The South has no shortage of bizarre roadside attractions. In case you’re looking to make a pitstop at the “world’s largest random object,” experience an alligator petting zoo, or an underwater mermaid show, we are sharing a few weird and wonderful stops (in alphabetical order) that guarantee to make your road trip a lot more interesting.
Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo
Location: Hot Springs, AR
More info: alligatorfarmzoo.com
Founded in 1902, The Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo is one of Hot Springs’ oldest attractions. The petting area features many exotic animals, including emus, pygmy goats, and sheep. Other entertaining opportunities include feeding baby alligators with meat on a stick, witnessing live alligator feeding shows, and catching a glimpse of the famous “merman” at the property’s small museum.
Goats On The Roof
Location: Tiger, GA
More info: goats-on-the-roof.com
Arguably Rabun County’s most attention-grabbing attraction, Goats On The Roof features 14 goats grazing on a sod-covered building. Rumored to be descendants of aliens, the goats are always eager for attention and snacks from visitors. Goats On The Roof also boasts a playground, a food truck, gem mining, a gift store, and an assorted selection of delicious baked goods.
The Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum
Location: Kentwood, LA
More info: kentwoodmuseum.tripod.com
The Kentwood Historical and Cultural Arts Museum honors Britney Spears, who put the tiny Louisiana town on the map. The “unofficial Britney Spears museum” features iconic memorabilia, including the angel wings she wore on her Femme Fatale tour, life-size Britney cutouts, and the museum’s main attraction: her exact childhood bedroom where she was famously photographed by Rolling Stone in 1999.
The Gaffney Peachoid
Location: Gaffney, SC
More info: wikipedia.org/wiki/Peachoid
Nicknamed the “Peach Capital of South Carolina,” Gaffney is home to a mammoth 135-foot water tower shaped like the signature stone fruit. Painted to look like a perfectly plump, ready-to-eat peach, the landmark is often the butt of a few jokes, pun intended.
Souvenir City
Location: Gulf Shores, AL
More info: souvenircitygs.com
A Gulf Shores landmark since 1956, Souvenir City boasts thousands of trinkets and mementos. Upon arrival, a supersized shark entrance greets guests, beckoning them into a building full of air-brushed t-shirts, hermit crabs, gator heads, assorted fudge, and more.
Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park
Location: Wilson, NC
More info: wilsonwhirligigpark.org
Farm machinery repairman Vollis Simpson began making massive kinetic sculptures at his family farm in Wilson County. Fondly referred to as whirligigs, the 20- to 50-foot-tall moving structures are adorned with road signs, bicycles, steel rods, and various other recyclable materials. After Simpson died in 2013, thirty whirligigs were transported from the farm to nearby Wilson, where Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park opened in 2017.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
Location: Spring Hill, FL
More info: weekiwachee.com
Experience one of Florida’s most well-known roadside attractions — the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. The underwater performers perform three 45-minute shows per day in a 400-seat auditorium. The performances feature choreography from the past six decades, including eating and drinking underwater.
World’s Largest Chest of Drawers
Location: High Point, NC
More info: visitnc.com
Known as the “furniture capital of the world,” High Point, NC, has a giant furniture statue to prove it. The town’s chamber of commerce commissioned the gargantuan chest of drawers in 1926 to honor the town’s bustling industry. The 38-foot-tall chest also features two large socks hanging from the drawers as a nod to the area’s hosiery industry.
The next time you are on a road trip, check out these offbeat tourist attractions in the South.
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