Not every road trip stop needs to be epic, but it should be better than a rest area with limited food options and nowhere for the kids to move around.
This is your guide to the weird road trip stops and roadside attractions that actually work for families.
These roadside stops break up long drives with a little chaos (the good kind), give everyone a reason to get out of the car, and somehow become the part of the trip your kids wonโt stop talking about.
Because after hours on the road, sometimes all it takes is a giant duck or a gorilla holding a car to reset the vibeโฆ and maybe even save the day.
Weird Road Trip Stops That Are Larger Than Life
Sometimes bigger really is better… especially when it gets your kids to leap out of the car without arguing.
These oversized roadside stops are fast, funny, and practically made for family photos. No reservations, just reactions.
Lucy the Elephant
Elephant-shaped architecture? Must be New Jersey.
Lucy the Elephant โ Margate City, NJ
Distance from highway: 10 minutes off the Garden State Parkway
Cost: $9/adults, $5/children to tour inside
Time needed: 30โ45 minutes
Website: lucytheelephant.org
This isnโt just a photo opโitโs a building shaped like an elephant. You can climb into her howdah (yep, thatโs a real word), take in the view, and tell your kids this counts as a museum stop.
Historic, weird, and across from the beach, Lucy’s been standing here since 1881 and somehow just keeps getting weirder.
Are weird road trip stops only the beginning for you?
Here are 8 more ways to shake up your summer.
The Big Duck
Because sometimes a duck is a building.
The Big Duck โ Flanders, NY
Distance from highway: Less than 10 minutes off Sunrise Highway (RT 27)
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5โ10 minutes
Website: bigduck.org
Itโs a building shaped like a duck that sells duck-themed merchandise.
This Long Island icon has its own fan club and historical marker, which feels right. Easy parking, fast photo op, and just enough ridiculousness to reset everyoneโs road trip energy.
Worldโs Largest Lobster Trap
Pulled over for a snack. Stayed for the 15-foot lobster trap.
Worldโs Largest Lobster Trap โ Columbia Falls, ME
Distance from highway: Located directly off Route 1
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5โ10 minutes
Location: World’s Largest Lobster Trap
Built by the Friendship Trap Company as a roadside surprise, this oversized metal trap clocks in at 15 feet long, 6 feet tall, and nearly 4 feet wide.
Itโs part roadside attraction, part PR stunt, and 100% worth the pull-over. Snag a photo, stretch your legs, and absolutely make your kids pose inside the trapโฆ itโs practically required.
Chutters Candy Store
Come for the sugar. Stay for the ruler measuring all 112 feet.
Chutters Candy Store โ Littleton, NH
Distance from highway: 10 minutes off I-93
Cost: Pay by the pound
Time needed: 15โ30 minutes
Website: chutters.com
Home to the worldโs longest candy counter (112 feet, if youโre counting), Chutters is part candy store, part local legend.
Kids can scoop their own mix from hundreds of jars lining the wall… and yes, thereโs a certificate from the Guinness folks to prove its status.
Bonus: Downtown Littleton makes for a fun stroll after everyoneโs on a sugar high.
Emerson Kaleidoscope
Not your average viewing experience. Or chairs.
Emerson Kaleidoscope โ Mount Tremper, NY
Distance from highway: Located directly off Route 28
Cost: Free to visit; $5 suggested donation for the show
Time needed: 15-20 minutes inside, more if you browse the store
Website: emersonresort.com
Technically, itโs the worldโs largest kaleidoscope. Realistically? It feels more like a 10-minute Catskills light showโprojected inside a repurposed silo at the Emerson Resort.
Expect something between a planetarium show and a family-friendly Phish set.
Kids love the colorful, wildly fun shop filled with kaleidoscopes, puzzles, and funky souvenirs.
Driving between New York City and Boston with kids?
These easy stops along I-95 are worth building into your day.
Paul Bunyan Statue
When your town icon can see over the trees.
Paul Bunyan Statue โ Bangor, ME
Distance from highway: 7 minutes off I-95, or, right off Route 1
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5-10 minutes
Location: Paul Bunyan Statue
Standing 31 feet tall with a plaid shirt and axe in hand, Bangorโs Paul Bunyan looks like he was plucked from a retro cereal box.
Bonus points: Stephen King fans will recognize this exact spot from It. Fast, free, and surprisingly impressive IRL.
If youโre going to be in Maine anywayโฆ you might as well make a trip of it.
Big Easy Chair
Big chair energy. No explanation needed.
Big Easy Chair โ Kittery, ME
Distance from highway: 5 minutes off I-95
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5โ10 minutes
Location: Big Easy Chair
Youโll see the neon glow as you pull into the parking lot of Art on the Hillโฆ a comically oversized easy chair, just begging for a silly group shot.
It’s a quick win if you’re already stopping in or near Portsmouth, NH. Itโs kitschy, easy to access, and delivers max vacation energy for minimal effort.
Worldโs Largest Telephone
For when your kids ask what a landline is.
Worldโs Largest Telephone โ Bryant Pond, ME
Distance from highway: Located directly off Route 26
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5 minutes
Location: World’s Largest Telephone
This 14-foot rotary phone stands proudly in Bryant Pond, the last town in the U.S. to give up its hand-crank telephone system in 1983. (Yes, 1983.)
Built to honor the townโs place in telephone history, itโs a fast and fun detour for anyone heading through western Maine.
Nature Takes Center Stage at These Weird Road Trip Stops
From never-ending fire burning behind a waterfall to dinosaur tracks you can actually touch, these weird road trip stops add just the right amount of โwait, what?โ to your route.
Most are quick, low-effort, and yes, your kids might even learn something (by accident).
Eternal Flame Falls
Fire. Waterfall. Science. Magic. You decide.
Eternal Flame Falls โ Orchard Park, NY
Distance from highway: 10 minutes off Route 219
Cost: Free
Time needed: 45โ60 minutes round-trip hike
Location: Eternal Flame Falls Trailhead Parking
Tucked into a quiet section of Chestnut Ridge Park, this modest waterfall hides a wild secret: a natural gas leak that fuels a tiny flame inside the cascade.
Youโll need to hike a little less than ยพ mile each way to get to this geological wonder. Itโs a moderate hike that can get muddy, but itโs totally worth it for the โis this real?โ reaction.
Go on a dry day and bring shoes that can get messy.
Lake George Mystery Spot
Your voice bounces back louder, yet somehow it's silent to others... Science? Sorcery? Summer fun?
Lake George Mystery Spot โ Lake George, NY
Distance from highway: Less than 5 min from I-87
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5โ10 minutes
Location: Lake George Mystery Spot
Tucked behind the Lake George Visitor Center, this stone X is part science, part legend.
Say something while standing on it, and your voice echoes back to you louder than it went out, while no one else hears a thing. Locals say itโs just an acoustic fluke. The Haunted History Trail isnโt so sure.
Dinosaur Footprints
Proof that dinosaurs were New England road trippers, too.
Dinosaur Footprints โ Holyoke, MA
Distance from highway: 5 minutes off I-91
Cost: Free
Time needed: 20โ30 minutes
Location: Dinosaur Footprints Trailhead Parking
This quick pull-off along Route 5 leads to a short, self-guided trail running parallel to the road.
Along it, dozens of fossilized dinosaur tracks are stamped into the stone.
Signs point you to the best spots and explain the prehistoric backstory.
No gates, no gift shop, just your kids hopping between footprints that are over 190 million years old. Go when the riverโs low for the best views.
Sunderland Buttonball Tree
Big tree. Big history.
Sunderland Buttonball Tree โ Sunderland, MA
Distance from highway: 10 minutes off I-91
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5-10 minutes
Location: Sunderland Buttonball Tree
At nearly 400 years old, this enormous sycamore is one of the largest (and most dramatic) this side of the Mississippi.
Youโll spot it towering over the neighborhood, looking like it belongs in a fairytale… or, at least, a Tim Burton movie.
Quick stop, good photo op, and a fun moment to casually drop that you just visited the most famous tree in Massachusetts.
Roadside Creations That Deserve a Quick Detour
Some road trip stops make perfect sense. These arenโt those.
From handmade sculptures to questionably placed gorillas, these roadside creations are quirky, unexpected, and totally worth the few extra minutes.
Pull over, snap a photo, and embrace the weird.
Gorilla Holding a VW Beetle
Vermontโs version of King Kongโฆ but make it roadside kitsch.
Gorilla Holding a VW Beetle โ Salisbury, VT
Distance from highway: Located directly off Route 7
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5โ10 minutes
Location: Gorilla Holding a VW Beetle
Locals call her Queen Connie, and yes… sheโs a gorilla hoisting a real Volkswagen Beetle over her head.
But the real highlight? You can climb up into her outstretched hand for a photo (if youโre limber enough).
Part art, part weird roadside Americana, and fully worth the stop if you like your travel photos a little unhinged.
Ponyhenge
A rocking horse mystery no oneโs in a rush to solve.
Ponyhenge โ Lincoln, MA
Distance from highway: 5 Minutes off Route 117
Cost: Free
Time needed: 10โ15 minutes
Location: Ponyhenge
Set along a rural back road in Lincoln, MA, this open field is home to a growing herd of abandoned rocking horses and toy ponies. Some upright, others decidedly not…
The lineup changes often (someone out thereโs clearly having fun with it), and itโs become one of Massachusettsโ weirdest road trip stops.
Itโs quick, strange, and makes for a pretty unforgettable photo in the middle of farm country.
Mini Route 66
The tiniest roadside America detour youโll ever take.
Mini Route 66 โ Speculator, NY
Distance from highway: Located directly off NY-30
Cost: Free
Time needed: 10-30 minutes
Location: Mini Route 66
This pocket-sized roadside stop features a row of miniature buildings paying homage to Route 66.
Think, gas stations, diners, and general stores, all built with loving detail.
You canโt go inside, but you can peek through the windows to spot all the retro touches. Itโs directly behind Sacandaga Park and Playground, making it an ideal stop to let kids stretch their legs while you admire the Americana vibes.
World Traveler Signpost
Just a quick 94 miles to China. No passport needed.
World Traveler Signpost โ Bethel, ME
Distance from highway: Located directly off ME-35
Cost: Free
Time needed: 5 minutes
Location: World Traveler Signpost
At first glance, it appears to be a classic directional sign pointing to international destinations… Norway, China, Paris and Peru.
Then you realize the mile markers are weirdly close.
Thatโs because every place listed is actually a small town in Maine.
Built in the 1930s to promote local tourism, this quirky photo op is part geography lesson, part roadside prank, and a fun stop to remind your kids that not all travel requires a flight.
The Circle Museum
Scrap metal never looked so expressive.
The Circle Museum โ Austerlitz, NY
Distance from highway: Located directly off Route 22
Cost: Free (donations welcome)
Time needed: 20โ30 minutes
Location: The Circle Museum
This wonderfully weird backyard museum is a mash-up of welded creatures, found-object towers, and rusted-out what-ifs.
You can pull off just enough to park, but keep an eye on traffic (cars whip by fast). Watch your step in the tall grass, and donโt forget to check for ticks afterward.
And, if youโre into it (you will be), drop a few dollars in the box to help keep the chaos going.
Where to Stop Based on Your Route
โ๏ธ Escaping NYC or headed out through Long Island โ The Big Duckย
A building shaped like a duck that sells duck-themed souvenirs.ย
โ๏ธ Cruising up Route 1 in Downeast Maine? โ Worldโs Largest Lobster Trap
This 15-foot trap was built for photo ops, and it shows. Quick stop, easy parking, and yes… your kids can pose inside it.
โ๏ธ Winding through western Maine โ Worldโs Largest Telephoneย
A 14-foot rotary phone that honors the last crank system in the U.S. Itโs weird, itโs fast, and itโs literally on the side of the road.
โ๏ธ Road tripping through the Catskills โ Emerson Kaleidoscope
10 minutes of swirling lights in a silo-turned-kaleidoscope. Bonus: a fun gift shop and the kind of sensory chaos kids love.
โ๏ธ Stopping in Lake George Village? โ Mystery Spotย
Stand on the X, speak, and your voice echoes back only to you. Free, fast, and just weird enough to make them believe in magic.
โ๏ธ Driving I-91 through Western Mass? โ Dinosaur Footprintsย
Real fossil tracks right off Route 5. No entrance fee, no gift shop, just science, sneakers, and 200-million-year-old footprints.
โ๏ธ Heading through the Hudson Valley? โ The Circle Museumย
Scrap metal sculptures, welded creatures, and โwhat is that?โ energy. Quick pull-off, weird vibes, and surprisingly awesome photos.
โ๏ธ Want everything in one place? โ Check out our full TLJ Map of Weird Stops
However you map it out, these weird stops are here to make the miles a little more fun… and a lot more memorable.
Happy Travelsโฆ
