Route 66 roadside attractions too quirky to tear down

Ten quirky Route 66 roadside attractions that have survived the decades

Route 66 roadside attractions too quirky to tear down

The Mother Road has seen better days, sure, but some of its weirdest landmarks refuse to fade into history. These ten survivors prove that America's appetite for roadside oddities is stronger than ever.

Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma

Image: The Erica Chang, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Hugh Davis built this smiling 80-foot whale in 1972 as an anniversary gift for his wife, who collected whale figurines. What started as a backyard pond ornament became a beloved swimming hole where kids would cannonball off the tail and slide down the fins. The water's gone now, but that goofy grin remains.

Today, it stands as one of Route 66's most photographed stops, which is saying something on a highway full of giant things.

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

Image: Heidi Kaden

In 1974, some artists decided the best use for ten Cadillacs was planting them nose-first in a wheat field at the same angle as the Great Pyramid of Giza. Sure, why not? Visitors are actively encouraged to spray paint the cars, so they've been repainted thousands of times in every color combination imaginable.

The installation has been relocated once to escape urban development, but otherwise remains as wonderfully useless as it was fifty years ago.

Gemini Giant, Wilmington, Illinois

Image: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Standing 28 feet tall in full astronaut gear, clutching a silver rocket ship, the Gemini Giant has been luring hungry motorists to what's now a Polish restaurant since 1965. He's one of the few surviving "Muffler Men", those giant fiberglass statues that used to decorate the American landscape like some weird corporate totem pole convention.

His space suit might be a bit outdated, but he's been restored and repainted a couple of times. The restaurant beneath him has changed concepts more times than anyone can count, but the big guy stays put, still holding that rocket like he's waiting for NASA to call him back.

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, Oro Grande, California

Image: daveynin, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Elmer Long took his father's old glass bottles and created a forest of "trees" made from pipes and bottles that catch the desert sun like a fever dream. Over 200 bottle trees stand in the Mojave Desert, along with vintage signs, old railings, and whatever else Elmer felt like adding to his peculiar garden.

It started as one man's tribute to his dad and became a kaleidoscope attraction that makes you question whether you've had too much sun. Elmer passed away in 2019, but his family keeps the ranch open and free to visitors.

U-Drop Inn, Shamrock, Texas

Image: ExqBoredinNac, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

This Art Deco masterpiece from 1936 was nearly demolished before locals rallied to save and restore it. With its green glazed tiles, geometric patterns, and tower that wouldn't look out of place in Oz, it's no wonder Pixar used it as inspiration for the Cars movie.

Today, it serves as Shamrock's visitor center. The restoration brought back the neon signs, making nighttime photos spectacular.

Wigwam Village #7, San Bernardino, California

Image: John Margolies, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Built in 1949, this is one of the only three surviving Wigwam Villages from a chain of seven that once dotted the country. Each "wigwam" is a separate room arranged in a semicircle around the main office wigwam.

Despite the questionable concept, preservationists fought to save it, and it's now on the National Register of Historic Places. The rooms have been updated with modern amenities, but the outsides remain wonderfully vintage.

World's Largest Catsup Bottle, Collinsville, Illinois

Image: Dofftoubab, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

A 170-foot water tower disguised as a Brooks Catsup bottle has been confusing and delighting drivers since 1949. It held water for the Brooks bottling plant, which means this town literally kept itself hydrated with a giant condiment. The plant closed, but destroying a beloved ketchup monument? That's un-American.

A community group formed specifically to save and restore it in the 1990s, complete with fresh paint and structural repairs. It's now a proud symbol of Collinsville, which really commits to the bit—they even host an annual catsup bottle festival.

Standin' on the Corner Park, Winslow, Arizona

Image: Alan Levine, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

When the Eagles sang about standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, they probably didn't imagine the town would build an actual tourist attraction around it. But that's exactly what happened. There's a statue of a guy with a guitar, a trompe-l'oeil mural showing the girl in the flatbed Ford, and tourists taking turns posing on that corner every single day.

Winslow was dying when Route 66 got bypassed by the interstate, but this corner became a lifeline. The whole town got into the act with shops and restaurants cashing in on seven words from a song.

Chain of Rocks Bridge, Madison, Illinois/ St. Louis, Missouri

Image: David Hinkson, http://www.trailnet.org/, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Most bridges go straight across the water because, you know, engineering. This one makes a dramatic 22-degree bend halfway across the Mississippi River, which must have been a delightful surprise for drivers. The bend was built to avoid a rock formation underneath, proving that sometimes geography can beat good sense.

Closed to cars in 1970, it's now a bike and walking trail where you can experience that weird bend without worrying about oncoming traffic. On a clear day, you can see the Gateway Arch from here, making it a two-for-one landmark special.

Jack Rabbit Trading Post, Joseph City, Arizona

Image: Volker Schmidt, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

For miles along the highway, yellow billboards proclaim "HERE IT IS". When you finally arrive, you're greeted by a giant jackrabbit statue that's equal parts charming and unsettling. The trading post has been selling souvenirs, Native American crafts, and jackrabbit postcards since 1949, proving that effective advertising never goes out of style.

The rabbit itself has become more famous than what's being sold inside, which is the whole point of roadside attractions anyway.