There are countless landmarks, museums and oddities all over the country that you probably haven’t seen but are definitely worth a closer look. Here are quick glances at a few of those.

Layovers can be something of a chore–it’s not uncommon for it to be a “hurry up and wait” sort of situation. The result of this, of course, is a deep need to see the things that the countryside has to offer. After a few trips around the country, or to one particular place, the chances are pretty good that you’ve seen the obvious sights–aside, of course, from the countless truck stops our highways have to offer. But what of the hidden gems out there? There are countless landmarks, museums and oddities all over the country that you probably haven’t seen but are definitely worth a closer look. Here are quick glances at a few of those.

Northeast

7 Wonders of God Creatures

We begin in Houlton, Maine, home of Jerry Cardone and his “7 Wonders of God Creatures.” On his 7-acre property, Mr. Cardone maintains a virtual cornucopia of weirdness–from Bigfoot and Santa statues, to UFO’s (he claims to have been abducted by aliens on more than one occasion himself) and largescale dinosaur models.
Address: 314 Military St., Houlton, ME. Directions: I-95 exit 304 onto Airport Drive. Drive south, then take the first right onto US 2/Military St. Drive approximately one mile. Your destination will be on the right; park across the street on the left.

Clark’s Trading Post

In Lincoln, New Hampshire, you’re in for an old-school treat at Clark’s Trading Post. Think “elaborate bear show wherein trained bears play basketball,” and you’re almost there. There’s also an imposing Neanderthal who playfully harasses patrons and a stuffed two-headed calf–something for almost everyone.
Address: US Rte. 3, Lincoln, NH. Directions: I-93 exit 33, one mile South on Route 3. Hours: July-August, 9-5:45; from Mid-May to Mid-October, hours vary. Call 603-745-8913 to verify.

Mutter Museum

Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum is the gold standard in museums covering medical weirdnesses. Exhibits include a plaster cast of the first documented Siamese twins and a large collection of things swallowed and removed from people (and there’s some pretty unbelievable stuff in there). There’s much, much more at the Mutter museum, too much to even discuss–but you can bet that you won’t forget any of it anytime soon.
Address: 19 S. 22nd St., Philadelphia PA. Hours: Daily 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

Southeast

South of the Border

What better place to start in the American South than South of the Border? No, not Mexico. Dillon, South Carolina’s South of the Border is a tourism haven that must be seen to be believed–with numerous gift shops, restaurants, a glass tower with an elevator, campgrounds, and more.
Address: I-95 US 301/501, Dillon, SC. Directions: I-95 exit 1 in SC. Follow the billboards. You’ve probably seen them before.

International Towing and Recovery Museum

Chattanooga’s International Towing and Recovery Museum is exactly what you think it is: a museum highlighting the history, equipment, and people of the towing industry. The building is chock full of wreckers, exhibits, statues, and information about the towing industry. Fun fact: the first tow truck was built in Chattanooga, which explains the location of the International Towing and Recovery Museum.
Address: 3315 Broad Street, Chattanooga, TN. Directions: I-24, exit 178. Merge onto Market Street, then turn left onto 20th street. Then, turn left onto Broad Street. The museum will be on your right.

Midwest

Dead Pals of Sam Sanfillippo

How could you possibly pass up a trip here with such a descriptive name? In short, Madison, Wisconsin’s Dead Pals of Sam Sanfillippo is a shockingly large collection of taxidermy featuring many types of fish and, perhaps more notably, posed squirrels and chipmunks doing just about everything you can possibly imagine, like playing cards, sitting in a rocking chair with a pipe, and so on. I’m not seeing how this couldn’t be completely fascinating.
Address: 6021 University Ave., Madison, WI.

Carhenge

Alliance, Nebraska’s Carhenge is exactly what you think it is: an artistic take on good ol’ Stonehenge made out of cars. 38 of them, to be exact, and they were all “rescued” from destruction and/or wear on folks’ lawns or local dumps. It’s an amazing sight.
Directions: Alliance, Nebraska is at the convergence of Highways 2, 87, and State route 385.

Southwest

Beer Can House

In Houston, TX, the late John Milkovisch decorated his house with beer cans. He didn’t put them on a series of shelves like you or I might have. He decorated the outside of his house. With approximately 39,000 cans. It took him about 18 years. The result looks like a cross between medieval armor and Christmas decorations.
Address: 222 Malone, Houston, TX. Directions: From I-45, South of the intersection of I-10, exit at Memorial Drive. Drive West one mile. After the North Shepherd Drive exit, turn right on Malone St. 222 Malone is two blocks north.

The Thing?

Dragoon, Arizona is a somewhat remote town 65 miles from Tucson, its nearest large city. The Thing, as the many surrounding billboards say, is “The Mystery of The Desert.” What is it? The Thing has been a tourist attraction since 1950. There are a number of exhibits and, in total, The Thing is more or less a sort of museum of assorted oddities. That is, until you get to the main attraction–but I can’t tell you what it is. That’d give away the mystery.
Address: 2631 N Johnson Rd, Dragoon, AZ. Directions: I-10, exit 322 on the South side of the Highway.

West Coast

Mysterious Moving Rocks of Death Valley National Park

In Death Valley National Park there’s a mud flat referred to as “The Racetrack” where the rocks tumble off of the mountains to the ground below and then, after settling, move by themselves. Only, nobody sees them move. How do we know they move? They leave trails. What are the chances you’ll be able to see a large rock skipping across the land on its own? There’s no way to know unless you check it out for yourself.
Directions: Hwy 190 into Death Valley National Park. At the intersection of Hwy 190 and North Hwy, turn North onto North Hwy for about 33 miles. Turn left onto Racetrack Valley Road and stay on it for 31 miles. “The Racetrack” will be on the left.

Star Trek: The Experience

Admittedly, this one’s for the geekier folks, but it’s still worth mentioning for the sheer complexity and completeness of the destination. Located in Las Vegas, it’s got all the glitz and glamor that you might expect from such a place–but Star Trek: The Experience is reasonably family friendly. It’s essentially designed for you to feel like you’re in an episode of the Sci-fi classic, which, if you’re anything like me, sounds like it’d be a pretty good time–or at least deeply interesting. To boot, there’s a new location opening at some point this year.

Northwest

Marsh’s Free Museum

Located in Long Beach, Washington, Marsh’s Free Museum is a collection of oddities of all varieties, including a number of stuffed animals (including an eight-legged, two-headed deer), musical contraptions, and the museum’s crown jewel, Jake the Alligator Man. It’s also notable that Marsh’s Free Museum is across the street from The World’s Largest Frying Pan.
Address:409 Pacific Avenue South, Long Beach, WA

Fossil Cabin

While it’s currently closed for tours, this house in Medicine Bow, Wyoming still stands–and how could it not? It’s made of fossilized dinosaur bones. If you’re anywhere close to the house, it’s still worth the trip, if for no other reason than to get a picture of it. It was named by Robert Ripley to be the “Oldest Cabin in the World,” no doubt a play on words.
Address: US Hwy 30, Medicine Bow, WY

If you can manage to make it to any of these spots (and there are certainly countless other out-of-the-way sites worth a mention that didn’t make it into this article), post your photos and/or stories in the EO forum. Do you have any wild sights from your layovers? Tell us about them in the comment section.