How often has this happened? You are cruising along on your summer road trip and you start to see road signs everywhere screaming “World’s Largest”, and you admit you’re kind of curious. Of course, your kids are really curious! Then you think about the wasted time, the other tourists you’ll have to deal with and the wasted money. You. Must. Drive. By. Or should you stop at those roadside attractions?
Yes, stop! Your family vacation started the second you drove down your driveway. It doesn’t start once you reach your destination, so enjoy the ride along the way.
Roadside attractions have been around forever and it seems that people always remember when they stopped and saw the World’s largest. You may even have something that’s the World’s largest right in your hometown. We have the World’s largest musky in our neck of the woods, and the kids always beg to stop there the few times a year that we drive by it.
That’s us…fish bait!
While doing a little research, I discovered that Wisconsin is also home to quite a collection of World’s largest things. We have the World’s largest:
- mustard collection in Middleton
- six pack of beer in LaCrosse
- talking cow in Neillsville
- talking loon in Mercer (another talking animal?)
- largest penny in Woodruff
- and the largest badger in Birnamwood. This one looks kind of creepy to me, I’ll stick with the giant musky.
Can you just imagine the nightmares your kids would have if you lived on the other side of that fence?
Isn’t that quite a list? The weirder the better, I guess.
Most of these attractions can be seen right from the road and don’t cost a penny. Some of them are part of a museum so there is a fee if you want to get up close.
Why stop? They’re fun, weird, odd and how many times can you really say that you saw the World’s largest? These crazy roadside attractions are a good excuse to take a break during your road trip. Or a stop can be a fun surprise for your family on a random day in the summer.
Resources for the Top Roadside Attractions in the US
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Here are some websites that list the top roadside attractions across America:
- Strange Roadside Attractions from Every State – Travel + Leisure
- RoadsideAmerica.com – Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions
- The Weirdest Roadside Attractions in Every State – Thrill List
- Top 50 American Roadside Attractions – Time Magazine
We love the National Geographic books that are for kids, and they have a book called 125 Wacky Roadside Attractions that is full of “useful” information.
Whether you stop just to take a picture or spend a couple of hours, the memories will last forever!
What are the odd, crazy and fun roadside attractions that your family just had to stop at?
The World’s Largest Musky
I love this! We totally love those touristy attractions (as well as the off-the-beaten-path sites). Wall Drug is a favorite, and Cave City KY is basically one big roadside attraction!!
I’ve never heard of Cave City…we’ll have to check it out!
These are so cute!! We went on a long rad trip and talked about how awesome it would be if we would have stopped at all of these. I love seeing your photos.
Thank you!