logo
  Home / U.S. State Travel Guides / U.S. Vacations / U.S. National Parks / U.S. State Highpoints / U.S. Road Trip Planning
grayline

TOP 100 ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS IN THE U.S.

Big Gus, Michigan Trees of Mystery, California Hole N" The Rock, Utah
We love roadside attractions because they provide nostalgic, quirky fun on long road trips. They are usually fun to photograph and there's often a fascinating history behind them. Using the information and directions on the (truly amazing) roadsideamerica.com website, my wife and I have traveled to thousands of roadside attractions over the past 15 years. Drawing from our own experiences and our bucket list of places to visit, I've crafted up a fun but obviously opinionated list of the top 100 roadside attractions in the U.S.

In general, this list covers odd and/or big statues, sculptures, and monuments, most of which are exhibited outdoors. It excludes other types of roadside america attractions, like small and quirky museums (e.g. Salt & Pepper Shaker Museum, SPAM Museum, etc.), famous homes (e.g. Goonies, Home Alone, etc.), spooky or haunted attractions, murals, etc.

Please email me if anything big and/or odd is built anywhere in the United States in the future so that I can consider inclusion on this page. And please also let me know if any of the attractions I have listed below have moved or been destroyed (which unfortunately happens quite a bit to roadside attractions).

Author/Contributor: Greg Parsons

 TOP 100 ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS IN THE U.S.


Here are my choices for the top 100 roadside attractions in the United States. If you scroll to the bottom of this list, you'll find a separate list of runner-up/second tier attractions (which many would argue are just as impressive).

ARIZONA
Four Corners (Teec Nos Pos)
Wigwam Motel (Holbrook)

Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona
Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona

CALIFORNIA
Cabazon Dinosaurs (Cabazon)
Hollywood Sign (Los Angeles)
Randy's Donuts (Inglewood)
Salvation Mountain (Niland)
Trees of Mystery / Paul Bunyan and Babe the Ox (Klamath)

Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California
Trees of Mystery in Klamath, California

COLORADO
Big Blue Bear (Denver)

Big Blue Bear in Denver, Colorado
Big Blue Bear in Denver, Colorado

DELAWARE
Miles the Monster (Dover)

Miles the Monster in Dover, Delaware
Miles the Monster in Dover, Delaware

FLORIDA
Betsy the Lobster (Islamorada)
World's Largest (Chicken) Wing (Madeira Beach)

Betsy the Lobster in Islamorada, Florida (Florida Keys)
Betsy the Lobster in Islamorada, Florida (Florida Keys)

GEORGIA
World's Largest Peanut (Ashburn)

World's Largest Peanut in Ashburn, Georgia
World's Largest Peanut in Ashburn, Georgia

IDAHO
World's Largest Beagle / Dog Bark Park Inn (Cottonwood)

ILLINOIS
Cloudgate (Chicago)
Giant Rocking Chair (Casey)
Kaskaskia Dragon (Vandalia)
Leaning Tower of Niles (Niles)
Superman Statue (Metropolis)
World’s Largest Catsup Bottle (Collinsville)
World's Largest Key (Casey)
World's Largest Mailbox (Casey)
World's Largest Railsplitter Covered Wagon (Lincoln)

Leaning Tower of Niles in Niles, Illinois
Leaning Tower of Niles in Niles, Illinois

INDIANA
World's Largest Ball of Paint (Alexandria)

IOWA
Albert the Bull (Audubon)
World's Largest Watermelon Slice (Muscatine)

Albert the Bull in Audubon, Iowa
Albert the Bull in Audubon, Iowa

KANSAS
World's Largest Ball of Twine (Cawker City)
World's Largest Czech Egg (Wilson)
World's Largest Easel (Goodland)

KENTUCKY
World's Largest Bat (Louisville)

World's Largest Bat in Louisville, Kentucky
World's Largest Bat in Louisville, Kentucky

MAINE
Paul Bunyan (Bangor)
Wild Blueberry Land / World's Largest Blueberry (Columbia Falls)

Paul Bunyan Statue in Bangor, Maine
Paul Bunyan Statue in Bangor, Maine

MARYLAND
World's Largest Crash Test Dummy (Glen Burnie)
World's Largest Engagement Ring (Timonium)

World's Largest Engagement Ring in Timonium, Maryland
World's Largest Engagement Ring in Timonium, Maryland

MICHIGAN
Big Gus / World's Largest Running Chainsaw (Ishpeming)
Bronner's Christmas Wonderland (Frankenmuth)
Giant Hot Dog (Mackinaw City)
Giant Uniroyal Tire (Allen Park)
Lakenenland (Marquette)
World's Largest Bronze Wildlife Sculpture (Dundee)

Giant Hot Dog in Mackinaw City, Michigan
Giant Hot Dog in Mackinaw City, Michigan

MINNESOTA
Big Ole (Alexandria)
Iron Man (Chisholm)
Jolly Green Giant (Blue Earth)
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox (Bemidji)
Pierre The Pantless Voyageur (Two Harbors)
World's Largest Booming Prairie Chicken (Rothsay)
World's Largest Hockey Stick (Eveleth)
World's Largest Otter (Fergus Falls)
World's Largest Paul Bunyan (Akeley)
World's Largest Raspberry (Hopkins)
World's Largest Turkey (Frazee)

Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, Minnesota
Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, Minnesota

MISSOURI
Giant Octopus (Branson)
Uranus Fudge Factory (St. Robert)
World's Largest Goose (Sumner)

Giant Octopus in Branson, Missouri
Giant Octopus in Branson, Missouri

NEBRASKA
Carhenge (Alliance)

Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska
Carhenge in Alliance, Nebraska

NEVADA
Seven Magic Mountains (Las Vegas)

Seven Magic Mountains south of Las Vegas, Nevada
Seven Magic Mountains south of Las Vegas, Nevada

NEW JERSEY
Lucy the Elephant (Margate City)

Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey
Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey

NEW MEXICO
World's Largest Pistachio (Alamogordo)

World's Largest Pistachio in Alamogordo, New Mexico
World's Largest Pistachio in Alamogordo, New Mexico

NEW YORK
Big Duck (Flanders)
Giant Dog and Taxi (New York City)
The Vessel (New York City)

Giant Dog and Taxi in New York City
Giant Dog and Taxi in New York City

NORTH CAROLINA
The World’s Largest Chest of Drawers (High Point)
World's Largest Highboy Dresser (Jamestown)

NORTH DAKOTA
Salem Sue (New Salem)
The Enchanted Highway (Gladstone)
Tommy the Turtle (Bottineau)
W'eel Turtle (Dunseith)
World's Largest Buffalo (Jamestown)
World's Largest Catfish (Wahpeton)

The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota
The Enchanted Highway in North Dakota

OHIO
Cocoa / Milk / Sugar Silos (Cleveland)
Field of Corn (Dublin)
Longaberger Building / World's Largest Basket (Newark)
World's Largest Rubber Stamp (Cleveland)

Cocoa, Milk, Sugar silos in Cleveland, Ohio
Cocoa, Milk, Sugar silos in Cleveland, Ohio

OKLAHOMA
Blue Whale (Catoosa)
Pops / World's Largest Pop Bottle (Arcadia)
The Golden Driller (Tulsa)
World's Largest Leg Lamp (Chickasha)
World's Largest Praying Hands (Tulsa)

The Golden Driller in Tulsa, Oklahoma
The Golden Driller in Tulsa, Oklahoma

OREGON
Big Goofy Black Bird (Medford)

The Big Goofy Black Bird in Medford, Oregon
The Big Goofy Black Bird in Medford, Oregon

PENNSYLVANIA
Giant Quarter (Everett)
The Big Coffee Pot (Bedford)
The Haines Shoe House (York)
PennDOT Road Sign Sculpture Garden (Meadville)

The Big Coffee Pot in Bedford, Pennsylvania
The Big Coffee Pot in Bedford, Pennsylvania

SOUTH CAROLINA
South of the Border (Dillon)
The Peachoid (Gaffney)

South of the Border in Dillon, South Carolina
South of the Border in Dillon, South Carolina

SOUTH DAKOTA
Crazy Horse Memorial (Crazy Horse)
Dignity: Of Earth & Sky (Chamberlain)
Mitchell Corn Palace (Mitchell)
Mount Rushmore (Keystone)
Wall Drug (Wall)
World's Largest Smokey Bear (Hill City)

The Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota
The Mitchell Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota

TENNESSEE
Titanic Museum (Pigeon Forge)

The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

TEXAS
Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo)
World’s Largest Working Fire Hydrant (Beaumont)

Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

UTAH
Hole N” The Rock (Moab)

Hole N" The Rock south of Moab, Utah
Hole N" The Rock south of Moab, Utah

WASHINGTON
Big Red Wagon (Spokane)
Freemont Troll (Seattle)

WEST VIRGINIA
Hillbilly Hot Dogs (Lesage)
World’s Largest Teapot (Chester)

Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, West Virginia
Hillbilly Hot Dogs in Lesage, West Virginia

WISCONSIN
Giant Sinclair Dinosaur (Wisconsin Dells)
Really Big Fish / World's Largest Muskie (Hayward)

Giant Sinclair Dinosaur in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Giant Sinclair Dinosaur in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

 RUNNER-UPS / SECOND TIER


These roadside attracitons are also excellent. Based on personal preferances/opinions, some would likely argue that at least some of these should be listed as a top 100.

ALABAMA - Souvenir City (Gulf Shores)
ALABAMA - World's Largest Purple Octopus (Gulf Shores)
ARIZONA - Longhorn Skull (Amado)
ARIZONA - Poki / World's Largest Desert Tortoise (Bullhead City)
ARIZONA - Rock Shop Dinosaurs (Holbrook)
ARIZONA - The Thing (Benson)
ARIZONA - World's Largest Kachina Doll (Cave Creek)
ARIZONA - World's Largest Kokopelli (Campe Verde)
ARKANSAS - Giant Paper Airplane (Bentonville)
CALIFORNIA - Bubblegum Alley (San Luis Obispo)
CALIFORNIA - Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree Park (Leggett)
CALIFORNIA - Tour Thru Tree (Klamath)
CALIFORNIA - World's Largest Power Outlet (Petaluma)
CALIFORNIA - World's Largest Thermometer (Baker)
COLORADO - Big Sweep  / Dust Pan and Broom Sculpture (Denver)
CONNECTICUT - Conny The Whale (West Hartford)
FLORIDA - Southernmost Point of the Continental U.S.A. (Key West)
FLORIDA - Swampy / World's Largest Alligator (Christmas)
GEORGIA - Jimmy Carter Smiling Peanut (Plains)
GEORGIA - Stone Mountain (Stone Mountain)
IDAHO - Idaho Potato Museum (Blackfoot)
ILLINOIS - Big Antlers (Casey)
ILLINOIS - Pink Elephant Antique Mall (Livingston)
ILLINOIS - World's Largest Gavel (Marshall)
ILLINOIS - World's Largest Mousetrap (Casey)
INDIANA - Champ / Giant Great Dane (Brazil)
IOWA - World's Largest Truckstop (Walcott)
KANSAS - Community Bookshelf / Kansas City Library (Kansas City)
KENTUCKY - Huge Cocktail (Lexington)
MAINE - L.L. Bean Boot (Freeport)
MAINE - Old Lobster Fisherman (Boothbay Harbor)
MASSACHUSETTS - Embrace (Boston)
MASSACHUSETTS - Hood Milk Bottle (Boston)
MICHIGAN - Big Carrots (Ann Arbor)
MICHIGAN - Gearhead (Lansing)
MICHIGAN - World's Largest Cherry Pie (Charlevoix)
MINNESOTA - Happy Chef (Mankato)
MINNESOTA - Huge Kid Reading A Book (Detroit Lakes)
MINNESOTA - Large Chevy Polar Bear (White Bear Lake)
MINNESOTA - Minnesota's Largest Ball Of Twine (Darwin)
MINNESOTA - Northernmost Point of the Contiguous United States (Angle Inlet)
MINNESOTA - Spoonbridge and Cherry (Minneapolis)
MINNESOTA - World's Largest Boot (Red Wing)
MINNESOTA - World's Largest Dairy Queen Dilly Bar (Moorhead)
MINNESOTA - World's Largest Pelican (Pelican Rapids)
MINNESOTA - World's Largest Stucco Snowman (North St. Paul)
MISSOURI - World's Largest Cowbell (Belle Fourche)
MISSOURI - World's Largest Fork by Mass (Springfield)
NEBRASKA - Fort Cody Trading Post (North Platte)
NEVADA - Giant McDonald's Cup and Fries (Las Vegas)
NEVADA - Goldwell Open Air Museum (Beatty)
NEVADA - World's Largest Gift Shop (Las Vegas)
NEW JERSEY - Shotgun BBQ Grill (Winslow)
NEW JERSEY - Giant Steel Hockey Player (Newark)
NEW JERSEY - Tear Drop Memorial (Bayonne)
NEW MEXICO - International UFO Museum and Research Center (Roswell)
NEW MEXICO - Sparky's Burgers, BBQ & Espresso (Hatch)
NEW MEXICO - World's Largest Chili Pepper (Las Cruces)
NEW YORK - World’s Largest Pancake Griddle  (Penn Yan)
OHIO - Giant Dancing Hares (Dublin)
OHIO - Giant Ronald McDonald (Sunbury)
OHIO - Our Lady of Guadalupe (Windsor)
OREGON - The Last Blockbuster (Bend)
OREGON - World's Largest Freestanding Fork (Fairview)
PENNSYLVANIA - The Banana Split (Latrobe)
PENNSYLVANIA - Big Amos / Barefoot Amish Giant (Strasburg)
PENNSYLVANIA - Giant Barbell (Sellersville)
SOUTH CAROLINA - World's Largest Sweet Tea (Summerville)
SOUTH DAKOTA - Bo the Bison (Custer)
SOUTH DAKOTA - Dinosaur Park (Rapid City)
SOUTH DAKOTA - Geographic Center of the United States (Belle Fourche)
SOUTH DAKOTA - Giant Prairie Dog (Philip)
SOUTH DAKOTA - World's Largest Quarter Pounder (Rapid City)
TEXAS - Eiffel Tower (Paris)
TEXAS - Giant Eyeball (Dallas)
TEXAS - Prada Marfa (Valentine)
TEXAS - Tex Randall Statue (Canyon)
TEXAS - The Big Texan (Amarillo)
TEXAS - World's Largest Bowie Knife (Bowie)
TEXAS - World's Largest Cowboy Boots (San Antonio)
VERMONT - Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard (Waterbury)
VERMONT - World's Largest Filing Cabinet (Burlington)
VIRGINIA - Dinosaur Kingdom II (Natural Bridge)
VIRGINIA - King Neptune (Virginia Beach)
WASHINTON D.C. - Albert Einstein Statue (Washington D.C.)
WEST VIRGINIA - Giant Coal Miner (Shinnston)
WEST VIRGINIA - Mothman Statue / Mothman Museum (Point Pleasant)
WISCONSIN - Forevertron / Dr. Evermor's Sculpture Park (North Freedom)
WISCONSIN - Giant Trojan Horse (Wisconsin Dells)
WISONCSIN - Pinkie the Pink Elephant (DeForest)
WISCONSIN - The Hodag (Rhinelander)
WISCONSIN - Wisconsin Concrete Park (Phillips)
WISCONSIN - World Famous Ball of Twine (Highland)
WISCONSIN - World's Largest Hex Nut (Green Bay)
WYOMING - World’s Largest Elkhorn Arch (Afton)

And here is a list of more special places that some would consider to be 'roadside attractions'. It just all depends on your personal definition of what a roadside attraction is:
Gatorland, Florida
Gillette Castle, Connecticut
Hearst Castle, California
House on the Rock, Wisconsin
Lombard Street, California
Madonna Inn, California
O.K. Corral, Connecticut
PEZ Visitor Center, Connecticut
Ruby Falls, Tennessee
Space Needle, Washington
St. Louis Arch, Missouri

Statue of Liberty, New York

Rock Shop, Holbrook, AZ The Last Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon The Hodag, Wisconsin
Peachoid, South Carolina Giant Mailbox in Casey, Illinois World's Largest Turkey, Minnesota Giant Miner, West Virginia
Pink Elephant, Wisconsin Haines Shoe House, Pennsylvania Idaho Potato Museum
Key West, Florida World's Largest Key, Casey, Illinois Las Vegas Crash Test Dummy, Michigan


 RECOMMENDED GUIDEBOOKS


In addition to the information found on my website, I personally recommend purchasing these road trip/travel-related guidebooks. Click on any link to read reviews and/or purchase these books on Amazon.com (affiliate).

Fodor's Bucket List USA (1st edition; 2021)
Moon USA State by State (1st edition; 2021)
Your Guide to the National Parks (3rd edition; 2022)
Road Trip USA (9th edition; 2021)

As an Amazon Associates affiliate, this website contains affiliate links. If you choose to purchase any products after clicking any Amazon.com link, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. I only endorse products that I have personally used or those that come highly recommended by trusted peers.

  Home / U.S. State Travel Guides / U.S. Vacations / U.S. National Parks / U.S. State Highpoints / U.S. Road Trip Planning
Travel & outdoor activities can be extremely dangerous. Use of this website and all of its information is at your own risk! We strongly believe in personal responsibility when it comes to staying safe. We will not be held liable for any injuries and/or death that occur.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© www.bigroads.com / email: gparsons66@hotmail.com