New York state is legendary for its weird and wonderful roadside attractions—the kind that turn quick drives into memorable detours. Here are 11 of the weirdest spots worth stopping for:
Weirdest Roadside Attractions in New York
Large outdoor sculpture of a troll-like creature in a crawling pose, presented as a roadside attraction
World’s Largest Kaleidoscope (Mount Tremper)
Step inside an actual barn-sized kaleidoscope and enjoy a psychedelic, immersive show.
Balanced Rock (North Salem)
A 60-ton granite boulder delicately perched on smaller stones—it’s New York’s own Stonehenge and a place of local myth.
Secret Caverns (Howes Cave)
The rival to Howe Caverns, Secret Caverns is marked by zany hand-painted signs and features funky tours and a hidden waterfall.
Two-Story Brick Outhouse (Pine Creek)
A literal double-decker outhouse with three “seats” upstairs and three downstairs, built as a community joke.
Oldest Living Fossil Trees (Schoharie County)
Stand among ancient trees known as the oldest in the world, hiding in a rural graveyard.
RiverWorks Giant Six-Pack (Buffalo)
Massive beer cans—100 feet tall!—now form the structure of part of RiverWorks Brewing Co. in Buffalo.
Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse (Kinderhook)
This preserved one-room schoolhouse is named for the character from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and fits the town’s spooky appeal.
Crawling Troll Sculpture (various towns)
Huge troll-like wooden sculptures built by Danish artist Thomas Dambo draw crowds and photo ops across New York.
Prosser Hollow Schoolhouse (Pindars Corners)
A quirky, tiny brick school, it still turns heads for its classic 19th-century design.
A Boy’s Grave with a Window (Chenango County)
A poignant oddity: a child’s grave topped with a window so his mother could visit after burial.
Cohoes Mastodon (Cohoes)
A quirky display honoring a 13,000-year-old mastodon discovered locally, complete with restored skeleton and giant statue.
These eclectic stops show off the playful, quirky, and sometimes touching side of New York road culture.
SOURCES
(https://cnynews.com/new-york-roadside-oddities/)
(https://www.cnbankpa.com/Resource-Center/Education/C-N-Library/Roadside-Attractions)(https://www.fiftygrande.com/50-weirdest-roadside-attractions/)
(https://www.cheapism.com/roadside-attractions/)
(https://www.atlasobscura.com/things-to-do/new-york-state)
