Scary Or Strange: 10 Supernatural Roadside Attractions & 10 That Skew More Peculiar
Scary Or Strange: 10 Supernatural Roadside Attractions & 10 That Skew More Peculiar
Pick Your Roadside Poison
Road trips are all about coming across the strange and unexpected, and North America happens to have plenty of that to spare. In honor of the spooky season, we humbly offer you a list of scary, off-putting, or otherwise weird attractions you don’t want to miss.
1. The Mystery Spot
Hidden among the redwoods of Santa Cruz, California, you will find the Mystery Spot. Here you will find a house that doesn’t stand quite right, water flowing backward, and a walk uphill that feels just a little off. Many think this 150-foot area has a natural gravitational anomaly…or it could just be some optical illusions.
2. Peggy’s Point Lighthouse
Considered one of the most widely recognizable lighthouses in the world, this Nova Scotia hotspot is home to some dark secrets. On stormy nights, you can see a woman standing at the edge of the rocks, gazing out to sea. Of course, she disappears when approached.
3. Winchester House
This San Jose mansion never seems to end. The home’s original owner, Sarah Winchester, believed she would pass away after her home was entirely completed, leading her to create a confusing maze of well over 100 rooms.
4. Deadnersville
This popular haunted walk is located in Ontario’s Prince Edward County. A well-loved tradition among the locals, Deadnersville started in the late 1990s, only growing in size over the past 30-some years. This year, Deadnersville has 260 feet of decorated canopies, 125 animatronics, and countless props to keep that scare factor high.
5. Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum
This Nevada museum is home to anything cursed and paranormal, not necessarily in that order. Here, you can see famed items like Peggy the doll, the Dybbuk Box, and the Devil’s Rocking Chair. This is the spot for horror fans and true crime lovers alike.
6. Bankhead Ghost Town
This abandoned coal mining town is located within Banff National Park. Home to at least 1,000 people at its peak, the town began to decline after the Canadian Pacific Railway closed the mine in 1922. Whether you’re visiting for spooks or history, this isn’t a spot to miss.
7. Old Car City
Located in Georgia, this “city” is home to the world’s largest known classic car junkyard. You can walk through 6 miles (9.7 km) of rustbuckets from a time gone by, taking in the hauntingly beautiful scene of nature reclaiming her rightful place.
Transly Translation Agency on Unsplash
8. World’s First UFO Landing Pad
In classic Canadian fashion, this circular concrete pad was built to symbolize peace and unity between the people of Earth and any potential extraterrestrial visitors. The landing pad is a landmark for the town of St. Paul, Alberta, and was built back in 1967.
Rural Health Professions Action Plan from Canada on Wikimedia
9. Sleepy Hollow
Located in New York’s Westchester County, this popular village is the source of inspiration for Washington Irving’s famous legend. The town goes all out for Halloween, and it is absolutely stunning to see in the fall colors. You can even visit the headless horseman’s alleged gravesite.
10. Drummond Hill Cemetery
This Niagara Falls staple is considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in Canada, and for good reason. This cemetery is the final resting place of nearly 2,000 soldiers who perished during the 1814 Battle of Lundy’s Lane. Many visitors have reported seeing soldiers, shadows, or other transparent figures walking across the many gravestones.
1. The Paper House
This Massachusetts attraction features a home built almost entirely out of newspaper. The property was built by Elis F. Stenman in the 1920s, and used over 100,000 newspapers to complete. The home has stood as a museum since 1927, and costs only $2 to enter.
2. Giant Lobster
If you find your way into Shediac, New Brunswick, you can bear witness to the “world’s largest lobster.” This 90-ton art piece was created by Winston Bronnum back in 1990 and pays homage to the province’s lobster fishing industry.
3. Unclaimed Baggage Center
This Alabama-based thrift store gets all of its second-hand items from orphaned luggage left behind at domestic airlines, as well as travel and transportation companies. The company sells thousands of items at heavily discounted prices, so you can find your new favorite outfit the next time you pass through Alabama.
4. The Pleasantville Curve
This odd-looking road is 700 feet of pure art, and it’s completely by accident. Located in the Whitchurch-Stouffville region of Ontario, road trippers can look upon this decommissioned street and find meaning in its many lines.
5. The Enchanted Highway
This North Dakota highway is 32 miles of pure fantasy. Used as a tourism trick for the town of Regent, visitors can drive past 72 large metal sculptures that consist of geese, deer, birds, grasshoppers, and various other animals.
Carol Highsmith's America on Unsplash
6. The Wawa Goose
If you find yourself passing through Wawa, Ontario, you’ll likely come face-to-face with the Wawa Goose. This 28-foot-tall bird has stood proudly since 1960, and was erected to celebrate the opening of the Trans Canada Highway between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie.
Jody McIntyre from Montreal, Canada on Wikimedia
7. The Grotto Of The Redemption
Located in West Bend, Iowa, this religious shrine was erected by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. The attraction started being built back in 1912, and consists of 9 grottos depicting the life of Jesus. The grotto is made from a collection of minerals, shells, rocks, semi-precious stones, and wood, and is considered one of the largest man-made grottos in the world.
8. Giant Lampshades
The Lampshades of Cartier Avenue has been a staple of Québec City since 2013. 34 giant lampshades are lit by LED strips and mounted 5 feet above the street, creating a “floating gallery” in the Montcalm neighborhood. Québecois artists created the lampshades, and most of them consist of archived photos and drawings from the Musée National des Beaux-Arts.
9. UFO Watchtower
This Colorado attraction is located in the San Luis Valley. Said to be an area of high UFO activity, the 10-foot-tall platform was built by cattle rancher Judy Messoline as a way to solve her financial troubles. It must have worked, since the tower area has now expanded into a gift shop, campground, and rock garden.
10. World’s Largest Paddle
This British Columbia staple is a double whammy. Home to a 60-foot-long canoe paddle, the attraction is situated on a hill overlooking the Columbia River Valley. Not only do you get to look upon this record-breaking piece of art, but you get a touch of the Rocky Mountains to boot.
