From the biggest ball of string to the most controversial Mr. Potato Head (of all time), there’s something extravagant about these American cities.
Scottsboro, Alabama: The Lost Luggage Capital of the World
If an airline is unable to find the owner of a lost bag, it sends it to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in this northeastern Alabama town. There, the bag and its contents will be sold blind to the highest bidder – that is to say without the buyer being able to see the contents.
Among the craziest items ever found are a ring bearing a 5.8-carat diamond and Egyptian antiquities, reports NBC news.
Igloo City, Alaska: An Abandoned Ice Hotel
There are ice hotels all over the world, but this one didn’t really catch on. This giant igloo, which was never fully operational, is now one of the weirdest ghost sites in the continental United States.
Santa Claus, Arizona: Santa’s Ghost Town
Arizona is a rather unexpected place to find Santa Claus, and that’s probably why he didn’t stay there very long. A town in Arizona is named after this iconic Christmas character. Predictably, the attractions of this holiday-themed desert town ended up falling apart. Now, this is all a little scary.
Alma, Arkansas: The Spinach Capital of Popeye
At its peak, Alma’s Allen Canning Company produced 65% of the world’s spinach. In honor of this glorious past, a statue of Popeye and a Popeye water tower have been erected in the town, which also hosts a spinach festival every April.
San Luis Obispo, CA: Bubblegum Alley
Bubblegum Alley arguably belongs more as a public health threat than a street art site. Tourists still love to stroll through this truly unique alley, with its mural made of chewed bubblegum (which is 21 meters long by 5 meters high).
Picket Wire Canyon, Colorado: Largest Dinosaur Footprint
Picket Wire Canyon is known to archaeologists and geologists as a site of intense dinosaur activity. There is one of the largest concentrations of dinosaur tracks in North America.
Dudleytown, Connecticut: The Village of the Damned
Connecticut has one of the spookiest ghost towns in America: Dudleytown (a veritable whirlwind of oddities). No one knows exactly why this village died out, but its inhabitants disappeared one by one until no one was left.
Some see it as the consequence of a curse, others more simply the result of disease or famine.
Lewes, Delaware: The Mermaid Man at the Zwaanendael Museum
The Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes is home to an ‘artifact’ which the museum’s curators know is completely fictional. It is nonetheless a very popular attraction. This fish-man, a rarity from China, is only the body of a fish attached to the skull of a monkey. The fact that it exists, however, is probably the weirdest thing about it.
Homosassa, Florida: Monkey Island
In the 1960s, spider monkeys and squirrel monkeys (squirrel monkeys) – brought to Homosassa as part of polio vaccine research – began to bother residents beyond tolerable. So they were placed on a small island just offshore. Since then, Monkey Island has been a very popular attraction…
Ashburn, Georgia: The World’s Largest Peanut
Peaches may be Georgia’s signature fruit, but the food this state produces most abundantly is peanuts. This legume (no, it’s not a nut!) is so adored there that a huge monument has been erected in Ashburn, in the southwest of the State.
It is known as the “largest peanut in the world”. If you are a “peanuts” worshiper, you can visit the National Peanut Museum in Tifton, Georgia, located less than half an hour from this giant symbol.
Wahiawa, Hawaii: A Giant Pineapple-Shaped Maze
Did you know that Hawaii produces nearly half of the world’s pineapples? To highlight this world-famous product, the multinational Dole has created the world’s largest maze in the shape of a pineapple in its Oahu plantation.
Cottonwood, Idaho: a guest house with a dog
Renowned, this guest house is the only inn in the shape of a Beagle in the world. If you love dogs – or a truly unique vacation – set your paws at the Dog Bark Park Inn Cottonwood. Fire hydrants are included.
Collinsville, Illinois: World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle
One of the most famous water towers in the United States is in Collinsville, Illinois. It is shaped like a ketchup bottle… the largest in the world! The city even hosts a ketchup festival every summer.
Alexandria, Indiana: The World’s Largest Painted Ball
The city of Alexandria, Indiana has come together for a very strange community art project. It all started with a baseball covered in a coat of paint. It then transformed into a giant mass composed of more than 24,000 layers of color. Each visitor has the right to add a layer…
Riverside, Iowa: Birthplace of Captain Kirk
The monument commemorating the birthplace of Captain Kirk, a famous science fiction character, is the only monument to celebrate an event that has not yet happened. According to the Star Trek Group, Captain Kirk will grace Riverside with his presence on March 22, 2228.
Cawker City, Kansas: The World’s Largest Ball of Twine
Forget Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, it’s some twine Kansas is most proud of. To be more specific, the world’s largest ball of twine (still expanding) is one of the state’s most famous landmarks.
Williamstown, Kentucky: Noah’s Ark
The Bible was wrong: Noah’s Ark is actually in Kentucky. The new holy land? Not really. There is a life-size replica of the famous arch in this state, but it is a museum. Noah’s Ark is a religious theme park for families.
A boat trip turns out to be complicated? Test one of these 40 best road trips in Quebec and Canada.
Kentwood, Louisiana: a Britney Spears exhibition
As a child, pop icon Britney Spears lived in Kentwood. When she achieved fame, fortune and fame, the town council was so proud of her that a Britney Spears exhibit was mounted at the Kentwood Museum. It’s a very nice touch, even if the whole thing makes you think of an oversized sanctuary. After all, love is never far from obsession.
Bangor, Maine: Home of Stephen King
Maine massively exports two products: lobster and… books by Stephen King. The writer is a living master of the horrible and the weird, and to exemplify this characteristic, the black front door to his Bangor property is shaped like bats and spiders.
Fans constantly go there on pilgrimage, just to soak up the feeling of dread distilled by their favorite author.
Baltimore, Maryland: Home of Edgar Allan Poe
Impossible to talk about Stephen King without mentioning his illustrious predecessor, Edgar Allan Poe. Inventor of the detective novel and true master of horror, Poe was born and raised in Baltimore.
His house is still there and there is a small museum dedicated to the great American author.
Fall River, Massachusetts: Lizzie Borden’s Bed and Breakfast
The tragedy of Lizzie Borden and the murder of her parents is a strange story. But the strangest thing is that the Borden house – the site of the ax murders – has become a quaint tourist lodge. You must really love sleeping with ghosts!
Kalkaska, Michigan: Shoe Trees
There are dozens of trees in the state of Michigan literally covered in shoes hanging from laces. Who started it and what does this debauchery of hanging shoes mean?
Rumors are swirling, but no one is sure. High school graduates would throw their shoes into the trees of Kalkaska once they graduated. Other shoe trees in the state are said to be cursed, linked to serial killers, or report drugs being sold nearby.
Kensington, Minnesota: The Kensington Runestone
Since its discovery in 1898, the Kensington Runestone has fascinated archaeologists, scholars and history buffs. With its ancient inscriptions – or runes – from an unidentified medieval European civilization, the Kensington Runestone is proof that navigators reached North America long before Christopher Columbus.
Clarksdale, Mississippi: Devil’s Crossroads
Most people know that Mississippi is the state where rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Elvis Presley was born. But it is also the birthplace of another musician who, it is said, made a pact with the devil. The story goes that if Robert Johnson, the legend of the blues, played so well, it was because he had sold his soul to the devil at this crossroads.
Kansas City, Missouri: The Finger of St. John the Baptist
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Arts in Kansas City, Missouri houses a prominent religious relic: the finger of St. John the Baptist. At least that’s what the museum says. For Christians around the world, it is a destination not to be missed. But you have to admit that it’s rather strange that a city owes its fame to a dead finger.
Arlee, Montana: The Garden of a Thousand Buddhas
Montana isn’t the best place for Tibetan Buddhist shrines, yet it’s home to Arlee’s Garden of a Thousand Buddhas, a spiritual place where visitors are helped to connect with their true nature.
Seward, Nebraska: The World’s Most Important Time Capsule
A man named Harold Davisson loved 1975 so much that he did his best to make his time capsule the biggest and most impressive of them all.
Built underground, a 45-ton vault houses more than 5,000 objects, including a car of the year. The pyramid built above this vault makes it the largest historical capsule in the world.
Lincoln County, Nevada: Zone 51
The Nevada desert isn’t all that deserted, considering it’s home to the mega-complex (but super secret) of Area 51 military research and development.
Area 51, which is the subject of intense surveillance and a host of conspiracy theories, is still perceived in the United States as one of the strangest places in the country. Perhaps the weirdest of all.
Pittsfield, New Hampshire: Groucho Marx
There are a bunch of wacky and even, let’s face it, downright useless Guinness World Records. One of them was held in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. Pittsfield was indeed the first city to gather hundreds of people wearing Groucho Marx glasses at the same time.
The record set in 2001 by Pittsfield’s 525 residents had never been attempted before (for seemingly obvious reasons), which did not prevent it from being largely beaten later – 4436 in Chicago in 2009.
Hopewell, New Jersey: The Lindbergh Baby Abduction
The whole world held its breath in 1932 when the son of famous pilot Charles Lindbergh was abducted from the family home of Hopewell. After a ransom of tens of thousands of dollars was demanded, the Lindbergh baby was discovered to have been killed shortly after being abducted.
Bruno Richard Hauptmann was sentenced to death for this murder. Today, the Lindbergh property is a treatment center for young girls.
Roswell, New Mexico: Aliens
Despite their best efforts, no other town in New Mexico will match the strange fame of Roswell and its aliens. Of course, there’s no 100% credible evidence or narrative to back up the fact that UFOs carrying aliens really crashed here, but the legends are tenacious.
Brooklyn, New York: The Green-Wood Cemetery
New York has thousands of wonderfully wacky reasons to be famous, among which we are still surprised to count the magnificent and sprawling Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.
In this cemetery where more than 560,000 people are buried on 193 hectares, we find some celebrities such as Leonard Bernstein, composer of West Side Story, Henry Chadwick, baseball pioneer and “Crazy Joe” Gallo, the legendary gangster.
Rose Hill, North Carolina: Largest Frying Pan
Most of America’s “world’s largest” items are unusable items, but not North Carolina’s frying pan.
The world’s largest frying pan is fully operational and can cook 365 chickens at a time. It only happens once a year, so plan your visit accordingly if you’re craving juicy fried chicken.
Center, North Dakota: the center of North America
Believe it or not, the geographic center of the North American continent is located at a place called Center, North Dakota, and it’s pure coincidence.
In 1931, the United States Geological Survey first designated Rugby, also in North Dakota, as the geographic center of the continent. It was then realized that the calculation was wrong when the geographer Peter Rogerson took into account the curvature of the Earth to make the correct calculation.
Dublin, Ohio: Cornhenge
Cornhenge in Dublin, Ohio is the largest man-sized field of corn on the cob in the world. “Field of Corn,” nicknamed Cornhenge, was created by sculpture professor Malcolm Cochran as a tribute to farmer Sam Frantz, who worked with Ohio State University to create various species of corn.
Tahlequah, Oklahoma: Mr. Ed’s Grave, the Talking Horse
The TV show Mr. Ed the Talking Horse was very popular with those growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. Bamboo, the horse that portrayed Mr. Ed, is said to be buried in Tahlequah. But some believe the horse buried there was Bamboo’s successor, Pumpkin.
Lakeview, Oregon: Japanese Balloon Bomb
When Americans think of what got the United States into World War II, they most remember the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. However, that was not the only time Japan suffered casualties. on American soil.
On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed at Lakeview by a Japanese balloon bomb. The balloon appeared harmless, as it crashed to the ground with no one on board. But a bomb hidden inside exploded on contact with the ground. Visitors can still pay their respects to the woman and five children killed that day.
Williamsport, Pennsylvania: Little League opener
The idea of little league baseball soon followed the first game itself. In 1938, Carl Stotz began developing a youth baseball project. The very first official Little League game was played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1939.
The Lundy Lumber-sponsored team defeated the Lycoming Dairy-sponsored team in a 23-8 loss. Today, the Little League World Series is played every August in nearby South Williamsport.
Bristol, Rhode Island: Mr. Potato Head Ambassadors
Scattered throughout Rhode Island are many versions of Mr. Potato Head, the famous children’s toy. In 2000, these characters were originally designed as ambassadors for families traveling to the state, where Hasbro’s headquarters are located.
You can still find a few Mr. Potato Heads in Bristol, Westerly State Airport, and outside Hasbro’s headquarters in Pawtucket.
Gaffney, SC: The Peachoid
Apparently, people really like to decorate their water towers, because this peach-shaped water tower, aka “The Peachoid”, is rather famous. He appeared in an episode of the cult Netflix series, House of Cards, and is an integral part of the story of Kevin Spacey’s character, Francis Underwood.
Clark, South Dakota: Potato Wrestling Match
Yes, that’s absolutely true. Clark, South Dakota, holds a mashed potato wrestling show every year to commemorate Potato Day.
Forget the stereotypical vision of women in bathing suits rolling around in mud and replace it with big guys crashing into potatoes.
Adams, Tennessee: Witch Bell’s Cave
The Witch Bell started haunting the place in the early 19th century. Legend has it that Kate Batts, the witch’s real name, claimed to have made a bad land deal with the neighboring Bell family.
She kept her promise to haunt them when Betsy, the daughter of the Bell family, began to be the target of intense assaults and possessions. It is said that Andrew Jackson (seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837) went to meet the witch Bell, whose cave has been infamous in Tennessee for more than two centuries. It was listed in the National Historic Register in 2008.
Houston, Texas: National Museum of Funeral History
Texas is known for its barbecues, cowboy hats and unwavering patriotism. But few know that Houston is home to the National Museum of Funeral History.
During your visit, you will see coffins and hearses evolve over the years and learn about the history of embalming, as well as other funeral traditions from around the world.
Salt Lake City, Utah: Kentucky Fried Chicken’s first franchisee
You would think that the first KFC would open in Kentucky, but you would be wrong. When Colonel Sanders decided to honor Kentucky roadside cuisine, it was in Salt Lake City that he opened his first franchise.
Waterbury, Vermont: Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard
Everyone knows that Vermont is a go-to state for two products: maple syrup and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.
If you make it to the Ice Cream Factory for a tour and a taste of the wonderful flavors currently on the menu, be sure to visit the Graveyard of Flavors. Yes, this is where all the flavors of the past rest in peace. They have still not been forgiven for the premature death of Wavy Gravy (1993-2001).
Rosslyn, Virginia: the parking lot where “Deep Throat” confided
The Watergate affair remains one of the most infamous moments in American history. The person who unearthed this scandal which involved President Nixon and his party was a mysterious character nicknamed “Deep Throat” in English, which we will later know was FBI Deputy Director Mark Felt. .
He secretly met Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in a parking lot and there he divulged everything he knew about the scandal. Unfortunately, the Oakhill office building garage is scheduled to be demolished.
Seattle, Washington: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame
Seattle is a city best known for the grunge music scene of the 1990s. But it’s also home to a museum that most people probably don’t know about. The Sci-Fi Hall of Fame contains everything from sound studios to Marvel comics, in recognition of their role in the development of technology.
Its Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame pays tribute to authors, actors and other personalities who have revolutionized the field, such as Douglas Adams (British writer and screenwriter), Madeleine L’Engle (American writer) , CS Lewis (British writer and academic) and Leonard Nemoy (Star Trek).
Philippi, West Virginia: The Philippi Mummies
PT Barnum and his traveling circus evoke elephants and performers in colorful costumes. What you might not know is that PT Barnum has also taken a few mummies on tour.
Two women who resided in an asylum in West Virginia were embalmed by Graham Hamrick and paraded around the country as tourist curiosities.
Middleton, Wisconsin: National Mustard Museum
There are hundreds of quirky museums in America, and the National Mustard Museum in Wisconsin is arguably the yellowest. You can see in this museum nearly 6000 different mustards from the United States, but also from all over the world.
Buford, Wyoming: America’s Smallest Town
The population of Wyoming is made up of 573,720, making it the least populated of the 50 US states. It’s no surprise, then, that the upstate town of Buford is one of the few towns in America with just one resident.
Photos : Shutterstock
