Giant Volkswagen Beetle Spider in Avoca, Iowa

What do you get when you mix a spider with a beetle? A giant Volkswagen Beetle Spider, of course!

I’m not sure this car/arachnid hybrid is quite what you normally think of when you think Volkswagen bug…but, this Iowa roadside attraction stands heads and shoulders… and eight giant legs… above the rest!

This giant VW beetle spider in Avoca, Iowa is made from a vintage Volkswagen beetle car (VW bug) sitting on top of eight long, thin, spider legs! I saw it this summer on my Labor Day Mount Rushmore road trip and couldn’t believe my eyes! (So it’s a good thing I don’t have twelve eyes, like many spiders do, myself!)

I guess this giant spider sculpture isn’t a roadside attraction to see if you have arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) OR vehophobia (the fear of driving). Just please make sure you stay away if you have BOTH! Luckily for me, I love to drive (at least, I love to drive on road trips) and I don’t mind a spider or two (does anyone really love spiders?). So for most of the rest of us, the VW spider bug is a fun, quick detour when looking for attractions along I-80 in Iowa… it’s only about a mile and a half south.

Volkswagen Beetle Spider

Location: 649 S Chestnut St, Avoca, Iowa 51521
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Visible at all hours.
Date: September 1, 2008

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Looking for more roadside attractions in Iowa? Check out the giant rotating ear of corn in Coon Rapids.

• Iowa