Totally Bizarre U.S. Tourist Attractions
America has its fair share of famous landmarks—Times Square, Mount Rushmore, the Hollywood sign—but if you scratch beneath the surface, you’ll find something much weirder. Scattered across the country are attractions so odd and so unexpected they’ll have you questioning how they ever came to be. So, if you’re the kind of traveler who prefers the offbeat over the ordinary, you’re in for a treat.
Unclaimed Baggage Center – Scottsboro, Alabama
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Airlines lose luggage every day, but what happens when no one comes to claim it? In Scottsboro, Alabama, it ends up here—an entire store filled with lost suitcases, forgotten treasures, and downright bizarre finds. You can dig through racks of designer clothes, pick up high-end cameras for a fraction of the price, or stumble across something completely unexpected—like a set of Egyptian artifacts or a live rattlesnake (yes, that actually happened).
World’s Largest Chocolate Waterfall – Anchorage, Alaska
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Alaska is known for glaciers, but there’s another kind of natural wonder flowing in Anchorage—3,000 pounds of melted chocolate cascading down a 20-foot fountain. This chocolate is constantly circulated to keep it from hardening. It’s housed inside Alaska Wild Berry Products, a candy shop where you can stock up on handmade sweets while marveling at the sugary spectacle. It’s a shame they don’t let you stick your hand in, but with a store full of chocolate-covered treats, you won’t leave disappointed.
Organ Stop Pizza – Mesa, Arizona
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Although dinner entertainment usually means a flat-screen TV mounted in the corner, Organ Stop Pizza does things differently. The main attraction here is a colossal Wurlitzer organ, complete with towering pipes, spinning percussions, and enough sound to rattle your seat. Musicians take requests, so one moment, you may be listening to a Phantom of the Opera medley and the next, it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Billy Bass Adoption Center – Little Rock, Arkansas
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Those talking, wall-mounted Big Mouth Billy Bass fish that sang “Take Me to the River” have a place where they retire. A quirky corner inside The Flying Fish restaurant in Little Rock is dedicated to rehoming these once-beloved novelties. Patrons donate their old singing fish, and in exchange, they get a free basket of fried catfish. The walls are lined with dozens of Billy Basses, which create a truly surreal, synchronized performance when they all start singing at once.
Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze – San Francisco, California
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Hidden in a nondescript corner of San Francisco’s Pier 39 is one of the most mind-bending experiences you’ll ever have. Magowan’s Infinite Mirror Maze is a neon-lit maze designed to completely disorient you. The walls are mirrors, the floors reflect the glow, and before you know it, you’re walking straight into your own reflection. It’s easy to lose track of time in here—and if you’re not careful, you might find yourself following your own shadow in circles.
DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum – Fenwick Island, Delaware
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The ocean holds countless mysteries, and some of them have found their way to Fenwick Island’s DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum. This place is packed with artifacts from real shipwrecks, including Spanish gold, colonial-era cannons, and even jewelry pulled straight from the sea. Many of these relics come from still-active recovery missions, which means the collection is always changing.
Rock City – Lookout Mountain, Georgia
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Rock City is truly something out of a fantasy novel—twisting stone formations, narrow passageways, and hidden gardens perched high above Lookout Mountain. The main attraction, though, is Lover’s Leap, a viewpoint where, on a clear day, you can supposedly see seven states. Whether or not that’s true, it’s hard to beat the panoramic views from up here.
World’s Largest Maze – Wahiawa, Hawaii
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Forget corn mazes—Hawaii’s Dole Plantation is home to the world’s largest permanent hedge maze, which covers over three acres. The paths are lined with native Hawaiian plants, so it feels like wandering through a botanical garden with no clear way out. The challenge is finding the center, where a giant pineapple-shaped garden awaits those who navigate their way through the winding trails.
Dog Bark Park Inn – Cottonwood, Idaho
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Plenty of hotels are pet-friendly, but few are actually shaped like a dog. In Cottonwood, Idaho, you can spend the night inside a giant beagle. This two-story bed and breakfast, lovingly built by a pair of chainsaw artists, is filled with canine-themed decor, from dog-shaped cookies to carved wooden pups.
Big Things Small Town – Casey, Illinois
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Casey, Illinois, has made a name for itself by going big—really big. This tiny town is home to the world’s largest mailbox, rocking chair, pitchfork, knitting needles, and a dozen other record-breaking oversized objects. You can actually climb inside the mailbox and drop a letter, and it’s one of the few attractions that lets you physically interact with the Guinness Book of World Records.
World’s Largest Ball of Paint – Alexandria, Indiana
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It started as a simple baseball. Now, after decades of visitors adding layer upon layer, it’s a massive sphere of paint. The World’s Largest Ball of Paint is one of those oddities you have to see to believe. Visitors are encouraged to add a fresh coat and contribute to a tradition that has been going strong since the 1970s.
House of Mugs – Collettsville, North Carolina
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A house covered in coffee mugs isn’t what you’d expect to find in rural North Carolina, but here it is. The House of Mugs started as a small collection and quickly spiraled into thousands of ceramic cups nailed to the exterior. Tourists can simply admire the collection—or even bring a mug to add to the growing display.
Carhenge – Alliance, Nebraska
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Stonehenge is impressive, sure, but have you seen it made out of old cars? That’s what you’ll find in Alliance, Nebraska. Carhenge is a full-scale replica of England’s famous monument, except instead of ancient stones, it’s made entirely from junked automobiles. It’s strange, it’s unexpected, and somehow, it works.
International Banana Museum – Mecca, California
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You’d be hard-pressed to find another museum dedicated entirely to bananas, like the one in Mecca, California. The International Banana Museum boasts over 25,000 banana-related items, from banana-shaped phones to banana salt shakers. If that’s not enough, they also serve banana ice cream and milkshakes because what’s a banana museum without a taste test?
Museum of Bad Art – Somerville, Massachusetts
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Most art museums celebrate beauty and technique—this one does the opposite. The Museum of Bad Art in Somerville proudly displays artwork that went spectacularly wrong. Some paintings are just slightly off, while others are so baffling you can’t help but admire them. It really shows that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be entertaining.