Land of the free, home of the weird

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Far away from the humdrum sights you’ll encounter on an average bus tour in the U.S. are some seriously offbeat attractions you won’t find anywhere else.

Eminently more than simple highway diversions, these unusual roadside constructions are destinations in themselves.  Travelling independently with your own set of wheels is the only way you’ll manage to stumble upon most of them; so check your car insurance (particularly if you’re renting a car) and hit the road.

Roadtrippin' / Flickr photo by izahorsky

The Forevertron, Wisconsin

Head south on Wisconsin’s Highway 13 to North Freedom for a glimpse at some extraordinary outdoor sculpture. Using cast off materials such as old carburetors and discarded machine parts, scrap metal artist Tom Every has built an elaborate science fiction landscape that sprawls across nearly 10 acres of land. Every began his outdoor artwork in 1983, incorporating the intricate beauty of machine aged parts and outdated industrial equipment.

The largest and most commanding structure on Every’s property is a colossal sculpture he calls the Forevertron. Spanning some 7,200 square feet, this elaborate creation incorporates elements as diverse as old lightning rods, a 32-foot telescope and the old decontamination chamber from the Apollo 11. The final result is a symmetrical and futuristic-looking 50-foot-tall sculpture, which bears a strange resemblance to India’s Taj Mahal.

Forevertron, Wisconsin / Flickr photo by Tom Huesing

Coral Castle, Florida

A Latvian immigrant named Edward Leedskalin single-handedly built Coral Castle, located in Homestead, Florida. After his bride-to-be left him standing at the altar, Leedskalin left Latvia heartbroken to work in America and settled in South Florida in 1918. Over the next 28 years, this former stonemason designed and built a spectacular fortress out of local coral limestone in the hopes that his beloved would someday return to live with him.

Not much is known about how Leedskalin was able to build a castle with no outside assistance or large machinery, using only hand tools to carve and sculpt over 2.2 million tons of coral rock. Among the castle’s many innovations are a stone rocking chair and a nine-ton revolving gate that can still be opened with the touch of a finger. The artist’s bride never did return to him, but this mysterious castle still stands as spectacular monument to his unrequited love.

Coral castle, Florida / Flickr photo by wojciech.felendzer

Land of Pasaquan, Georgia

Rural Marion County, Georgia, is home to one of the most colorful and strangest visionary art environments ever created. Known as the Land of Pasaquan, it features nearly four acres of ritualistic-looking temples, fences and totem poles painted in bright, bold, psychedelic patterns.

The artist behind this strange spectacle was Eddie Owens Martin, a man whose life took a bizarre and unexpected turn after he experienced a vision during a fever-ridden illness. While suffering from severe pneumonia, Martin was “visited” by giants from a future land called Pasaquan, who entrusted him to spread their message of peace and beauty on earth. Following their cosmic guidance, he did just that, and spent the next 30 years devising this spectacular landscape in their honor.

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

One of the most impressive public artworks ever created is the Heidelberg Project, an ever-evolving outdoor museum spanning over two city blocks in a formerly blighted neighborhood on the east side of Detroit.

Growing up here as a child, artist Tyree Guyton witnessed the devastation caused by the 1967 Detroit riots and the effect it had on the surrounding neighborhood. Heidelberg Street, where he lived, had become a series of empty lots and abandoned buildings, a forgotten urban ghetto full of violence, poverty and despair.

Seeking to improve the lives of the people in this community through art, Guyton took to the streets in 1986 with the neighborhood’s kids in tow. Together, they turned abandoned houses into gigantic art sculptures that incorporated discarded everyday objects – old sneakers, hubcaps, and anything else they could find. Armed with paintbrushes, they covered old buildings with brightly colored polka dots, transforming the neighborhood into a impressive artwork and a welcoming attraction for tourists and visitors. The project continues to grow today and attracts over 275,000 visitors each year.

Heidelberg project / Flickr photo by Wigwam Jones

Watts Towers, California

Located in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, the Watts Towers are the work of one visionary man – an Italian immigrant named Simon Rodia. A construction worker by day and artist by night, Rodia spent the better part of 34 years designing and building his unusual spires. Constructing 17 cylindrical sculptures of mortar covered steel, he adorned each with tiles, sea shells, bits of pottery and broken glass. The two tallest are over 99 feet – truly impressive glimmering against the city’s blue skies.

For more than 50 years, architects, artists and community activists have visited the towers and fought successfully to preserve them. Today, Rodia’s iconic towers draw over 12,000 visitors annually and the site is now designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Watts Towers / Flickr photo by Ribena