Folks Share Quirky “Roadside America” Places You Can’t Find In Travel Guides, Here Are 30 Of The Best

A roadside attraction is just what it says on the tin: an interesting spot built alongside the road to catch the attention of travelers. Generally speaking, they’re meant to be places one might stop on the way to somewhere rather than being a destination. But to the followers of ‘Roadside America,’ they might as well be the main event—the page has almost 500K members who are dedicated to capturing the country’s weirdest landmarks.

In fact, “the weirder the better,” the group insists. A UFO-shaped house? Brilliant. A miniature Taco Bell? Absolutely. The world’s tallest barber pole? What could be more fitting? Perhaps an enormous rubber duck—you’ll find it in Indiana, by the way. It seems the imagination of Americans knows no limits when it comes to these curious roadside attractions.

Roadside attractions first appeared in America in the late 19th century, but they really took off in the 1920s and 1930s when more people started owning cars and long-distance road travel became easier.

As the number of passenger cars in the U.S. grew—between 1919 and 1929 it jumped from 6.5 million to 23 million—the existing infrastructure became overwhelmed. To accommodate this boom, the government undertook massive road construction projects, completing over 10,000 miles of roadway improvements in 1922 alone.

Highways spread across the country, including the famous Route 66 built in 1929, and small towns needed a way to catch the eyes of passing motorists. They responded by building restaurants, motels, coffee shops, and unique attractions to stand out and draw travelers in.

In many instances, people relied on mimetic architecture—buildings designed to look like the products they were selling—to promote their roadside businesses. In California, vendors sold oranges out of orange-shaped buildings. In Washington and Pennsylvania, coffee was served in coffee pot-shaped buildings. And on Long Island, eggs were sold out of a building famously known as the Big Duck (not to be confused with Indiana’s Giant Rubber Ducky).

Some of these attractions were named “the world’s largest” and became renowned just for that ambitious title alone. For example, West Virginia boasted the World’s Largest Teapot, built in the 1930s, while Alabama had the World’s Largest Bottle, built in 1924, although it sadly burnt down in 1936.

In the 1950s, the Guinness World Records began publishing its books, sparking a wave of competition among towns to create the largest ball-shaped attractions. Nebraskans built the world’s largest ball of stamps, while Kansans and Minnesotans engaged in a decades-long battle over who could create the world’s largest ball of twine. In later years, similar competitions emerged over the world’s largest ball of rubber bands, tape, and even barbed wire.

However, one of the most famous “largest” attractions in America is Lucy the Elephant, considered to be the oldest roadside landmark. Constructed in 1882 by James V. Lafferty in Margate City, New Jersey, Lucy is a six-story elephant-shaped building that has captivated travelers for over a century.

Initially named Elephant Bazaar, the structure was built to attract real estate customers who could view the city’s skyline from the elephant’s carriage, which now serves as an observation deck for modern-day visitors during tours.

Lucy supposedly got her name in 1902. The structure was sold to Anton Gertzen of Philadelphia in 1887 and remained in his family until 1970. It is believed that Anton’s daughter-in-law, Sophia Gertzen, renamed it Lucy.

Over the years, Lucy the Elephant served various purposes, including a restaurant, business office, cottage, and tavern. She was even depicted on many souvenir postcards, often referred to as “The Elephant Hotel of Atlantic City.” (The actual hotel was in a nearby building, not inside the elephant.)

By the 1960s, Lucy was in a very poor state and was scheduled for demolition. However, the local community rallied to save her, and she was renovated in the 1970s. Lucy’s birthday is celebrated each year on July 20 with a fundraising event, keeping this beloved roadside attraction alive.

Even though roadside attractions are often seen as relics of the past and symbols of America’s transformation into a car-loving country, the tradition of building them continues, especially those aiming to be the largest in their category. In Alabama, you can find the World’s Largest Office Chair, standing around 33 feet tall (about 10 meters), built in 2008. Traveling further north to Illinois, you’ll discover a 42-foot (12.8 meters) long Windchime, which made its way into the Guinness World Records in 2012 as, you guessed it, the world’s largest windchime.