We all know the most famous roadside attractions or things that catch our eye (South of The Border on I-95, the giant cross on I-57, etc), but what are some lesser-known things in that vein that doesn't get talked about all that often? Although it isn't there anymore, I nominate the giant guitar building that was just on the Tennessee side of Bristol on I-81 that stood for many, many years
(https://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/images/tn/TNBRIguitar_620x300.jpg)
What are you defining as "lesser known?" I can think of a lot of roadside attractions but they are all to some degree known.
That said, I do enjoy Casa de Fruita on CA 152 west of Pacheco Pass. It's fairly well known locally but I don't think it approaches something that would be widely known on a National level.
Not sure how well known it is, but nobody from my school has heard of Scottsbluff so I imagine this one is also not well known.
Have ya'll heard of Carhenge? In Alliance, Nebraska, some guy built a replica of Stonehenge out of cars.
Scotts Bluff was very well known amongst my generation due to Oregon Trail.
Kids these days...
There's this, in Goodland, Kansas:
(https://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/images/ks/KSGOOeaselR10_16.jpg)
Dinosaur World in Plant City, Florida. :bigass:
Longview, WA is home to the Nutty Narrows Bridge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutty_Narrows_Bridge), the first of several bridges for use by squirrels.
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Nutty_Narrows_Bridge_side_view%2C_2021_-_02.jpg/1280px-Nutty_Narrows_Bridge_side_view%2C_2021_-_02.jpg)
Quote from: Hobart on February 25, 2022, 10:51:54 PM
Not sure how well known it is, but nobody from my school has heard of Scottsbluff so I imagine this one is also not well known.
Have ya'll heard of Carhenge? In Alliance, Nebraska, some guy built a replica of Stonehenge out of cars.
I've visited Carhenge about 20 years ago. It's a bit out of the way normally, but I was driving to the Black Hills at the time. It was a fun drive. Saw a golden eagle on a telephone pole along NE 61 and enjoyed the serenity of driving through the Sand Hills.
Continuing the theme with giant everyday things in the op, here's a giant basket (https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0645694,-82.3469272,3a,52.6y,150.64h,103.37t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfINNrYUlDPHvbSSyfbEd4A!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DfINNrYUlDPHvbSSyfbEd4A%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D61.244923%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192) that can be seen from the OH 16 freeway:
(https://i.imgur.com/8ei6AVi.jpg)
There's this giant bottle of catsup (as opposed to ketchup) just east of St Louis
(https://i0.wp.com/www.route66news.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Worlds-Largest-Catsup-Bottle-Collinsville-IL-min.jpg?ssl=1)
(https://i.imgur.com/3XXq3AC.jpg)
Quote from: cabiness42 on February 26, 2022, 12:44:41 PM
(https://i.imgur.com/3XXq3AC.jpg)
Subject of one of my favorite Weird Al songs (a loosely based cross of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and 30,000 Pounds of Bananas)
The one in Kansas is much cooler, since you can walk right up to it if you like. You're even welcome to add onto it if you have any twine of the correct type.
(https://i.imgur.com/IVfFSPF.jpeg)
Quote from: skluth on February 26, 2022, 12:39:52 PM
There's this giant bottle of catsup (as opposed to ketchup) just east of St Louis
(https://i0.wp.com/www.route66news.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Worlds-Largest-Catsup-Bottle-Collinsville-IL-min.jpg?ssl=1)
2 hours east of this in Casey IL is a number of "world's largest items" plus other larger than normal items...
https://www.bigthingssmalltown.com/list
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on February 25, 2022, 10:16:46 PM
What are you defining as "lesser known?" I can think of a lot of roadside attractions but they are all to some degree known.
That said, I do enjoy Casa de Fruita on CA 152 west of Pacheco Pass. It's fairly well known locally but I don't think it approaches something that would be widely known on a National level.
I mean more locally/regionally know, instead of national things
There's the giant Uniroyal tire in Allen Park, Michigan alongside I-94:
https://goo.gl/maps/43UEDeo3zF5MqBnL7
There's a house in the shape of a shoe beside US-30 in York, PA.
(https://uncoveringpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Haines-Shoe-House-5139-001.jpg)
This one always struck me
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Ark_of_Safety (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Ark_of_Safety)
Quote from: HighwayStar on February 27, 2022, 02:45:05 PM
This one always struck me
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Ark_of_Safety (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Ark_of_Safety)
Thought people might prefer an image. Wikipedia doesn't have one.
(https://mapio.net/images-p/15297886.jpg)
Some of Minnesota's more creative water towers.
Lindstrom's coffee pot
Freeport's smiling face
Pequot Lakes's fishing bobber
Rochester's ear of corn
Cosmos's UFO-shaped tower
Gaffney, SC has the Peachoid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peachoid), a peach-shaped water tower easily visible from I-85. Apparently it is often referred to as "Mr. Peach" or "The Moon over Gaffney" if you trust Wikipedia.
I've seen it in person once, but it was night and other activities going on in the area were far more noticeable at the time...
(https://i.imgur.com/g0MTh0S.jpg)
Quote from: US 89 on February 27, 2022, 08:30:16 PM
Gaffney, SC has the Peachoid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peachoid), a peach-shaped water tower easily visible from I-85. Apparently it is often referred to as "Mr. Peach" or "The Moon over Gaffney" if you trust Wikipedia.
For the longest time, I thought this was made up for House of Cards.