Iconic American roads are famous for some fun and crazy roadside attractions. Everything from the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Kansas to Cadillac Ranch in Texas. See a full list here. Since we have driven across the USA multiple times, we have visited some of these quirky and unexpected sites. So on our recent return drive from Maine to Washington State, we visited four more. Here are our suggestions for Fun Roadside Attractions Cross Country Interstate 90.
Interstate 90
On our 6 previous cross-country road trips we have wandered around multiple interstates, back roads and the iconic Route 66. But for the purpose of this round trip cross country drive we stuck pretty close to Interstate 90. I-90 is an amazing interstate system that starts in Seattle and ends in Boston Massachusetts. It’s well maintained, and despite parts of the interstate being in wide open and sparsely populated regions, it is safe.
History of Roadside Attractions
When I was a kid we drove from Seattle to the Redwood Forests and my clearest memory of that trip is a giant Paul Bunyan and his Blue Ox Babe! I don’t really remember the trees! US road travel has always been part of the culture, and US entrepreneurs have cashed in on this for generations. Here is what Wikipedia says about the history of roadside attractions;
When long-distance road travel became practical and popular in the 1920s, entrepreneurs began building restaurants, motels, coffee shops, cafes, and unusual businesses to attract travelers.[4][5] Many of the buildings were attractions in themselves in the form of novelty architecture, depicting everyday objects of enormous size, typically relating to the items sold there.[6] Some other types of roadside attractions include monuments and fictionalized-paranormal/illusionary amusements such as the Mystery Spot near Santa Cruz, California,[7] or curiosities such as The Thing? along Interstate 10 in Arizona.[8]
With the construction of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in the mid-1950s, many roadside attractions were bypassed and quickly went out of business.[5] Some remained attractive enough to divert travelers from the interstate for a brief respite and thus remain in business. (Wikipedia)
Some Quirky and Some Not
In this post today I’m sharing four US Roadside Attractions we visited on our return trip. Two are a bit quirky, and two were fascinating. Here is our list;
Jolly Green Giant
If you grew up in the USA in the 1960’s, the Jolly Green Giant TV Commercial and jingle were part of daily life. The Jolly Green Giant brand of canned and frozen vegetables created the iconic symbol in 1928. The 55 foot fiberglass statue of The Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth Minnesota, right on I-90, was created in 1978. It attracts more than 10,000 visitors a year, including me and my husband in September.
SPAM Museum
How this humble meat in a square can became an icon around the world is the story you will learn at the SPAM Museum in Austin Minnesota. I was pleasantly surprised by this fun, colorful, interesting, educational and FREE museum. Located in the heart of the historic community of Austin. SPAM (an acronym for Spiced Ham) is manufactured by the Hormel Company. George Hormel founded Hormel Foods which today owns multiple well-known products under many other brand names, such as Applegate, Columbus Craft Meats, Herdez, Jennie-O, Planters, SKIPPY, and WHOLLY.
The museum is colorful and fun and kids would love it. There are multiple interactive activities as well as recipes, history, science, a gift shop and free samples! Over 100,000 people visit each year. I really enjoyed our visit and recommend it highly.
The Corn Palace
I arrived at The Corn Palace in Mitchell South Dakota having done zero research and expecting something tacky and kitschy. Absolutely not. We were astonished. It is so much more than a tacky tourist attraction…it is the center of the lovely small historic farming town of Mitchell.
The Corn Palace website describes the history as;
Eight years before the turn of the 20th century, in 1892 (when Mitchell, South Dakota was a small, 12-year-old city of 3,000 inhabitants) the World’s Only Corn Palace was established on the city’s Main Street. During it’s over 100 years of existence, it has become known worldwide and now attracts more than a half a million visitors annually.
The palace was conceived as a gathering place where city residents and their rural neighbors could enjoy a fall festival with extraordinary stage entertainment – a celebration to climax a crop-growing season and harvest. This tradition continues today with the annual Corn Palace Festival held in late August each year.
Some 500,000 tourists come from around the nation each year to see the uniquely designed corn murals. The city’s first Corn Palace was built as a way to prove to the world that South Dakota had a healthy agricultural climate. (Corn Palace Website)
I was astonished by the beauty of the interior performing and sporting venue, as well as the annually-changed exterior murals made of corn and corn byproducts. More than 500,000 people visit the Corn Palace each year. I highly recommend a visit to the Worlds Only Corn Palace when in South Dakota.
Wall Drug
One of the most famous USA roadside attractions is in the small town of Wall South Dakota, where more than 2 million people a year visit Wall Drug. And to think it all started with free ice water in 1931.
The depression was raging, offering something free…even water…was unheard of. But Wall Drug founder Theodore “Ted” Hustead, took a chance. He used free ice water and catchy roadside signs to lure visitors on their way to Mount Rushmore and the Badlands. And today, millions of people follow in those same tracks. Today the sprawling complex is a bit tourist kitsch, with tsotskys and old West theme. But, especially for kids, there is a lot of fun to be had. We had a cup of the iconic 5-cent coffee (it was good), walked around on a chilly October day and smiled at the wide range of crazy sights from a giant Jack Rabbit to a T Rex. Something for everyone in Wall Drug, Wall South Dakota.
Driving Across the USA
Our month long trip covered 16 states and 8400 miles. Sometimes exhausting but always entertaining. I will share one more Road Trip Blog Post coming up…but I hope you enjoyed today’s Fun Roadside Attractions Cross Country Interstate 90. Be sure to see our other posts from our cross country trip; Yellowstone National Park USA, One Day in Chicago Illinois, Cleveland Ohio Museums Not to Miss and Visit the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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