside attraction so stop by for photos and to grab a burrito, elote, or soft serve.

6. Stewart’s Petrified Wood

9406 Washboard Rd, Holbrook, AZ

Petrified wood (fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation) abounds in Arizona, so if you want to make your petrified wood shop stand out, you have to do something different. At Stewart’s Petrified Wood you’ll find some kooky handmade dinosaur creations. Some are animated, others crush bloody mannequins in their jaws, and others are decorated with blinking Christmas lights. It’s worth a stop to check them out on a road trip through Arizona.

7. Rattlesnake Bridge

Iron Horse Park, 75 N 1st Ave, Tucson, AZ

Rattlesnake Bridge (also known as Diamondback Bridge) is a pedestrian bridge built in the image of a larger-than-life diamondback rattlesnake. At either end is a snake head complete with fangs or a slithering tail, rattling 30 feet above the ground. People on foot or bicyclists can walk through the scaled body across Broadway Blvd. The bridge was designed by artist Simon Donovan in 2002.

8. Wigwam Village Motel No. 6

811 W Hopi Dr, Holbrook, AZ

After being inspired by a visit to Kentucky’s Wigwam Village No. 2, Chester Lewis decided to buy the rights to the teepee-shaped motel complex and erected several more in the U.S. Holbrook’s Wigwam Village Motel No. 6 was built in 1950 and is one of very few left today. Located right off Route 66, this wigwam motel still attractions Arizona road trippers in search of nostalgia.

9. Don Parks’s Yard Art Collection

8009 W Weldon Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85033

Don Parks bought his house in the West Valley neighborhood of Phoenix in 1971 and almost immediately started filling his yard with his collections. There are road signs, dinosaurs, Simpsons characters, McDonald statues, knights in armor, and a towering Paul Bunyan Muffler Man. Every inch is packed with fun surprises. In fact, Parks’s collection of eclectic yard art got so big he purchased the house across the street and filled that too!

10. Oatman Burros

Main St, Oatman, AZ

During the gold boom of the early 1900s, Oatman was a bustling town. But when the gold dried out, the miners left, abandoning their burros along the way. Those burros stayed behind and their descendants still populate the area today. Drive into Oatman and be prepared to be surrounded by the furry creatures begging for food. Be sure to also stay to watch the daily Wild West gun fights performed throughout the day.

11. Twin Arrows Trading Post Ruins

Route 66, Twin Arrows, AZ

Twin Arrows Trading Post began its life in the 1940s as Canyon Padre Trading Post. The Route 66 stop was once home to a diner, a souvenir shop, a gas station, and two big arrows jutting into the ground. But a nearby highway started driving people away from the site, and, after many years changing hands, Twin Arrows was abandoned in 1995. The graffiti-stained building has fallen into disrepair, but the two arrows remain for an Arizona road trip pit stop.

12. Building Shaped like a Longhorn Skull

Longhorn Grill and Saloon, 28851 S Nogales Hwy, Amado, AZ

Since the 1970s this giant longhorn skull-flanked building has been home to many businesses over the years. Most recently, it serves as the entrance to Longhorn Grill and Saloon.

13. Hi Jolly’s Tomb

W Elsie Ln & Hi Jolly Lane, Quartzsite, AZ

Hadji Ali (AKA Hi Jolly) was a camel driver hired by the US army to lead a camel driver experiment in the American Southwest in 1856. The experiment was cut short due to the Civil War and Ali ended up staying in Quartzsite with his camels. After his death in 1902, a small pyramid tomb was erected in his honor.

14. Hackberry General Store

11255 AZ-66, Kingman, AZ

Hackberry General Store is a ramshakle store with a long past. It was built in 1934 but laid abandoned for many years until Bob Waldmire (a Route 66 enthusiast) reopened it in 1992. It has since gone through many other owners but each one has stayed committed to not renovating keeping the store’s vintage charm. The store sells snacks and souvenirs and oozes nostalgia with its rusting road sign exterior and long-dry gas pumps out front. It’s no wonder this classic Route 66 icon is still a popular Arizona roadside attraction.

15. London Bridge

1340 McCulloch Blvd, Lake Havasu City, AZ

We all know the “London Bridge is falling down” nursery rhyme, but did you know that the actual London Bridge actually did come down…and came back up in Arizona? In 1968 Robert P. McCulloch paid London a large sum of money for the bridge and then spent even more shipping it over and reassembling it. With no water to assemble it over, McCulloch had a mile-long river build beneath it.

16. O.K. Corral

326 E Allen St, Tombstone, AZ

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a brief shootout between lawmen and members of the Cowboys, a loosely organized group of outlaws, in 1881. The rumble, though it only took about 30 seconds in all, is generally regarded as the most famous shootout in the history of the American Wild West. You can relive this famous scene in Tombstone, where a local group reenacts the fight once a day (with dummies filling in the rest of the time).

17. World’s Largest Kokopelli

1620 AZ-260, Camp Verde, AZ

Kokopelli is a Native American fertility deity that is often portrayed as a humpbacked flute player with feathers protruding from its head. The World’s Largest Kokopelli can be found in Camp Verde. The 32-foot-tall statue originally sat in front of Krazy Kokopelli Trading Post, which closed down many years ago and is now the location of a Starbucks.

18. Casa Grande Neon Sign Park

408 N. Sacaton St., Casa Grande, AZ

Casa Grande Neon Sign Park is dedicated to the warm glow of neon. Featuring 14 signs that have been salvaged and restored you can walk among this real neon signs from the 40s and 50s that once again light up the Arizona sky. Featuring signs from Arizona Edison, Dairy Queen, Hotel Sacaton, and Ralph’s Cafe, this is a must-see stop on an Arizona road trip.

19. Grand Canyon Caverns

AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ

The Grand Canyon Caverns are the largest dry caverns in the United States. They’re located 200 to 300 feet below the surface and you can visit the site for tours, to shop at the gift shop, to eat at the underground cave restaurant, or even to stay at their hotel. While stopping be sure to check out the giant T-Rex and Brontosaurus outside!

20. Jackrabbit Trading Post

3386 Rte 66, Joseph City, AZ

The Jack Rabbit Trading Post is a popular Route 66 roadside attraction in Arizona. Opened in 1949 it once was most known for its series of signs that flaked the road on the way there, beckoning tourists to take a detour. Stop in the gift shop, post in front of the iconic sign that depicts a silhouette of a jackrabbit next to the words “HERE IT IS,” or take an Instagram selfie mounted on a giant fiberglass rabbit!

Silly America - The best roadside attractions in America and road trip inspiration and road trip planning and advice.

Want to see more of the strangest roadside attractions in America? From Alabama to Wyoming, check out our list of the best roadside attractions in each state.

Pin this list of the 20 best Arizona roadside attractions:

The best Arizona roadside attractions to visit on an Arizona road trip. Add these roadside oddities to your travel bucket list, itinerary, or route map! From Route 66 and beyond, these weird roadside attractions are fun road trip stops for kids or adults! #Arizona #ArizonaRoadsideAttractions #ArizonaMap #ArizonaRoadTripItinerary #ArizonaItinerary #ArizonaBucketLists #ArizonaRoadTripPhotography #PlacesToGoInArizona  #Route66Arizona #ArizonaRoadTripWithKids #WeirdRoadsideAttractions
The best Arizona roadside attractions to visit on an Arizona road trip. Add these roadside oddities to your travel bucket list, itinerary, or route map! From Route 66 and beyond, these weird roadside attractions are fun road trip stops for kids or adults! #Arizona #ArizonaRoadsideAttractions #ArizonaMap #ArizonaRoadTripItinerary #ArizonaItinerary #ArizonaBucketLists #ArizonaRoadTripPhotography #PlacesToGoInArizona #Route66Arizona #ArizonaRoadTripWithKids #WeirdRoadsideAttractions
The best Arizona roadside attractions to visit on an Arizona road trip. Add these roadside oddities to your travel bucket list, itinerary, or route map! From Route 66 and beyond, these weird roadside attractions are fun road trip stops for kids or adults! #Arizona #ArizonaRoadsideAttractions #ArizonaMap #ArizonaRoadTripItinerary #ArizonaItinerary #ArizonaBucketLists #ArizonaRoadTripPhotography #PlacesToGoInArizona #Route66Arizona #ArizonaRoadTripWithKids #WeirdRoadsideAttractions
The best Arizona roadside attractions to visit on an Arizona road trip. Add these roadside oddities to your travel bucket list, itinerary, or route map! From Route 66 and beyond, these weird roadside attractions are fun road trip stops for kids or adults! #Arizona #ArizonaRoadsideAttractions #ArizonaMap #ArizonaRoadTripItinerary #ArizonaItinerary #ArizonaBucketLists #ArizonaRoadTripPhotography #PlacesToGoInArizona #Route66Arizona #ArizonaRoadTripWithKids #WeirdRoadsideAttractions

Photos by Johnathan Ciarrocca on Unsplash, Falkenpost from Pixabay.

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Valerie Bromann

Founder & ROad Trip Expert

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book, she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.

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Last modified: April 23, 2022
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The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.