50 Weird Roadside Attractions in the United States

A hotel shaped like a potato. An oversized condiment bottle in the sky. More oversized animals than you can count. The world’s largest ball of twine. And…a Thing??? The American landspace if full of strange, odd, and weird roadside attractions.

Roadside attractions are quirky things made to draw travelers off the highway to gawk. Usually, they are not the destination but rather a detour that breaks up a long road trip across America.

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These weird roadside attractions are worthy of not only being a layover on your way to where you’re going, they are destinations in themselves. Get ready to pull over for these world’s largest things, quirky outdoor artworks, over-the-top oddities and all the weirdest roadside attractions in the United States of America!

50 Weird Roadside Attractions in the United States:

The Enchanted Highway

607 Main St, Regent, North Dakota

Take a road trip down Enchanted Highway to see some of the biggest and best roadside attractions in North Dakota. Metal sculptor Gary Greff created these giant sculptures in order to lure people off the nearby highway and into the town of Regent. His plan is to create ten over-the-top creations and, so far, seven have been completed, including a giant Tin Family, a Covey of Pheasants, the World’s Largest Grasshopper, a giant leaping deer (Deer Crossing), and a big metal fish (Fisherman’s Dream).

World’s Largest Ball of Twine

719 Wisconsin St, Cawker City, Kansas

In 1953 Frank Stoeber started the innocent task of rolling spare bits of sisal twine he found in his barn into a ball. Eight years later that ball grew to 11-feet in diameter and contained over 1,600,000 feet of twine. This was an impressive accomplishment for any one man, but when another man in Darwin, Minnesota out twined his ball, the locals got to work. They organized an annual Twine-A-Thon and this Kansas roadside attraction has continued growing ever since. As of 2018, the world’s largest ball of twine contained over 8 million feet of twine and weighed over 10 tons.

Trees Of Mystery

5500 US-101, Klamath, California

Trees of Mystery opened in 1931 and is one of California’s oldest roadside attractions. The mountainside park offers panoramic scenic views of California redwoods with a side of kitsch. There are sky ride gondolas to take you to the tree tops. There’s an Indian museum. There are chainsaw sculptures along the paths. And, there’s the pièce de résistance, the main draw to the Trees of Mystery forest hike: a 49-foot tall Paul Bunyan statue and 35-foot companion Babe the Blue Ox.

Carhenge

2151 Co Rd 59, Alliance, Nebraska

Perhaps the most famous Nebraska roadside attraction, Carhenge is a replica of England’s Stonehenge… but made from cars. Standing at 96 feet in diameter and made up of thirty eight gray-painted cars, the roadside attraction was created in 1987 by experimental artist Jim Reinders. This is a must-stop item to add to any Nebraska road trip itinerary and it the perfect start or end to a Sandhills Journey road trip.

Albert the Bull – the World’s Largest Bull 

115 Circle Dr, Audubon, Iowa

Albert the Bull, the world’s largest bull, has been an icon of the Iowa town of Audubon since he was dedicated on October 21, 1964. He was conceptualized to represent the booming local beef industry and to be a tourist attraction to draw passersby from the highway. Nowadays over 20,000 visitors visit the Iowa roadside attraction every year. Albert weighs 45 tons and stands at 30 feet tall and 33 feet long.

World’s Largest Beagle: Dog Bark Park Inn

2421 Business Loop 95, Cottonwood, Idaho

Have you ever wanted to sleep in a giant beagle? You’re in luck! In Cottonwood, Idaho you’ll find the World’s Largest Beagle AKA Sweet Willy AKA Dog Bark Park Inn: a beagle shaped bed and breakfast! The 30-foot tall dog is the creation of folk artists Dennis Sullivan and Frances Conklin. They originally built a 12-foot dog hoping to lure in travelers. After their plan worked they had a realization: if a 12-foot dog brings visitors imagine how many more would come to see a 30-foot dog! When construction began on this Idaho roadside attraction, the giant beagle wasn’t originally slated to be a habitable hotel, but as it progressed it became clear that the doggy would be a doghouse! The world’s largest beagle sleeps four, and pets are welcome, but book far in advance if you want to stay overnight.

Giant Hot Dog

Wienerlicious, 102 E Central Ave, Mackinaw City, Michigan

Mackinaw City is a Michigan vacation destination. Known for its relaxing beaches, historic parks, shopping, restaurants, and giant hot dog! In 2014, local hot dog joint Wienerlicious installed the world’s largest wiener on their roof. The world’s largest hot dog is a Michigan roadside attraction topped with all the fixins including mustard, relish, onion, and peppers!

Wild Blueberry Land & The Giant Blueberry

1067 US-1, Columbia Falls, Maine

The giant blueberry is the centerpiece of Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls. Since 2001 the blue domed building has served as a coffee shop and gift shop serving up homemade blueberry jam, pastries, and other sweets. Come to grab a slice of blueberry pie at this Maine roadside attraction and stay to admire the giant blueberry-shaped building, the pie-holding fiberglass chef out front, and all the other blueberry-themed decor around the grounds.

Hole N” The Rock

11037 US-191, Moab, Utah

Hole N” The Rock is probably the most famous roadside attraction in Utah. It is a unique, 5,000 square-foot home carved out of a huge rock in Utah’s Canyonlands Country. Albert Christensen created the home in the 1940s, where he lived with his family and continually build until his death in 1957. Here you can take a guided tour of the home, visiting 14 rooms carved out of rock (including a bathroom dubbed “a toilet in a tomb”) and admiring the original furnishings, Albert’s paintings, and his wife Gladys’s doll collection. You can also visit a trading post for locally made fare and shop for one-of-a-kind souvenirs.

Field of Giant Corn Cobs

4995 Rings Rd, Dublin, Ohio

In a large field off of the highway in Dublin, there stand 109 human-sized ears of corn each standing at 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 m) tall and each weighing in at a whopping 1500 pounds (680 kg.). Known to some as the Field of Giant Corn Cobs, to others as just Cement Corn and, to others, as “Cornhenge” this Ohio roadside attraction is actually called “Field of Corn (with Osage Oranges)” and was designed and created by artist Malcolm Cochran, a professor of sculpture at the Ohio State University.  The piece was commissioned by Dublin Art Council’s Dublin Art in Public Places program and was installed in 1994.

Lucy The Elephant

9200 Atlantic Ave, Margate City, New Jersey

Standing at six-stories tall and weighing over 90 tons, Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey is the world’s largest elephant. Lucy was built in 1881 by real estate developer James V. Lafferty. The giant elephant originally functioned as a real estate office and then for various other businesses through the years, from a summer home to a tavern. By the 1960s the poor elephant had seen better days, laying abandoned and dilapidated. Luckily for tourists to come, the citizens of Margate raised money to restore this New Jersey roadside attraction to her former glory and she is now the pride of Margate City and a National Historic Landmark.

Dinosaur Kingdom II

5781 S Lee Hwy, Natural Bridge, Virginia

Dinosaur Kingdom II is not your usual Jurassic park. Step inside this weird roadside attraction and you’ll enter a fictional alternate reality of the Civil War in which the Yankee army is defeated by Dinosaurs. Built by Artist Mark Cline (the Virginia artist who has had several pieces pop up on this list of the best Virginia roadside attractions), here you will find dinos attacking Union soldiers, a mad scientist, a variety of monsters, and a statue of general Stonewall Jackson outfitted with a 15-foot-long robotic arm.

The Creede Fork: The Largest Fork in America

Cascada Bar and Grill, 981 La Garita St, Creede, Colorado

The Creede Fork is a Colorado roadside attraction created by local artists Chev and Ted Yund after being commissioned by the owner of a local Mexican restaurant (Cascada Bar and Grill). The 39-foot tall, 600-pound, hand-welded aluminum utensil was purposely built to become the Largest Fork in America, edging out the previous record holder, the Giant Fork in Springfield, Missouri.

The Coffee Pot

714 W Pitt St, Bedford, Pennsylvania

The Coffee Pot is one of the best roadside attractions in Pennsylvania and a fun stop on a Lincoln Highway road trip. David Berton Koontz built the big, 18-foot tall by 22-foot wide coffee pot in 1927 to attract customers to his adjacent service station. The novelty building fell into disrepair after the business closed in the 1980s but has since been fully restored by the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor and moved to the Bedford County Fairgrounds where it now serves as a museum.

Farnham Fantasy Farm (The Farnham Colossi)

14633 Winchester Grade Rd, Unger, West Virginia

George and Pam Farnham are pack rats with a penchant for anything big and fiberglass. They moved to their West Virginia home in the 1980s and after lucking out on eBay, added a muffler man to their yard. But the couple couldn’t stop at just one roadside attraction. The muffler man turned into a fiberglass beach dude and that turned into a Big John Grocery Clerk and that turned into a Uniroyal Gal. Their collection has grown exponentially over the years adding everything from a giant apple to a full collection of Simpsons characters. Stop by this West Virginia roadside attraction to see a menagerie of fiberglass giants (but be respectful, its their private property).

House on the Rock

5754 WI-23, Spring Green, Wisconsin

Alex Jordan built a house on a 60-foot chimney of rock in Wisconsin in the 1940s. Today, House on the Rock is perhaps the most well-known tourist attraction in Wisconsin. Filled to the brim with collections of lanterns, musical instruments, lights, dollhouses, and more, the 14-room house will take you hours to explore. Be sure to visit the world’s largest indoor carousel and its 269 carousel animals, a highlight of the kooky attraction.

Prada Marfa

14880 US-90, Valentine, Texas

If you’re driving in the middle of the Texas desert and you see a Prada store up ahead, you might think it is just a mirage. But it’s real. Well, sort of. Prada Marfa looks just like a luxury boutique, merchandise and all, but it was never an actual functioning store. The fake Prada store was designed as a “pop architectural land art project” from Berlin-based artists Elmgreen and Dragset in 2005 and quickly became a must-see quirky Texas roadside attraction.

Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park

301 Goldsboro St S, Wilson, North Carolina

Farm machinery repairman Vollis Simpson began making his “whirligigs” — giant kinetic sculptures and pinwheels — as he approached retirement and continued until he died at 94 in 2013. His impressive whirligigs were built using salvaged debris and were made in various shapes and sizes, some spanning up to 60-feet tall. The colorful sculptures look like carnival rides in the sky, rocket ships, bicycles, and more. When the towers started falling into disrepair, the North Carolina roadside attractions were purchased by a nearby town, restored, and moved to what is now the official Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park where they will be able to be admired for years to come.

Harvey the Rabbit

21250 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy, Aloha, Oregon

Harvey the Rabbit started his life as an abandoned Texaco Big Friend statue. When Ed Harvey (1928-2017) of Harvey Marine in Aloha, Oregon got his hands on the 20-foot-tall statue he turned it from a he to a hare. This 26-foot tall half man half rabbit has become a fixture in the town, revered by both locals and tourists alike. Ed passed away in 2017, and Harvey Marine closed, but the giant rabbit and Oregon roadside attraction still stands with no plans of hopping away.

UFO Welcome Center

4004 Homestead Rd, Bowman, South Carolina

If extraterrestrials want to land on planet Earth, there’s a place in South Carolina waiting to welcome them. Jody Pendarvis built the UFO Welcome Center out scrap metal, wood pieces, and other castaways. Two UFO-shaped structures sit stacked on top of one another, one 46-foot across (the same diameter as a typical UFO) and the second a refuge for Jody, so the aliens can take him with when they leave again. So far no aliens have made their way to this South Carolina roadside attraction, but, in the meantime, the Bowman UFO attracts plenty of tourists.

Seven Magic Mountains

S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada

Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains is a public art installation south of Las Vegas. The artwork features seven 30-foot towers made from colorful, stacked boulders, set against the dark Ivanpah Valley landscape. Seven Magic Mountains was was produced by the Nevada Museum of Art and Art Production Fund in 2016 and was only supposed to stay up for two years but it proved to be such a popular Nevada roadside attraction, its contact was extended.

Spoonbridge and Cherry

14357 Loring Greenway, Minneapolis, Minneapolis

Spoonbridge and Cherry is a giant pop art sculpture that depicts a big cherry resting on a big spoon. This weird roadside attraction was created by artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen. It was commissioned in 1985 for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at Walker Art Center and installed and inaugurated in 1988. The stainless steel and aluminum sculpture is 29 feet 6 inches tall by 51 feet 6 inches long by 13 feet 6 inches wide. The 5,000 pound the spoon carries a 1,200 pound cherry!

Salvation Mountain

Beal Rd, Calipatria, California

Salvation Mountain is a giant piece of artwork and visionary environment that attracts visitors from all around the world to the desert to marvel at the Imperial County attraction. Made from adobe, straw, and paint, the colorful hill is decorated with Christian sayings and bible verses alongsize flowers, trees, suns, and messages of love. It was created by Leonard Knight (1931–2014) who began the work in 1985 and called it a tribute to God.

The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle

305 Railroad Ave, Collinsville, Illinois

While you won’t find any actual ketchup in this giant condiment container, it’s one of the biggest, best, and most recognizable roadside attractions in Illinois. At 170-feet tall, the world’s largest catsup bottle has stood high above Collinsville, Illinois, since 1949, serving as a water tower for the town that once was home to the company who bottled Brooks catsup.

31-Foot Tall Paul Bunyan Statue, Bangor

Bass Park, 519 Main St, Bangor, Maine

Tall, dark, and handsome, the 31-foot tall Paul Bunyan statue is on one of the most popular roadside attractions in Maine. Bangor, Maine claims to be birthplace of the lumbar industry and the birthplace of Paul Bunyan (so does Minnesota, but whatever) so it’s only right that they would pay tribute to this giant man with a giant statue. The sign next to this Bunyan declares him to be the “largest statue of Paul Bunyan in the world,” and, at 31-feet tall and 3,700 pounds, it’s hard to argue. This Paul is a local favorite and a celebrity: author Stephen King brought him to life in his 1986 novel, IT.

The Thing

2631 N Johnson Rd, Benson, Arizona

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. 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.

World’s Largest Buffalo Monument

404 Louis Lamour Ln, Jamestown, North Dakota

The World’s Largest Buffalo Monument (nicknamed Dakota Thunder) in Jamestown, North Dakota, is a must-see road trip stop for any weird roadside attraction lover! At 26 feet tall, 46 feet long, and weighing in at 60 tons, this big bison is certainly a site to behold! The giant buffalo was commissioned in 1959 to entice passersby from the newly-constructed I-94 segment that passed through their town.

Igloo City

George Parks Hwy, Cantwell, Alaska (mile post 188.5)

In 1972 Leon Smith set out to build a three-story tall igloo-shaped hotel called Igloo Lodge. While the outside facade, an 80-foot tall by 105-foot wide dome, was completed, he never quite finished the interior and it never opened as planned. Decades later the abandoned igloo still stands on a plot of land between Anchorage and Denali. While you can’t stay in Igloo City, it makes for some fun Instagram photo ops and an eerie Alaska roadside attraction to visit on a road trip.

Big Idaho Potato Hotel

31581 S. Orchard Access Rd, Orchard, Idaho

The Big Potato Hotel in Boise began its life in 2012 as The Big Idaho Potato — a 6-ton giant steel, concrete, and plaster potato that traveled across the US to promote the Idaho Potato Commission on the Big Idaho Potato tour. For seven years the giant spud traveled across 48 states, nearly 175,000 miles, spreading the potato live across America. At 28-feet long, 12-feet wide, and 11.5-feet tall it was one BIG potato! In 2019 it was converted into an AirBNB and visitors can admire this giant potato from the road or book a night to sleep in the spud.

Wall Drug

510 Main St, Wall, South Dakota

Follow the barrage of road signs to Wall Drug Store, a popular South Dakota roadside attraction and tourist trap in Wall, SD. The Western-themed shopping mall features a drug store, gift shop, restaurants, travelers church, taxidermy, a giant Jackalope, an 80-foot brontosaurus, and free ice water for all.

The Fremont Troll

N 36th St, Fremont, Seattle, Washington

In 1989 the Fremont Arts Council in Seattle, Washington, held a contest to select an idea for an art project to occupy the space under the Aurora Bridge. Disillusioned by the idea of the space becoming a waste dump, they wanted to do something different and more imaginative. After five projects were picked, the community voted and the Fremont bridge troll received overwhelming support. The Fremont Troll was a collaboration by artists Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter, and Ross Whitehead and is an amazing 2-ton, 18-foot creature made from rebar steel, wire and 2 tons of ferroconcrete. One shining eye of this Washington roadside attraction watches for visitors and billy goats alike and in one hand he clutches an actual Volkswagen Beetle.

Mothman Statue

201 4th St, Point Pleasant, West Virginia

The legend of Mothman has been popular in the Point Pleasant area since 1966 when locals started reporting sightings of a strange flying humanoid monster with red eyes, a 10-foot wingspan, and the face of an insect. While the creature has been around for many years, his popularity surged after the release of the movie The Mothman Prophesies in 2002. On the day of the film’s premiere, West Virginia’s secretary of state announced that they would build a monument dedicated to this local urban legend. A 12-foot tall polished steel Mothman statue was erected in downtown Point Pleasant and, in 2006, the Mothman Museum and Research Center opened across the street with history, film props, and souvenirs.

World’s Largest Ball of Paint

10696 N 200 W, Alexandria, Indiana

The world’s largest ball of paint has been continually growing since 1977. It was then that Mike Carmichael and his son dropped a baseball into a can of paint and decided to just keep going. Now, over 40 years later it’s gathered over 24,000 coats of paint and weighs more than 3,000 pounds. Visit the world’s largest ball of paint to admire its vastness and contribute to the Indiana roadside attraction for yourself. Visitors are encouraged to paint on their own layer (just be sure to email or call ahead – this roadside oddity is by appointment only).

World’s Largest Cherry Pie(s)

6549-6717 US-31, Charlevoix, Michigan
3424 Cass Rd, Traverse City, Michigan

Two towns in Michigan claim to have the world’s largest cherry pie: Charlevoix and Traverse City. Charlevoix’s was built 1976, when the town baked the World’s Largest Cherry Pie as part of the their annual cherry festival. In order to bake it, they needed to make a pan big enough to hold it. The pie ended up weighing 17,420 pounds and today the original pan is displayed proudly in the town, complete with a slice of replica pie. In 1987, Traverse City stepped up to the pie plate to outdo their neighbor. At their local cherry festival they made a 28,350 pound cherry pie. The pan is still on display in front of the former Chef Pierre Bakeries plant, complete with a faded certificate from Guinness World Records.

Teako’s Giants of Hatch

Sparkys, 115 Franklin St, Hatch, New Mexico

Stop at Sparkys for a famous Hatch green chile burger (or a green chile shake), but be sure to save some time to admire the explosion of New Mexico roadside attractions that decorate the outside. There’s everything from an A&W root beer family to a burger-eating robot to a giant 30-foot tall Uncle Sam to a big pig to an enormous KFC bucket. The collection belongs to owner Teako Nunn who has been obsessed with fiberglass giants since he was a kid.

Longaberger’s World’s Largest Picnic Basket

1500 E Main St, Newark, Ohio

The World’s Largest Picnic Basket was once the corporate headquarters to the Longaberger Basket Company. The giant basket was constructed to be an over-the-top replica of Longaberger’s Medium Market Basket, only standing at 160 times larger than it’s normal-sized counterpart. At seven-stories tall, it is 192 feet long and 126 feet wide at the base and 208 feet long and 142 feet wide at the roof, this Ohio roadside attraction is certainly the world’s largest basket. Alas, the business has since closed and the big basket laid vacant for many years. But there is hope for its future: a developer bought the property in 2017 and announced in 2019 that it would be turned into a hotel.

Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox Statues

300 Bemidji Ave N, Bemidji, Minnesota

Minnesota legend says that it’s 10,000 lakes were formed when Paul Bunyan’s footprints were filled with water. So it’s not wonder that Minnesota’ best roadside attraction revolve around this folklore giant. The Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox Statues in Bemidji are said to be the “second most photographed statues in the United States” (behind Mount Rushmore). The 18-foot tall lumberjack wearing a red plaid shirt and blue pants was created in 1937 for a local winter carnival, and the 10-foot Babe the Blue Ox was added beside him in 1939. This pair isn’t just one of the best roadside attractions in Minnesota, they are also some of the earliest! In 1988 the duo was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

World’s Largest Chest of Drawers

508 North Hamilton St., High Point, North Carolina

First built in the 1920s by the High Point Chamber of Commerce, the World’s Largest Chest of Drawers pays homage to the town’s status as the “Home Furnishing Capital of the World.” The first incarnation of this North Carolina roadside attraction was just twenty feet tall, but in a 1996 renovation, more levels were added, creating the 38-foot tall dresser that stands there today. The huge cartoon-like structure, complete with oversized drawers, golden pulls and a pair of mismatched socks, towers over tourists, the traffic lights, and the nearby buildings.

Blue Whale of Catoosa

2600 Rte 66, Catoosa, Oklahoma

The Blue Whale of Catoosa has been a Route 66 icon since 1972. Hugh Davis originally built the giant 80-foot-long blue sperm whale adjacent to their alligator farm as an anniversary present for his wife Zelta and their kids. It soon became the centerpiece of their Route 66 attraction, Nature’s Acres, and a much beloved Oklahoma roadside attraction for travelers on the Mother Road and beyond. After the park closed in 1988, the giant whale fell into disrepair, but today it is maintained by a local group, preserving this piece of nostalgia for modern road trippers.

Gaffney Peachoid

Peachoid Rd, Gaffney, South Carolina

If you’re looking for a giant peach you might have Georgia on your mind. But this giant peach is found in South Carolina. Gaffney is known as the “Peach Capital of South Carolina” and they celebrate their nickname with the world’s largest peach. The giant peach is 135 feet tall and is garnished with a7-ton, 60-foot long leaf. It functions as the town’s water tower and hold one million gallons of water inside!

The World’s Largest Fish

10360 Hall of Fame Dr, Hayward, Wisconsin

Over 100,000 people visit the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin every year. While they might be there to explore the world record fish archives or peruse the collection of lures and artifacts, the highlight is “Shrine to Anglers.” The world’s largest fish (which is also the world’s largest fiberglass sculpture, period) portrays a leaping muskellunge (muskie) that stretches one-half city block long and four and a half stories tall.

The Big Duck

1012 NY-24, Flanders, New York

The Big Duck is a classic Long Island New York roadside attraction. The giant fowl was originally built in 1931 to serve as a duck-shaped poultry store. Farmer Martin Maurer commissioned the mimetic building as a way to entice people to buy his ducks and duck eggs. The 10-ton, 20-foot tall, 30-foot long, 18-foot wide bird is made of concrete and has the headlights of a Model T Ford for eyes. The Flanders landmark is still a popular site today where is now lives in a park and serves as a souvenir gift shop.

Haines Shoe House

197 Shoe House Rd, York, Pennsylvania

In the late 1940s “Shoe Wizard” Colonel Mahlon Nathaniel Haines had a 5-story, 25-foot tall, 48-foot long boot constructed off the highway to advertise his booming shoe store empire. The Haines Shoe House is still an incredible example of mimetic architecture and popular Pennsylvania roadside attraction. Stop by for a tour, a scoop of ice cream, and a shoe-venir!

Salem Sue, The World’s Largest Holstein Cow

8th Ave. N, New Salem, North Dakota

You can’t miss seeing Salem Sue, the World’s Largest Holstein Cow when traveling through New Salem on a North Dakota road trip. And I mean that in two ways. One, she is absolutely one of the best and biggest world’s largest things, so it would be a travesty to drive by without at least taking a peek. And two, she’s just so big that she is IMPOSSIBLE to miss! This giant fiberglass cow stands at 38 feet tall and 50 feet wide and weighs in at an impressive 12,000 pounds (6 tons). Perched on a hill overlooking New Salem, you can spot her from up to five miles away!

Big Things in a Small Town: Casey, Illinois

Casey, Illinois

Casey, Illinois is the definition of “go big or go home.” Known for their “big things in a small town,” Casey features many Guinness World Record certified world’s largest things. It’s the home to the giant and world’s largest rocking chair, wind chime, knitting needles, pitchfork, golf tee, yardstick, Dutch wooden shoes, mailbox, pencil, birdcage, key, teeter-totter, gavel, golf club, swizzle spoon, barber’s pole, and more. It’s impossible to pick just one roadside attraction to make the list of best Illinois roadside attractions, so the entire town makes the list! If you’re going to visit Illinois, this is a point of interest you can’t miss.

World’s Largest Teapot

Chester, West Virginia

The world’s largest teapot wasn’t always a teapot. This West Virginia roadside attraction was originally built to be a hogshead barrel for Hires Root Beer. When the building was brought to Chester in 1938 a large handle, spout, and lid were added to transform it to a teapot in order to celebrate Chester’s claim to the largest pottery industry in the world. The Chester Teapot stands at 14-feet tall and 14-feet in diameter.

Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch

24266 National Trails Hwy, Oro Grande, California

Elmer Long (1946-2019) was a scrap metal artist who began filling his property with trees made from metal pipes and recycled glass bottles in 2000. By 2019, he had created over 200 ethereal glass trees, filling his lawn with a forest worth of brilliant glass sculptures. His glass tree ranch has become a must-stop for Route 66 travelers following the Mother Road.

Former World’s Largest Jackalope

100-198 S 3rd St, Douglas, Wyoming

Douglas, Wyoming is the self-proclaimed “Jackalope Capital of the World,” and they don’t take that title lightly. In the middle of town that celebrates the mythical jackrabbit antelope hybrid, you’ll find Jackalope Square, anchored by an eight-foot tall jackalope sculpture. The town has since erected multiple other jackalope monuments: the new World’s Largest Jackalope at the Douglas Railroad Interpretive Center and a 13-foot tall metal silhouette on top of a hill. All of these Wyoming roadside attractions are worth a detour on a road trip, but the OG in the square is the most beloved.

Foamhenge

Cox Farms, 15621 Braddock Rd, Centreville, Virginia

Can’t make it to England to cross Stonehenge off your bucket list? No worries, you can see the next best thing right here in the United States: Foamhenge, Virginia’s Stonehenge made of foam. Artist and fiberglass sculptor Mark Cline of Enchanted Castle Studio made this full-scale styrofoam replica of the iconic English tourist attraction and unveiled it in 2004. This Virginia roadside attraction spent many years in Natural Bridge before moving to its new home at Cox Farms in Centreville.

World’s Only Corn Palace

604 N Main St, Mitchell, South Dakota

Mitchell Corn Palace, the world’s only corn palace, is an “a-maize-ing” South Dakota road trip stop that was built to celebrate the local corn harvest. The concrete castle is covered in thousands of bushels of corn and grain making striking murals in rotating themes across the walls. Stop by to admire the artwork, get some selfies with a giant ear of corn, learn the history on a tour, and shop for corny souvenirs.

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