From snowcapped peaks to sandy shorelines, there’s a lot to see when you traverse the expansive network of roadways that connect towns across the U.S. Visiting roadside attractions along the way is practically a rite of passage, in large part because they make the sometimes monotonous trip much more exciting.
Some roadside attractions are conveniently located near national parks or big cities, but others are hidden away in small towns that are farther off the beaten path.
Regardless of their location, I’d argue that they are all worth visiting if you find yourself within driving distance. That’s why we’ve rounded up 10 of the country’s most popular roadside attractions and our favorite nearby points hotels — so now you have no excuse not to go see the world’s largest mailbox.
Enchanted Highway — Gladstone, North Dakota
You don’t need to follow a yellow brick road or climb through a looking glass to find the Enchanted Highway. You need only drive along Interstate 94 between the cities of Gladstone and Regent in North Dakota. Along this 34-mile path, you’ll find a series of eight larger-than-life metal sculptures crafted by artist Gary Greff — everything from a colorful flock of pheasants to a dragon-slaying knight.
At the Enchanted Highway’s termination point in Regent, there is a gift shop where you can purchase miniature versions of the statues as keepsakes. You’ll also find a small medieval-themed hotel with a steakhouse and a tavern that you can visit even if you are just passing through.
Staybridge Suites Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota, is about an hour away from the Enchanted Highway’s starting point in Gladstone. There are several points hotels in town, but the Staybridge Suites Bismarck shines.
Standard guest amenities include complimentary breakfast, an evening reception with drinks and appetizers on select nights, an indoor pool and hot tub, and a fitness center. The pet-friendly guest rooms have kitchenettes with refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves and stovetops, as well as spacious living areas.
Rates at the Staybridge Suites Bismarck start around $146 or 25,000 IHG One Rewards points per night.
Unclaimed Baggage — Scottsboro, Alabama
Have you ever wondered what happens to lost luggage that goes unclaimed? Quite a lot of it ends up in a 50,000-square-foot store in Scottsboro, Alabama. At the aptly named Unclaimed Baggage Center, you’ll find wall-to-wall treasures ranging from AirPods to Armani suits at heavily discounted prices. (Before you ask, no, they can’t help you find your lost baggage.)
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Unclaimed Baggage also houses a cafe that serves lunch, snacks, coffee and ice cream. Each day, store employees choose one lucky visitor to open a suitcase and sort through the contents.
106 Jefferson Huntsville, Curio Collection by Hilton
Hilton’s 106 Jefferson Huntsville, located in nearby Huntsville, Alabama, features midcentury modern design with an art-forward flair. The hotel is conveniently located in the center of downtown Huntsville, with shops, restaurants, museums and more just a short walk away.
The hotel’s 115 guest rooms come equipped with down duvets and pillows, Gilchrist & Soames toiletries and Keurig coffee makers. Make time for a visit to the hotel’s rooftop bar, Baker & Able. The bar and its signature cocktails, Miss Able’s Daisy and Miss Baker’s Renewal, are named for the first monkeys to successfully travel to space and back.
Rates at 106 Jefferson Huntsville start around $152 or 54,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
World’s largest ball of twine — Darwin, Minnesota
While there are several contenders for the largest ball of twine, the one made by Darwin, Minnesota’s Francis A. Johnson is the largest constructed by a single person. Johnson began rolling the ball in 1950 and kept on rolling for 29 years until it reached 12 feet in diameter and 17,400 pounds.
You can see his carefully wound creation for yourself at the Darwin Twine Ball Museum. If you visit on the second Saturday of August, you can celebrate the town’s annual Twine Ball Day featuring a parade, live music, games and more.
Hotel Ivy, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Minneapolis
Hotel Ivy is just over an hour away in Minneapolis. The hotel is connected to the Minneapolis Skyway System, a collection of enclosed pedestrian bridges that connect several downtown restaurants, hotels and shops.
The 136 guest rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with views of downtown, plush bathrobes, Byredo toiletries and luxury bedding. During your stay, pamper yourself at Anda Spa and dine at Masa & Agave, the hotel’s basement-level Mexican cantina.
Rates at Hotel Ivy start around $237 or 49,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Cadillac Ranch — Amarillo, Texas
There is possibly no more iconic U.S. road than Route 66. The Mother Road, as it is often called, does more than connect dozens of small towns between Chicago and Los Angeles; it symbolizes the spirit of freedom and possibility that we all feel when we hit the open road. Along that road, you’ll find one of the country’s most iconic roadside attractions: Cadillac Ranch.
The 1970s art installation near the Arnot Road exit comprises 10 Cadillacs half-buried in the ground and coated in countless layers of spray paint. Cadillac Ranch is open 24 hours a day, and there is no fee to visit — but you’ll need to bring your own spray paint if you want to make your mark on this piece of American history.
The Barfield, Autograph Collection
The Barfield is less than a 15-minute drive away from Cadillac Ranch in downtown Amarillo. Located in a historic building on the National Register of Historic Places, The Barfield blends boutique hotel luxury with West Texas style.
Even the hotel’s restaurant, Toscana, melds the namesake flavors of Tuscany, Italy, with Texas steakhouse fare. Meanwhile, the basement-level Paramount Recreation Club serves beer, wine and handcrafted cocktails in a reconstructed speakeasy space from 1927.
Rates at The Barfield start around $205 or 31,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
Southernmost point in the continental US — Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida, has several claims to fame. Ernest Hemingway once worked and resided there. It’s the birthplace of key lime pie. And you have to cross 42 bridges, including one that’s 7 miles long, to drive there from the mainland.
Key West is also the southernmost city in the continental U.S., marked by the landmark Southernmost Buoy at the intersection of Whitehead Street and South Street. When you visit the buoy (and take the required selfies), you are only 90 miles from Cuba.
The Reach Key West, Curio Collection by Hilton
The Reach Key West is a beachfront hotel within walking distance of the Southernmost Buoy and several other popular attractions, such as The Hemingway Home & Museum and the Key West Lighthouse.
The hotel’s guest rooms have nautical-inspired decor befitting the beachy views outside your window. Not to mention, the oceanfront restaurant, Four Marlins, serves the best key lime pie on the island.
Rates at The Reach Key West start around $239 or 61,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
6-ton prairie dog — Cactus Flat, South Dakota
The Ranch Store of the Badlands isn’t just any roadside gift shop. Sure, you can get postcards, T-shirts, snacks and other trinkets, but the big (and I mean big) draw here is the 12-foot-tall, 6-ton giant prairie dog that stands outside the shop.
The reason why this prairie dog towers over the South Dakota plains (other than being an adorable photo-op) is thanks to a colony of real-life prairie dogs that live right next door. There are even peanuts for purchase inside the Ranch Store that you can feed to the prairie dogs.
Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City, Curio Collection by Hilton
Hotel Alex Johnson is just over an hour away from the Ranch Store of the Badlands in Rapid City, South Dakota (and only a 30-minute drive from Mount Rushmore National Memorial). Open since 1928, this 143-room boutique hotel pays tribute to the area’s Lakota and Sioux Native American heritage through handcrafted art and decor.
Guests can dine with panoramic views of the Black Hills at Juniper at Vertex, a rooftop-level restaurant. Or, for a taste of Ireland, there’s Paddy O’Neill’s Pub.
Rates at Hotel Alex Johnson start around $78 or 28,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Wall Drug — Wall, South Dakota
It’s likely you’ve seen cars with “Wall Drug” stickers plastered on their bumpers over the years without ever knowing quite what — or where — Wall Drug was. Wall Drug is something of an institution in the town of Wall, South Dakota, on the outskirts of Badlands National Park. Open since 1931, Wall Drug began as a small 24-by-60-foot drugstore that made a name for itself by serving up free ice water to thirsty travelers.
Today, the shop (which is located across the street from the original location) spans 76,000 square feet of souvenirs, restaurants, art and, yes, free ice water (or 5-cent coffee and a doughnut if you need a pick-me-up). Be sure to also visit the “Backyard” area, where kids can pan for gold, see a miniature Mount Rushmore and snap a photo atop a giant jackalope.
Under Canvas Mount Rushmore
Under Canvas Mount Rushmore is a little over an hour from Wall Drug and less than 4 miles from Mount Rushmore. Here, you can sleep under the stars (best viewed through the viewing window above your bed when you book a Stargazer tent) while surrounded by towering pines.
Glamping tents are outfitted with comfortable beds, wood-burning stoves, private bathrooms and furnished decks. When you aren’t exploring the nearby parks and monuments, you can take part in resort activities like hiking, yoga, live music, games and on-site dining.
Rates at Under Canvas Mount Rushmore start around $252 or 18,125 World of Hyatt points per night.
World’s largest baseball bat — Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky, may be best known for bourbon and horse racing, but Derby City produces approximately 1.8 million Louisville Slugger baseball bats each year, so its connection to America’s pastime can’t be overlooked. You can see exactly how Louisville Slugger transforms trees into home-run hitters at the museum and factory tour.
At the museum’s entrance, you’ll find the world’s largest baseball bat standing 120 feet tall and weighing 68,000 pounds. Anyone can stop and marvel at the bat towering above Louisville’s skyline, but if you step inside and take the factory tour, you’ll go home with your very own miniature Louisville Slugger.
Hotel Bourre Bonne Louisville, Curio Collection by Hilton
Hotel Bourre Bonne is one of the newest to join Louisville’s lineup of boutique properties. It’s a 15-minute walk or a short drive to the Slugger Museum and other downtown attractions, such as the Kentucky Science Center, the Frazier History Museum, the Muhammad Ali Center and the distilleries in Louisville’s bourbon district.
The decor is bold and sophisticated, with nods to Kentucky’s Southern charm and bourbon heritage. From the rooftop pool and bourbon lounge to the Southern-style steakhouse, all of Hotel Bourre Bonne’s amenities feel luxe and inviting.
Rates at Hotel Bourre Bonne start around $176 or 57,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Small town full of big things — Casey, Illinois
Casey, Illinois, would like to take your one roadside attraction and raise you 12 Guinness World Record Largest attractions. The small town is home to the world’s largest mailbox (you can even climb inside of it), golf tee, rocking chair and barbershop pole, to name a few. The city keeps a full list and map so you can find them all.
In addition to the world-record holders, there are several other oversized items you can see, including a massive pizza slicer, a piggy bank, a cactus and an ear of corn.
Hilton Garden Inn Terre Haute
Terre Haute, Indiana, is less than 40 minutes from Casey and offers plenty of hotel options. The Hilton Garden Inn Terre Haute is a solid choice thanks to its downtown location, indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, on-site restaurant serving breakfast and dinner, and variety of room types.
In addition to standard rooms, the hotel offers junior suites, each with two queen beds and a separate living area with a sofa bed that sleeps up to six guests.
Rates at the Hilton Garden Inn Terre Haute start around $125 or 43,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Bedrock City — Williams, Arizona
There’s so much to do in and around the Grand Canyon that you may forget one very special thing you can’t “Yabba-Dabba-Doo” anywhere else. You only have to drive about 30 minutes from Grand Canyon National Park to travel back to “The Flintstones” stone-age town of Bedrock.
Bedrock City features life-size replicas of iconic landmarks from the show, such as Fred’s house, Barney’s house, a post office and a jail. It also features several character sculptures, vehicles and a brontosaurus slide. Admission is $10 per person, but guests of the on-site campground get in for free.
Under Canvas Grand Canyon
Under Canvas Grand Canyon is less than a 10-minute drive from Bedrock City and only a 25-minute drive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim Entrance. This upscale glamping resort is Dark Sky certified for nighttime views just as gorgeous as those during the day.
Inside your tent, you’ll enjoy amenities like West Elm furnishings and organic bath products in your private bathroom, while outside, you can participate in all kinds of daily activities, including yoga, live music and s’mores by the fire.
Rates at Under Canvas Grand Canyon start around $197 or 16,500 World of Hyatt points per night.
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
