The best giant roadside attractions across America: Road trip guide

posted on September 3, 2026

Across America’s 50 states, you’ll find oversized animals, giant balls of twine, and even a unique re-creation of Stonehenge. When it comes to giant roadside attractions, America’s highways boast some of the world’s biggest and best.

If you’re planning a US road trip, it’s worth booking a rental car to match the region you’re based in and visiting at least a handful of these wild and wonderful spots. Below, we cover the best giant roadside attractions to visit, organized by region.

In this guide

Turbocharged power and a flexible cabin give this SUV the range and room for a giant-attraction crawl from North Dakota to Texas. Rent on Turo and chase the biggest roadside surprises.

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What counts as a “giant” roadside attraction?

A giant roadside attraction is an oversized, often handmade replica of an everyday object or familiar animal. It’s usually built by local community members who tend to have more ambition than budget, designed to catch the eye of passing travelers.

Many giant roadside attractions in the US carry (or once carried) a “world’s largest” title, either self-declared or certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

In America, these attractions rose to popularity during the 1920s and 1930s as car travel grew. The idea was to give drivers a reason to pull over and visit the small towns along old highway routes like Route 66 and I-90/I-94.

Quick reference: Our picks for the best giant roadside attractions

Short on time? If you’re only able to fit in a couple of stops, these are the best giant roadside attractions to see in each area of the US.

Attraction	Location	Region	Why visit?
World’s largest ball of twine	Darwin, MN	Midwest	Built by one man, Francis Johnson; the most famous “biggest ball” rivalry in the country and a true only-in-America story
Jolly Green Giant	Blue Earth, MN	Midwest	Easy on/off I-90 stop with a rest area at its base; best for a quick stretch
Salem Sue, the world’s largest Holstein cow	New Salem, North Dakota	Midwest/Northern Plains	Visible from I-94 for miles; best for travelers continuing west toward the Badlands
Cadillac Ranch	Amarillo, TX	Southwest	Ten spray-painted Cadillacs off I-40; best for a hands-on, Instagrammable stop
Carhenge	Alliance, NE	Midwest/Northern Plains	A full-size Stonehenge replica built from 39 vintage cars; best for anyone who’s never heard of it and needs convincing it’s real
Lucy the Elephant	Margate, NJ	Northeast	America’s oldest surviving roadside attraction (1882) and a National Historic Landmark; best for readers combining this guide with a Jersey Shore trip
London Bridge	Lake Havasu City, AZ	Southwest	An actual historic bridge relocated to the desert; best for a multi-day river stopover

Midwest giants

The Midwest is home to vast stretches of open highway and iconic driving roads like Route 66. Small rural towns built giant roadside attractions as a way to lure drivers off the road and draw tourists into diners, gas stations, and motels along the way. In fact, there are so many giants in the Midwest that we’ve split this section into three distinct regions.

Looking to experience the best of the Midwest? Dive into our ultimate Route 66 road trip guide.

Region 1: Minnesota, the Dakotas and Nebraska

The Jolly Green Giant, Blue Earth, Minnesota: A 55-foot, 8,000-pound statue of the famous vegetable-brand mascot, considered the largest Jolly Green Giant statue in the world. A rest area at its base makes it an easy stop for photos and a break from driving.
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, Bemidji, Minnesota: An 18-foot, 7.5-ton statue pairing, reportedly the second-most-photographed statue in the US, behind Mount Rushmore.
World’s largest ball of twine, Darwin, Minnesota: Built by one man, Francis Johnson, starting in 1950; the finished ball weighs roughly 9 tons.
World’s largest “booming” prairie chicken, Rothsay, Minnesota: A 13-foot, 9,000-pound statue right off I-94, less than 20 miles from the World’s Largest Otter in Fergus Falls.
World’s Largest Loon, Vergas, Minnesota: A 20-foot loon statue overlooking Long Lake, built in the early 1960s. While it held the “world’s largest” title for almost six decades, it’s recently been surpassed by newer sculptures in St. Paul.
Willie the Walleye, Baudette, Minnesota: A 40-foot fiberglass walleye statue on Main Street, rebuilt in 2018 after 60 years as the original steel-and-plaster version. Baudette bills itself the “Walleye Capital of the World,” but several other towns also claim the title.
Big Ole, Alexandria, Minnesota: America’s biggest Viking, built in 1965 for the World’s Fair, whose shield reads “Alexandria, Birthplace of America”, a nod to a local (later disproven) rune stone legend.
Salem Sue, the world’s largest Holstein cow, New Salem, North Dakota: A 38-foot fiberglass cow visible from I-94 for miles around, built in 1974 to honor the area’s local dairy farmers.
Enchanted Highway, Regent to Gladstone, North Dakota: This 32-mile stretch of highway off I-94 is lined with giant scrap-metal sculptures (geese, grasshoppers, a fisherman’s dream, Teddy Roosevelt on horseback, and more), built by local artist Gary Greff starting in 1990. The tallest, “Geese in Flight,” holds a Guinness World Record as the largest scrap metal sculpture.
World’s Only Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota: A Moorish Revival-style building whose exterior murals (which are made entirely from corn and native grasses) are stripped down and rebuilt with a new design every year by the local community.
Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska: A full-size replica of England’s Stonehenge built from 39 vintage cars, spray-painted gray and arranged to match the real monument’s proportions. Built in 1987 by Jim Reinders as a memorial to his father; now owned by the town of Alliance and free to visit.
World’s largest ball of stamps, Boys Town, Nebraska: Built by the Boys Town Stamp Collecting Club starting in 1953, this stamp ball weighs around 600 pounds and is on display at the Leon Myers Stamp Center near Omaha.

The best giant roadside attractions across America. In photo: Enchanted Highway, Gladstone to Regent, North Dakota — Think grasshoppers belong in a field, not beside a highway? The Enchanted Highway flips the script with Grasshoppers in the Field, a giant metal scene worth a photo stop.

Carhenge, Alliance, Nebraska — A Stonehenge reimagined in vintage steel, Carhenge stacks 39 classic cars into Nebraska’s own prehistoric wonder, perfect for car spotting and turning a history lesson into something unexpected.

Region 2: Kansas and Iowa

World’s largest ball of twine, Cawker City, Kansas: Started in 1953 and still growing today via an annual community event, the “Twine-a-thon,” where visitors add more twine each year. Fun fact: the ball currently weighs over 20,000 pounds.
World’s largest popcorn ball, Sac City, Iowa: A roughly 9,000-pound popcorn ball on display in a shed along US-20 in the heart of Iowa’s popcorn-growing region. Competition is fierce for this title: the town has rebuilt it more than once to keep the title after others tried to claim it.
World’s largest strawberry, Strawberry Point, Iowa: A 15-foot fiberglass strawberry mounted above City Hall since the late 1960s, and restored in 2025. A fun, short detour for anyone driving through Iowa on Highway 3 or 13.

Region 3: Illinois and the Great Lakes

The Leaning Tower of Niles, Niles, Illinois: A half-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, built in 1934.
World’s largest covered wagon, Lincoln, Illinois: A 40-foot Route 66 landmark topped with a 12-foot fiberglass Abraham Lincoln reading a law book, officially recognized by Guinness. Built in 2001 by a local resident recovering from heart surgery.
World’s Largest Catsup (Ketchup) Bottle, Collinsville, Illinois: A 170-foot water tower shaped like a ketchup bottle, built in 1949 to supply water to a nearby catsup bottling plant (PSA: it never actually held ketchup). Restored in the 1990s by a dedicated preservation group and now on the National Register of Historic Places, with its own annual festival.
World’s Largest Cherry Pie Pan, Traverse City, Michigan: Not the pie itself (long since eaten), but the 17.5-foot steel pan used to bake a 28,350-pound cherry pie in 1987, when Traverse City (“The Cherry Capital of the World”) set out to beat a smaller record-holding pie from nearby Charlevoix.

The Leaning Tower of Niles, Niles, Illinois — An Italian illusion in suburban Illinois, this 1934 Pisa replica once concealed water tanks. Stop at the Leaning Tower of Niles for a dose of architecture and local history.

Tip from the author: Looking for the town with the most “world’s largest things” in the US? Casey, Illinois has amassed a collection of record-holding oversized objects, including the world’s largest mailbox, wind chime, rocking chair, and teeter-totter.

Flying into the Midwest? Grab a rental car at the airports in Minneapolis, Chicago, or Omaha, and you’ll be within a few hours’ drive of most of the giants above.

Southern giants

From a president’s favorite crop to comic-book heroes, the South’s giants tap into local pride.

World’s Largest Peanut, Georgia: A nod to the state’s most famous crop and its most famous peanut farmer, former President Jimmy Carter.
Superman Statue, Metropolis, Illinois: A 15-foot bronze statue in the officially named “Hometown of Superman,” complete with a Daily Planet-style newspaper building nearby.
Golden Driller, Tulsa, Oklahoma: A 76-foot statue first built for a 1953 oil trade show, when Tulsa billed itself the “Oil Capital of the World.”

Landing in Atlanta or Tulsa? Book a rental car nearby, and you’ll have easy access to the South’s giants, plus plenty of other stops along the way.

Golden Driller, Tulsa, Oklahoma — Built to honour Oklahoma’s oil workers, Tulsa’s 76-foot Golden Driller has stood since the 1950s, giving history buffs a larger-than-life glimpse into the state’s petroleum legacy.

Southwest and West giants

Need a reason to pull over when driving through the Southwest and West Coast? From historic bridges to giant vegetables and even a beagle-shaped inn, these are the must-see giant road attractions to see in the area.

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas: Ten vintage Cadillacs planted nose-first in a field just off I-40, a public art installation visitors are encouraged to spray-paint themselves.
The Thing, near Dragoon, Arizona: A mystery roadside attraction along I-10, teased for miles by billboards before revealing its answer at journey’s end.
London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona: As the name suggests, this is an actual historic London Bridge, purchased and relocated to the Arizona desert in the 1960s.
World’s Largest Pistachio, Alamogordo, New Mexico: A nod to the region’s pistachio farming, standing outside a working pistachio farm and shop.
World’s Largest Pecan, Seguin, Texas: The site of a decades-long roadside rivalry. Seguin created the original giant pecan in 1962 and called itself the “pecan capital of Texas,” only for a rival pecan to appear outside Brunswick, Missouri in the 1980s. Seguin eventually reclaimed the title in 2011 with a bigger fiberglass pecan outside the Texas Agricultural and Heritage Center; a short drive from Austin and San Antonio.
Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho: A 30-foot building shaped like a giant beagle, built by two chainsaw artists and known locally as “Sweet Willy.”
Cabazon Dinosaurs, Cabazon, California: Dinny the 150-foot Brontosaurus and Mr. Rex, built in 1964 by a theme park sculptor to lure drivers off I-10. Dinny alone took 11 years to build and weighs over 150 tons.
World’s Largest Thermometer, Baker, California: A 134-foot thermometer built to commemorate the 134°F recorded in nearby Death Valley in 1934, still the highest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth.
Spud Drive-in giant potato, Driggs, Idaho: A giant potato built from chicken wire and plaster outside a working drive-in theater that’s been open since 1953.
Big Idaho Potato Hotel, Boise, Idaho: A 28-foot fiberglass potato that toured all 48 contiguous states before settling on a farm outside Boise.

Touching down in Phoenix, Los Angeles, or Dallas? A rental car gives you the range to cover the long stretches between these desert and coastal stops.

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas — Bring spray paint to Cadillac Ranch and let little artists loose on 10 vintage Cadillacs, turning this colourful Amarillo landmark into a fun, hands-on family adventure.

London Bridge, Lake Havasu City, Arizona — Over 5,400 miles from its original home, London Bridge now spans Lake Havasu. Make it a memorable friends’ stop for architecture, riverside walks and plenty of stories to swap.

The best giant roadside attractions across America. In photo: Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho — Travelling with your pawsome passenger? Stop at Dog Bark Park, where Sweet Willy, the giant beagle-shaped inn, gives your four-legged companion a landmark as spirited as they are.

World's Largest Thermometer, Baker, California — Your camera roll deserves something this oversized. Stop at Baker’s giant thermometer, match your outfit to the desert backdrop and turn a quick roadside break into an Insta-worthy moment.

Northeast giants

While it may boast only a few attractions, the Northeast is home to one of America’s most enduring giant roadside attractions.

Lucy the Elephant, Margate, New Jersey: A six-story, elephant-shaped building constructed in 1882 to sell real estate along the Jersey Shore. It’s the oldest surviving roadside attraction in America and a National Historic Landmark; visitors can tour inside and up to an observation deck.
Big Blue Bug (Nibbles Woodaway), Providence, Rhode Island: A giant blue termite that has sat on a Providence rooftop for over 40 years, visible from I-95. Originally built for a pest control company, it’s since become a beloved local landmark that gets seasonal costume changes (antlers and a red nose at the holidays).
Gorilla holding a VW, Leicester, Vermont: An oversized concrete gorilla built in 1987 to draw customers to a car dealership. Its left hand hoists a real Volkswagen Beetle 19 feet in the air; its right hand is cupped below its waist so visitors can sit in it.

Starting your trip in New York City or Boston? Book a rental car, and you can knock out all three Northeast giants in a single weekend.

Gorilla holding a VW, Leicester, Vermont — Featured among the article’s roadside oddities, this 1987 concrete gorilla hoists a VW Beetle 19 feet high, while its other hand invites visitors in for a seriously wild photo.

Tips for planning a roadside attraction road trip

Before you hit the road, it’s worth taking a moment to plan your road trip, check the latest opening hours, and ensure you maximize your time by stringing together multiple attractions in one journey.

Plot stops along your actual route rather than driving out of the way, as most of these attractions cluster near major interstates (I-40, I-90, I-94, I-35).
Check opening hours and seasonal closures before a dedicated detour, since some are indoor or run by local businesses with limited hours.
Bring cash for gift shops, as many of these attractions are maintained by small towns and rely on gift shop sales.
Combine a few attractions in one region rather than trying to cover the whole country in a single trip. The Midwest and Southwest each have enough clustered together for a dedicated detour.

Suggested itineraries: Giant roadside attraction road trips

Take the guesswork out of road tripping to these giant roadside attractions by following one of our curated itineraries below.

Minnesota giants (3–4 days)

Best for: Families or first-timers wanting an easy, low-mileage introduction to “world’s largest” hunting without a full road trip commitment.
Day-by-day itinerary:
- Day 1-2: Minneapolis–St. Paul → Blue Earth, MN – ~2 hours, 125 miles via I-90. Visit the Jolly Green Giant, explore Blue Earth’s small downtown, overnight locally or head back toward the Twin Cities.
- Day 3-4: Minneapolis–St. Paul → Bemidji, MN – ~3.5–4 hours, roughly 220 miles north. Visit Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, spend time on Lake Bemidji, and use this as a base for a night or two before heading back south.

I-94 giants corridor: Minnesota to North Dakota (2 days)

Best for: Travelers already driving I-94 west toward the Dakotas or Badlands who want to break up a long, flat stretch of highway.
Day-by-day itinerary:
- Day 1: Fergus Falls, MN: Visit Otto the Otter in Adams Park, then drive roughly 20 miles to Rothsay, MN to see the World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken right off I-94.
- Day 2: Continue west on I-94 into North Dakota: Roughly 4–5 hours to New Salem, ND to see Salem Sue, the World’s Largest Holstein Cow, visible from the interstate.

Iowa and Nebraska offbeat detour (2–3 days)

Best for: Travelers who want the quirkiest, least-touristy stops in this guide; expect offbeat attractions rather than famous landmarks.
Day-by-day itinerary:
- Day 1: Sac City, Iowa: Visit the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball at the Sac City Museum Village, right on US-20.
- Day 2: Sac City → Strawberry Point, Iowa: Visit the World’s Largest Strawberry above City Hall.
- Day 3: Continue to Boys Town, Nebraska, just outside Omaha, to see the World’s Largest Ball of Stamps at the Leon Myers Stamp Center.

Southwest desert giants road trip (5–6 days)

Best for: Travelers planning a longer Southwest road trip who want several major detours built in, not a quick weekend stop.
Day-by-day itinerary:
- Day 1: Amarillo, TX: Visit Cadillac Ranch, an easy stop right off I-40.
- Day 2: Amarillo → Alamogordo, NM: Visit the World’s Largest Pistachio, overnight in the area.
- Day 3–4: Alamogordo → Dragoon/Tucson, AZ: Visit The Thing along I-10, with time to explore the surrounding area.
- Day 5–6: Dragoon → Lake Havasu City, AZ: Visit London Bridge and spend a day or two on the Colorado River before heading home or continuing on toward California.

Frequently asked questions about giant roadside attractions

What state has the most giant roadside attractions?

Minnesota is particularly well known for giant roadside attractions, with several “world’s largest” statues concentrated in the state, though attractions are spread widely across the contiguous United States.

Where is the real world’s largest ball of twine?

Cawker City, Kansas is generally credited with the largest community-built ball of twine, while Darwin, Minnesota holds the record for the largest built by one man. Both are popular stops for road trippers, and the friendly “biggest ball” rivalry between the two towns is part of the fun.

Is Cadillac Ranch free to visit?

Yes, Cadillac Ranch is free and open to the public, and visitors are welcome to bring their own spray paint to add to the ever-changing artwork.

Are giant roadside attractions worth visiting on a road trip?

Yes. Giant roadside attractions can be an easy way to break up long stretches of driving, especially when they sit close to major highways. Many are free or quick to visit, making them easy to add to an existing road trip without building your entire itinerary around them. Check opening hours and access details before making a dedicated detour.

Plan your roadside attraction road trip with Turo

Whether you’re plotting a weekend loop through Minnesota’s giants or a longer haul across the Southwest, the best part of a trip like this is how flexible it can be.

Turo makes it easy to find the right car for whatever kind of road trip you’re planning, whether that’s a fuel-efficient sedan for a long desert haul or something with a bit more room for snacks, gear, and questionable souvenirs. Browse cars in your starting city and build a route around as many (or as few) giants as you like.

Ready to hit the road? Book your rental car on Turo and start planning your own detour into America’s strangest, most oversized side.

Chevrolet Impala rental in United States on Turo — On Turo, you can find a comfortable ride for as long as you need, from the Enchanted Highway to Baker’s giant thermometer. Book on Turo and turn oversized sights into oversized memories.

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Lucinda Starr

Lucinda Starr is a travel and automotive writer with 5+ years of firsthand experience road-tripping across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. She writes road trip guides for Turo, drawing on her experience behind the wheel to share practical insights on long-distance drives, destinations, and vehicles. Her travels have taken her across Australia’s East Coast, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, the Northern Rivers, Byron Bay, and both islands of New Zealand. One of her most memorable journeys was an 11-day, 2,600+ km route from Auckland to Punakaiki and Queenstown. Lucinda has a particular passion for classic, rugged 4WD vehicles and the freedom they bring to exploring new places.

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