Are feeling the itch to get out of your normal routine and take a road trip. Now the big question is…where to?
Whether you’re a seasoned road warrior or a newbie, the strange destinations listed below will not disappoint! So grab your favorite method of transportation – a convertible with the top down, a speedy motorcycle, a luxurious camper van, or live on the edge and hitchhike Jack Kerouac style – and add these unusual and mysterious places to your list of pit stops.
We guarantee they’ll be a lot more interesting than your average gas station or rest stop along the highway.
- American Classic Arcade Museum
This museum is full of coin-operated and classic arcade games that date back as far as 1971. And yes, at this museum you can look and touch. Visitors are allowed to play the games.
Website: http://www.classicarcademuseum.org/
Location: 579 Endicott Street North, Laconia, NH 03246
Hours of Operation: Vary depending on time of year. Call (603) 366-4377 for current hours.
Admission: Free
- The Oregon Vortex
Located in Gold Hill, Oregon, this natural phenomenon is anything but normal. This gravity-defying vortex is half above ground and half below. It will mess with your perspective as you walk through it because you never stand completely upright.
Website: http://www.oregonvortex.com/
Location: 4303 Sardine Creek Left Fork Road, Gold Hill, Oregon 97525
Hours of Operation: March, April, May, September, October – Open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; June, July, August – Open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Closed November 1 – February 28)
Admission: Children 5 & under: free, Children 6-11: $9, Adults 12-61: $12.50, Adults 62+: $11.50.
- Cano’s Castle
Built by Donald “Cano” Espinoza, this four-tower castle is made almost entirely of beer cans, hubcaps, and other scrap metal. It’s quite the architectural accomplishment and definitely worth a look!
Website: http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/canos-castle
Location: State St & E 10th Ave, Antonito, CO 81120
Admission: Free (donations accepted)
- Junkrassic Park
This creative attraction is made out of recycled materials found on owner Johnnie Allen’s farm in La Junta, Colorado. You’ll find everything from animals to junky spoofs off of the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.
Phone number: (719) 853-6519
Location: 35574 County Rd JJ, La Junta, Colorado 81050
Hours of Operation: Private Property, so call for details.
Admission: Free
- Big John
Big John is a two-story outhouse located in Nevada City, Montana. It’s actually an historical site, so don’t miss it! We wouldn’t recommend using it though, especially the bottom floor…
Location: Brewery Street, Nevada City, MT
Admission: Free
- World’s Largest Totem Pole
The largest concrete totem pole is located in Foyil, Oklahoma at the Ed Galloway Totem Pole Park. It has been added to the National Register of Historic Places and has been visited by several famous people including President JFK.
Phone number: (918) 342-9149
Location: Hwy 28A, Foyil, OK
Hours of Operation: Daylight (call for details and gift shop hours).
Admission: Free
- Mammy’s Cupboard
Have you ever eaten a meal inside a woman’s skirt? Well, if you visit Mammy’s, you can. This restaurant, located in Natchez, Mississippi, is built inside of a 28-foot tall woman’s skirt and has been around for 70 years.
Phone number: (601) 445-8957
Location: 555 Hwy 61 S, Natchez, MS
Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 pm
- Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo/ Reverend Zombie’s Voodoo Shop
This eerie house, located in New Orleans’ French quarter, has been around since 1988. It holds tribal masks, statues, and mysterious potions. They also do psychic readings. Definitely a strange place!
Website: http://voodooneworleans.com/
Location: 739 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116 and 723 St Peter Street, New Orleans, LA 70116
Hours of Operation: Sunday –Thursday: 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m., Friday & Saturday: 10 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.
- World’s Largest 10 Commandments
These ten commandments are 300 feet wide and are located in Murphy, North Carolina. They are somewhat hidden on the side of a mountain in a park called The Fields of the Wood.
Phone number: 828-494-7855
Location: 10000 Highway 294, Murphy, NC
Hours of Operation: Call for details.
Admission: Free
- Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum
Yup, an entire museum dedicated to salt and pepper shakers. They have over 20,000 different sets, and also have a big pepper mill collection.
Website: http://thesaltandpeppershakermuseum.com/
Location: 461 Brookside Village Way, Gatlinburg, TN
Hours of Operation: Hours vary by season. Call (865) 430-5515 for details.
Admission: Kids 12 & under – free, Adults – $3
- Monster Monument
Affectionately called “Miles the Monster,” this 3-D statue is the mascot for Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. He’s 7 feet tall and can be seen from half a mile away.
Website: http://www.doverspeedway.com/monster-monument-2/
Location: 1131 N. DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE
Admission: Free to see monument (ticket purchase required for races).
- Museum of Natural and Other Curiosities
This museum is home to some bizarre creatures, including an 8-foot long alligator and a two-headed calf, and is located in Hartford’s Old State House.
Phone number: 860-522-6766
Location: 800 Main St., Hartford, CT
Hours of Operation: Tuesday – Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Admission: Free
- World’s Largest Burgers
Fifteen pounds of beef in between two massive buns…now that’s a burger! Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub, located in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, is home to the world’s largest burgers. You’ll have to eat it to believe it!
Website: http://dennysbeerbarrelpub.com/
Location: 1452 Woodland Road, Clearfield, PA
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Northlandz
Northlandz is home to the world’s largest model railroad. They have over 8 miles of track, more than 100 trains and 400 bridges. They also have a doll museum and art gallery.
Website: http://www.northlandz.com
Location: 495 US Highway 202, Flemington, NJ
Hours of Operation: Monday & Wednesday – Friday 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday & Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Admission: Kids under 2 – free, Kids 2-12 – $9.75, Adults – $13.75, Seniors (62+) – $12.50
- World’s Tallest Native American
This structure, located in Skowhegan, Maine, stands at 62 feet tall. He makes for some great pictures!
Phone number: (207) 474-3621
Location: High Street, Skowhegan, ME
Hours of Operation: Call for details.
Admission: Free
- Museum of Dentistry
Among other things at the Museum of Dentistry, you can check out George Washington’s wooden dentures and watch vintage commercials about toothpaste.
Website: http://www.dental.umaryland.edu/museum/index.html/
Location: 31 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Hours of Operation: By appointment only. Call (410) 706-0600 to make an appointment.
Admission: Kids 2 & under – Free, Kids 3-12 – $5, Adults – $7
- Vampire Grave
This grave is located in Chestnut Hill Baptist Church cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island. It’s one of the most visited grave sites, especially among vampire enthusiasts and ghost hunters. The grave belongs to Mercy Brown, who allegedly was a vampire and has quite the gory tale.
Location: Victory Hwy, Exeter, Rhode Island
Admission: Free
- The Thing
If 247 billboards across 200 miles don’t entice you, I’m not sure what will. The famous “Thing” is located in Dragoon, AZ and is a popular tourist attraction. As to what the Thing might be…you’ll just have to wait and see.
Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(roadside_attraction)
Location: 2361 North Johnson Road, Dragoon, AZ
Hours of Operation: Daily 6:30 a.m. – dark.
Admission: $2
- Museum of Clean
Are you a neat freak? If so, you’ll love this museum dedicated entirely to displaying cleaning products and tools from the last 100 years. There are also lots of hands-on activities for kids!
Website: http://www.museumofclean.com/
Location: 711 S. 2nd Ave., Pocatello, ID 83201
Hours of Operation: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Admission: Kids 3-11: $5, Adults: $6, Family of 5: $20
- Montana Testicle Festival
Yep, you read that right – a festival dedicated to bull testicles. This is by far the strangest place you’ll go. They boast having the world’s finest bull testicles, so go satisfy your taste buds with the other 10,000 people that visit this festival each year.
Website: http://therockcreeklodge.com/testy-fest/
Location: 7 Rockcreek Road, Clinton, MT 59825
Hours of Operation: Call (406) 825-4868 to find out event dates. Lodge open daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Admission: General admission – $17
Wherever your road trip may take you, it might be fun to take a detour or two to see some of these strange and unique sites. At the very least, you may have some interesting stories to tell.
After all, not many people can say they saw George Washington’s wooden dentures and a castle made out of beer cans all in one trip!