Roadside Attractions! America’s Hidden Gems of Oddity

There are things in this world that people everywhere will tell you that you need to see.  Sites like the Great Pyramid, the Great Wall of China or the Statue of Liberty all fit this list and when people go on vacation in the areas where these famous landmarks are located, they almost always take some time to stop by and have a look.  But what happens to all those lesser places of touristy fun?  Well, they end up on a lesser seen list, that of the roadside attraction.

These are the places that people don’t usually plan to go to, just stumbling into them because they happen to be on their way from one place to another and these sites end up somewhere in the middle.  Or perhaps they turn off the highway to get gas and realize there there’s something nearby that the locals are raving about?  Whatever people’s reasons, the roadside attraction is a tourist destination all its own and they generally cater to more unique tastes of what happens to be entertaining or not.  Here, I’ve put together a list of six interesting places that you may want to stop by if you happen to be in the neighborhood, even if it’s just to rest your sore backside after a long day of driving to somewhere more important.

Graceland - Memphis, Tennessee

Fans of rock legend Elvis Presley may consider the inclusion of Graceland on a list of roadside attractions to be little short of blasphemy.  But in truth, this little museum, as important as its subject may be to pop culture, is not the kind of place that most people mark down as their primary vacation destination.  Graceland consists of Elvis’ old home and estate, transformed into a museum that explores the musician’s loves and life.  Themed rooms offer up collections of his records, his crazy jumpsuits, his cars and even his private planes.  For those that want to see where the King ended up, Elvis’ grave is also present on the grounds.  Any fan of Elvis has to visit Graceland at least once, though once may be plenty enough for the rest of us.

Carhenge - Alliance, Nebraska

Yes, this site is exactly what it sounds like - a replica of Stonehenge made out of cars.  There are 38 cars in this strange sculpture, all painted grey to appear as much like stone as possible.  Since this site is sitting in the middle of nowhere, you can check it out whether you’re passing by during the day or the night, on any day of the year.  And, best of all, it’s free to look at (though you can spend some cash at a nearby souvenir shop, if you must).

Biosphere 2 - Oracle, Arizona

Biosphere 2 started as a science experiment, built up between 1987 and 1991, to see how people interacted with their environment and to try and figure out how space colonization might work.  Since then, it has switched over to being a site for global warming research and is open for the public to tour.  This massive dome covers an area of more than two-and-a-half football fields and contains five biomes, from rainforest to ocean.  A world of its own within a man-made building, Biosphere 2 is more than just another oddity, but can also be a great educational experience.

Circus WorldMuseum - Baraboo, Wisconsin

The age of the circus as entertainment is dying and there are very few of them left performing these days.  But there was a time when the traveling circus was a major part of people’s lives, entertaining both the young and the old as they wandered through town.  Now, they are gone but this museum in their honor still remains.  Visitors can expect to see a great collection of circus wagons, costumes, posters and more, all remnants of this bygone age.  They even have actual circus performances going on if you happen to visit during the summer.  CircusWorldMuseum can be a great way to get a look at this dying tradition for those of us that may have been born past its golden age.

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum - Baltimore, Maryland

Geppi’s EntertainmentMuseum is a celebration of all things pop culture.  It does not feature the standard collection of art objects that one might expect from a museum, but instead has items that track the progress of pop culture all the way from the 18^th century up to the modern era.  One can see an amazing collection of comic books, trading cards, toys, action figures, movie posters and more.  This is like a geek’s childhood dream come true.  Some of these are serious collectors’ items as well, including a few comic books that are worth more than most people’s houses.  The galleries are organized into both eras and object themes and offer a nice look at how our pop culture has evolved over the last few hundred years.

W’eel Turtle - Dunseith, North Dakota

This roadside attraction may not be the most spectacular, but it is definitely one of the strangest.  W’eel Turtle is, as the name suggests in its oddly phonetic way, a giant turtle made from old, discarded wheel rims.  There are more than 2000 of these, to be exact, making up a turtle shape that is about 18 feet tall and many more times that in length.  Built by a local owner of a motel/restaurant/convenience store (no doubt to help his sales), it was said to be constructed in honor of the nearby TurtleMountainState Park.

World’s Largest Twine Ball courtesy of kansastravel.org

Graceland Elvis suit courtesy of H. Michael Miley via Wikicommons

Carhenge courtesy of Nobi-nobita via Wikicommons

Biosphere 2 courtesy of Phileco1 via Wikicommons

Circus World courtesy of americaslibrary.gov

Geppi’s Museum courtesy of coolandcollected.com

W’eel Turtle courtesy of enteresan.com