Roadside Attractions, Americana And History

Roadside attractions, including the wacky to serious ones, military sites and cemeteries, Signs and billboards, history where possible, and interesting and historic Americana. .

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The Flintabbatey Flonatin statue, nicknamed “Flinty,” stands at the entrance to Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. It was created in 1962 by cartoonist Al Capp, best known for Li’l Abner, and stands about 24 feet tall, made of fiberglass.

The statue honors Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin, a fictional explorer from the 1905 novel The Sunless City by J. E. Preston Muddock. Local legend says early prospectors who read the book named their mining discovery “Flin Flon” after the hero.

“Flinty” has become the city’s mascot and symbol of its quirky origin. The town even issued a $3 Flinty coin in 2003 and won Manitoba’s Favourite Roadside Attraction in 2015. The statue celebrates Flin Flon’s unusual mix of literary roots, mining history, and humor.

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Fredosaurus Rex Friday XIII, often called Fredosaurus Rex, is an 8-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex statue in Pittsburgh. It was created by artist Karen Howell for the city’s “DinoMite Days” public art project, organized by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

The sculpture is painted to honor Fred Rogers—it wears his trademark red cardigan and sneakers and holds puppets of King Friday XIII and Henrietta Pussycat. A tiny Neighborhood Trolley perches on its tail.

The statue sits in SouthSide Works, at 415 South 27th Street, where it’s become a cheerful photo spot celebrating both Pittsburgh’s dinosaur-themed art and the city’s most beloved neighbor.

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The Big Fan is a large public sculpture by Israeli artist Yoav Ben-Dov, standing prominently in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv.

The artwork is a massive, turquoise-colored recreation of a classic desk fan, enlarged to several meters high. It was installed in the early 2000s as part of a city art initiative that aimed to bring humor and creativity into urban spaces. The sculpture doesn’t actually work—it’s a playful illusion that looks like it could cool off the entire square but is purely decorative.

Ben-Dov designed it as a witty response to Tel Aviv’s warm climate and fast-paced city life, turning an ordinary household object into something extraordinary. Over time, The Big Fan has become a local favorite and an iconic meeting point, admired for its mix of nostalgia, humor, and everyday familiarity.

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The Crab-Shaped Building near Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, is a striking structure designed to look like a giant Chinese mitten crab, the local delicacy that made the lake famous. Built around 2016, it serves as a museum and ecology center promoting the region’s crab industry and wetland conservation.

The 75-meter-long, 16-meter-tall building blends sculpture and architecture, with steel and concrete forming its shell, legs, and “hairy” claws. Inside, it houses exhibits, educational displays, and a restaurant focused on the lake’s ecology and sustainable crab farming.

Symbolizing both local culture and environmental awareness, the crab has become a tourist landmark and proud icon of Yangcheng Lake — celebrating the harmony between nature, food, and community.

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Casper the surreal ghost

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Tommy Turtle Riding a Snowmobile

Bottineau, North Dakota

Tommy Turtle is a 30-foot-tall fiberglass and steel statue of a smiling turtle riding a bright red snowmobile.

He’s the proud mascot of Bottineau, North Dakota, a small town near the Turtle Mountains that built him in 1978 to attract travelers and celebrate local spirit.

The statue was created by John H. Wenstad, a local welder, and quickly became a community landmark.

The idea was simple but clever — since the region is known for both turtles and snowmobiling, why not combine the two?

Standing at the entrance of Tommy Turtle Park, he greets visitors year-round, even through the deep North Dakota winters.

Over the decades, Tommy has been repainted and repaired, but his friendly grin and adventurous pose remain the same — a lighthearted symbol of small-town pride and the fun side of life on the northern plains.

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Johnny Donutseed Statue

Lloyd, Florida

If you’re driving through north Florida along Highway 59 near Monticello, you might catch sight of something both strange and charming — a barefoot man with a big donut in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. That’s Johnny Donutseed, a quirky roadside statue that started life as something completely different.

From Johnny Appleseed to Johnny Donutseed

This fiberglass figure originally began as a Johnny Appleseed statue for a restaurant chain that’s long since disappeared.

When the restaurant closed, the statue somehow made its way south to Florida.

Locals decided to give him a new identity — swapping out his apples for a giant donut and a coffee cup. That’s how Johnny Appleseed was reborn as Johnny Donutseed, a lighthearted nod to truck-stop culture and breakfast food.

They even gave him a makeover. His old tin-pot hat became a trucker’s cap, his vest was painted in the green-and-yellow tones of a BP station, and his apple sack turned into a backpack. He kept his bare feet and country-boy look, but now he looked more like someone handing out pastries than planting orchards.

The Statue and Its Setting

Johnny Donutseed stood outside the Big Bend Travel Plaza, just off Interstate 10 at Exit 217, in the little town of Lloyd, Florida.

He faced the highway like a friendly greeter for travelers passing through.

The statue was made of fiberglass, and most people who’ve seen it estimate he stands around 10 to 12 feet tall — though some swear he’s closer to 20.

His look was colorful and slightly weathered, with patches of wear that gave him even more character. Unfortunately, time hasn’t been kind to him — one arm, the one holding the coffee cup, was reportedly broken off, and his paint faded after years of Florida sun.

What Happened to Him

For a while, Johnny Donutseed was a favorite stop for road-trippers and fans of offbeat Americana. Travelers would pull over for pictures, share donuts of their own, and laugh at his goofy charm. But in recent years, the site has gone quiet. The travel plaza shut down, and reports suggest the statue has fallen into disrepair.

Atlas Obscura now lists the spot as “permanently closed,” though it’s unclear whether Johnny still stands there or has been taken down. Some photos from recent years show him still standing, a bit rough around the edges but still smiling with that donut raised high.

A Small Piece of Roadside Americana

Even if he’s gone, Johnny Donutseed remains one of those great oddball creations that make American highways so fun — a blend of humor, folk art, and a touch of nostalgia. He’s part of a long tradition of taking something familiar, twisting it a little, and giving it a whole new life.

So whether he’s still there or just a memory, Johnny Donutseed perfectly captures that spirit — a cheerful reminder that sometimes the weirdest stops on the road are the ones you remember most.

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The World’s Largest Artichoke

If you ever drive through the small town of Castroville—known proudly as the “Artichoke Center of the World”—you’ll spot something impossible to miss: a giant green artichoke towering over the roadside. Standing about 20 feet tall and 12 feet across, this massive sculpture has become one of California’s most beloved roadside landmarks.

How It Started

The World’s Largest Artichoke was built in 1963 by local businessman Gerry Drew, who owned the Giant Artichoke Restaurant.

He wanted a way to attract travelers driving along Highway 1, and what better way than to build a huge version of the town’s most famous crop?

Castroville had already been a major producer of artichokes since the early 1900s, thanks to its ideal coastal climate, so the sculpture was both a marketing tool and a local badge of pride.

The sculpture is built from concrete and steel, designed to mimic the layers of an actual artichoke, complete with pointed leaves and a rich green paint job.

It’s not just a statue—it serves as the perfect photo spot for tourists, and many visitors have made a tradition of posing inside one of the leaves or in front of the restaurant sign.

In 1948, long before the statue was built, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first “Artichoke Queen” at the Castroville Artichoke Festival, adding a touch of Hollywood sparkle to the town’s identity.

That annual festival continues today, drawing thousands of visitors to celebrate the prickly green vegetable with parades, contests, and plenty of artichoke-inspired dishes.

More than sixty years later, the World’s Largest Artichoke still stands proudly in front of the Giant Artichoke Restaurant, welcoming travelers from all over the world.

The restaurant serves fried artichokes, artichoke soup, and other specialties that keep the theme alive.

It’s one of those classic roadside stops that reminds you why small-town Americana is so special—fun, a little quirky, and full of heart.

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The Spawning Salmon was designed by Geoff Sandhurst, a Canadian artist.

He was 29 years old when he entered a contest to add an artwork to the Car Art Reserve, and his design won first prize. His reward included $2,500 and placement of his sculpture on the site.

The sculpture depicts a salmon in a dynamic “spawning” pose, as if it’s leaping or swimming upward from the ground.

It’s constructed from metal and car parts, matching the recycled, automotive theme of Carhenge.

The Spawning Salmon was among the first artworks added after the completion of the original Carhenge structure.

It stands near the main Carhenge circle and is easily visible to visitors walking the grounds.

The Spawning Salmon adds visual interest and variety to the Carhenge site. It shows that the area is more than just cars arranged in a circle it’s also a growing outdoor art environment.

The sculpture reflects creativity, humor, and imagination, just like the rest of Carhenge.

Its creation was part of a larger effort to expand Carhenge into the Car Art Reserve, transforming the location from a single installation into a collection of artworks.

Because it was chosen through a contest, the sculpture also represents community engagement and artistic collaboration.

Carhenge was built in 1987 by Jim Reinders and his family as a memorial to his father. They used old cars, arranged in the same proportions as England’s Stonehenge, to form the main circle.

Over the years, more sculptures — including the Spawning Salmon, a dinosaur, and pieces like “Ford Seasons” — were added to the surrounding area. These works turned Carhenge into a constantly evolving roadside attraction and one of Nebraska’s most famous pieces of folk art.

In 2013, ownership of Carhenge and the surrounding land was officially transferred to the City of Alliance to ensure its preservation and upkeep.

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A cold welcome to town

The Talking Penguin Statue in Cut Bank, Montana, is one of the town’s most famous landmarks.

Standing about 27 feet tall, the large penguin greets visitors with a sign that proudly says, “Welcome to Cut Bank, the Coldest Spot in the Nation!” The statue was built in 1989 to celebrate the town’s chilly reputation and to attract travelers driving along U.S. Highway 2.

Why a Penguin?

Cut Bank has long been known for its freezing winter temperatures, often dipping far below zero. To highlight this fact in a fun and memorable way, local residents decided a penguin—an animal that thrives in the cold—would make the perfect mascot.

The giant penguin stands beside the Glacier Gateway Inn and was meant to give tourists a reason to stop, smile, and take pictures.

The Talking Feature

What makes the statue special is that it actually talks—or at least, it used to. A loudspeaker installed inside the statue once played a recorded message welcoming visitors to town.

Over the years, the sound system has been turned off and on again depending on repairs and maintenance, but the nickname “Talking Penguin” stuck.

A Beloved Local Landmark

The penguin has become a symbol of local pride and small-town humor.

Residents often decorate it for holidays or community events, and travelers love snapping photos with it as part of Montana’s roadside attraction trail.

It’s a reminder that even in the coldest places, a little creativity and humor can warm things up.

Legacy

Today, the Talking Penguin remains one of the most photographed spots in northern Montana.

Though the voice may not always play, the statue continues to stand tall, welcoming anyone brave enough to visit the “Coldest Spot in the Nation.”

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Ripleys believe it or not in Ontario Canada

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🦆 The Big Duck

The Big Duck is one of America’s most beloved roadside attractions. It’s a big white building shaped exactly like a duck — and yes, you can walk inside it! Built in 1931, this odd but charming structure was created to sell ducks and duck eggs on Long Island, New York. Today, it stands as a reminder of a time when people built eye-catching buildings to draw in travelers from the road.

📍 Where It Is

The Big Duck sits in the small town of Flanders, Long Island, not far from Riverhead. It’s about 20 feet tall and 30 feet long, with bright white concrete walls and an orange beak that points proudly toward the sky. You can’t miss it if you’re driving by — it’s huge and looks like it waddled right out of a cartoon.

🧱 How It Was Built

The building was designed for a duck farmer named Martin Maurer. He wanted something that would grab attention, so he hired local builders George Reeve and George H. Reeve to create a shop shaped like a duck.

They built it with a wooden frame and covered it in concrete. The eyes are actually Model T Ford taillights, which used to glow red at night. The door is located right in the duck’s chest, and people could walk in to buy fresh duck products straight from the farmer.

📖 A Bit of History

The Big Duck first opened near Riverhead, New York, in 1931, but it was moved to Flanders in 1936, where it still stands today. Over the years, it’s been repaired and repainted many times to keep it looking fresh. In 1997, it was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it’s recognized as an important piece of American history.

🏛️ Why It’s Famous

The Big Duck became more than just a roadside store — it became an architectural landmark. In fact, architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown used it as an example when they coined the term “duck architecture.” That phrase means a building shaped like what it sells — like a coffee shop shaped like a coffee pot or an ice cream stand shaped like a cone.

Today, the Big Duck is a gift shop and visitor center. People from all over the country stop to take pictures, learn about Long Island’s farming history, and enjoy a little piece of Americana.

💬 Why People Love It

There’s something wonderfully simple and joyful about the Big Duck. It’s a reminder of a time when creativity ruled the road — when a building could make people smile just by being shaped like what it sold. Whether you’re an architecture fan, a history buff, or just someone who loves quirky landmarks, the Big Duck is a stop worth making.

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Worlds largest ear of corn