34 Unique New England Roadside Attractions: One-Off Wonders for Your Next Road Trip

Ready to hit the road with a quirky New England twist? From giant sculptures to delightfully oddball museums, these 34 unique New England roadside attractions add charm, whimsy, and maybe even a dash of weird to your next adventure.

Connecticut Roadside Attractions

Connecticut River Ferries | Chester, Hadlyme, Rocky Hill, and Glastonbury

New England’s two shortest voyages take place on its longest river. Car and pedestrian ferries cross the Connecticut between Chester and Hadlyme, home of Gillette Castle State Park; and between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury. The latter is said to be America’s oldest continuously operating ferry, dating from a 1655 raft-and-pole operation, while the former employs one of the region’s most venerable working watercraft: the three-quarter-century-old Selden III. Capacity is limited … but you won’t wait long for the next trip.

Dinosaur State Park | Rocky Hill

For a few weeks some 200 million years ago, mud conditions were just right for capturing roughly 2,000 dinosaur footprints in this central area of Connecticut. Dried and buried, they were discovered during highway construction in 1966, and over 750 of the prints are preserved under a geodesic dome at the park. There’s also a casting area, where visitors bringing their own materials can create mementos far beyond the usual souvenir-shop offerings.

The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat | Essex

Three steam locomotives, two more than a century old, join the riverboat Becky Thatcher as stars of a two-and-a-half-hour excursion along the lower Connecticut River Valley. The trip begins at Essex’s 1892 station and takes in sights such as Gillette Castle, the Goodspeed Opera House, and secluded Selden Neck State Park. Separate boat and train rides are also offered, as are Essex Clipper dinner trains featuring four-course meals served in restored 1920s dining cars.

Helen S. Kaman Rose Garden at Elizabeth Park | West Hartford

Looking for Grandma’s Blessing? Or an Orchid Romance? Those are two of the 800 varieties of roses blooming on some 15,000 lovingly tended bushes at this 2.5-acre garden dating from 1904. Plantings include climbing, shrub, and pillar roses, along with the ramblers that adorn arches spanning garden paths radiating from a central gazebo. The arch roses, often a wedding-photo staple, are in bloom for only a few weeks in June and July; many others bloom into autumn.

Louis’ Lunch | New Haven

Frankfurters are from Frankfurt, but hamburgers … aren’t from Hamburg. They’re from New Haven, where they were invented (says the Library of Congress) by Louis Lassen in 1900. Lassen’s stroke of genius was to tuck a beef patty between two slices of toast for a hurried customer. Four generations of Lassens later, burgers cooked in a vertical broiler of great antiquity are served the same way, garnished only—only—with cheese, tomato, and onion.

Pez Visitor Center | Orange

What do Marilyn Monroe, Harry Potter, Donald Duck, and the space shuttle have in common? They’ve all been modeled as dispensers for the little candy bricks called Pez. Invented in Austria in 1927 (the name comes from “pfefferminz,” German for “peppermint”), the candies first popped out of their little mechanical boxes in 1949. More than 1,000 designs later, the dispensers are a chronicle of pop culture, on view here along with a peek at the Pez production area.

Maine Roadside Attractions

Desert of Maine | Freeport

In a state famous for its pine forests and rockbound coast, what could stand out more than a 20-acre desert? Freeport’s glacial-era sand once lay beneath topsoil that was stripped away by poor farming practices and overgrazing, revealing the makings of a now-century-old tourist attraction that’s grown to include a farmhouse museum, a train ride, mini golf, glamping, and the chance to conjure a bit of Lawrence of Arabia.

Eartha | Yarmouth

With a diameter of more than 41 feet and an 18-minute rotation cycle, Eartha is the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe. Spectacularly detailed via the use of satellite imagery and color-shaded representation of ocean depths, the vast orb revolves in the atrium of the former headquarters of the DeLorme Mapping Company, now part of Garmin. During business hours, visitors can circle the planet at floor or balcony level. Illuminated at night, it’s visible from Route 1. Open weekdays 9 a.m.–3 p.m.; 2 DeLorme Drive

Maine Solar System Model | Presque Isle (and beyond)

New England’s largest state can afford the space … for space. The University of Maine has created a model of the solar system that stretches for nearly 100 miles along Route 1, from the Presque Isle campus to Topsfield. Starting with the sun and extending to the dwarf planet Eris, the three-dimensional models stand at scale-appropriate distances; look for Earth at Percy’s Auto Sales on the outskirts of Presque Isle.

Maine State Prison Showroom | Thomaston

The shop at Thomaston features over 600 prisoner-crafted products, including kitchenware such as cutting boards and charcuterie boards, wooden toys, casual furniture, decorative chests and boxes, and—though there’s no such Pine Tree State prison—travel mugs bearing the “Shawshank” name.

Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory | Prospect

Opened in 2006, the 2,120-foot span across the lower Penobscot is doubly distinctive: It’s one of only two in the U.S. built with cable stays that carry the deck without anchorage in the pylons, and, atop the 420-foot west tower, the world’s tallest public bridge observatory offers 360-degree views reaching from Maine’s western mountains to Penobscot Bay and Islesboro at the river’s mouth. Adjacent is massive granite Fort Knox, one of the best-preserved military fortifications on the New England coast, completed in 1869.

Perry’s Nut House | Belfast

A night in a motel always goes down better with a movie, a favorite beverage … and a bag of cashews. Perry’s has spent almost a century supplying travelers with that indispensable last item plus peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and just about every nut combo ever devised, along with fudge, handmade chocolates, trail mix, and much more. All this, plus a museum of oddities such as a mounted gorilla and a preserved alligator hide.

Massachusetts Roadside Attractions

Bridge of Flowers | Shelburne Falls

What to do with a streetcar bridge when the last streetcar has run? Shelburne Falls faced that question in 1927—but just two years later, a volunteer team of gardeners turned the weedy, derelict span into a horticultural showpiece. With a pedestrian pathway extending the length of the bridge and lined with plantings that bloom from April to November, the Bridge of Flowers is a colorful master class in adaptive reuse. (Note: Closed for renovations since last June, the bridge is scheduled to reopen this year. Check the website for updates.)

Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden | Springfield

Horton, the Lorax, and Cindy Lou Who / The Cat in the Hat, with his Things One and Two / They’re all here in Springfield, home of their creator / And you simply must see them, sooner or later. Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, grew up in this western Massachusetts city, where a bronze bevy of his characters graces a quadrangle adjacent to the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum.

Edward Gorey House | Yarmouth Port

It doesn’t look all that macabre—just another Cape Cod sea captain’s house. But its late owner, Edward Gorey, was a master of whimsically creepy stories illustrated in a Gothic minimalist style all his own. Gorey’s residence from 1979 until his death in 2000, the 200-year-old home is preserved as a museum dedicated to his life and work. Special events are planned for this year’s centennial of his birth, and the bookstore features Gorey titles and merchandise.

Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens | South Deerfield

It’s as if a fifth of an equatorial acre has been whisked away to the Pioneer Valley, and preserved alive under glass: orchids, a koi pond, Akbar the parrot, and over 4,000 gorgeous butterflies. Some 45 species of colorful Lepidoptera flutter freely in a bright enclosure teeming with tropical plants that reach to the ceiling.

Mapparium | Boston

For a look at the world from the inside out, head to the Christian Science Plaza and its Mapparium, a three-story stained glass globe bisected by an equator-level interior walkway. Created in 1935, the vast globe shows the world as it was then: U.S.S.R., Siam, and all. Tours of the globe include a sound and light show with narration, and the attraction is part of a larger “How Do You See the World?” experience.

Ponyhenge | Lincoln

Lincoln isn’t Massachusetts’s horsiest area—that honor goes to the North Shore, with its “fox” hunt and polo field. But out here on Old Sudbury Road, a special kind of equine has been proliferating since 2010. That was the year when someone placed a retired rocking horse in an idle pasture, starting a mysterious roundup of as many as 50 of the sprightly creatures. They’re frequently rearranged … or, maybe late at night, they rearrange themselves.

New Hampshire Roadside Attractions

Albacore Park | Portsmouth

Resembling an enormous tuna somehow beached on Portsmouth’s shoreline, the appropriately named USS Albacore represents a revolution in submarine design. Launched at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1953 and brought back home in 1984, this research sub proved the value of its plump, fishy hull over older designs shaped mainly for surface operations. A self-guided tour takes visitors through tight quarters where more than 50 sailors once lived for weeks at a time. 

America’s Stonehenge | Salem

Did ancient Phoenicians or medieval Celts visit New Hampshire? Did they erect the warren of stone walls and chambers clustered mysteriously on these 30 acres? Did they leave inscriptions in half-forgotten alphabets? Or are we looking at the work of Native Americans, known to have lived here four millennia ago? Do the stones form an accurate astronomical calendar? Visitors following a half-mile trail on self-guided tours will have to decide for themselves.

Redstone Rocket | Warren

A legendary military retiree and veteran of the U.S. space program stands tall—73 feet tall—on tiny Warren’s village green. It’s a Redstone rocket, similar to those that once carried nuclear warheads, launched America’s first satellite, and powered New Hampshire–born Alan Shepard on his 1961 suborbital flight. Salvaged from a rocket graveyard at Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal in 1971, it was hauled here by a Warren native stationed at the arsenal. 112 Water St.

Ruggles Mine | Grafton

Back in the early 1800s, a Boston entrepreneur named Sam Ruggles established a mica mine in west central New Hampshire. Over the years, the open-pit operation also yielded feldspar, beryl, and semiprecious garnets and amethysts. Mining here ceased long ago, but the site has kept its attraction for amateur prospectors. For the price of admission, visitors can haul away a five-gallon bucket of rocks and minerals. Campsites are available for those who want to try again tomorrow.

Santa’s Village | Jefferson

Santa’s too big a guy to fit into one month, so he’s inspired a whole village—actually, an entire amusement park—north of the White Mountains. He’s here for photo ops at his home, and presides over a parkwide search for elves, a blacksmith shop making rings for little fingers, a barn where kids can feed reindeer, a water park, and lots more. Rides include a monorail, train, carousel, and the new Midnight Flyer roller coaster.

Story Land | Glen

As the song says, fairy tales can come true. It’s happened for kids and the young at heart for over 70 years at this amusement park tucked between North Conway and Mount Washington. After breakfast with characters—and before tea with Cinderella—take a spin in Alice in Wonderland teacups, sail with Peter Pan, ride a kid-friendly coaster and an antique carousel, and get wet on a water chute … or wetter at the Moo Lagoon water park.

Rhode Island Roadside Attractions

Flying Horse Carousel | Watch Hill

Most carousel horses go up and down, but the ones at this seaside merry-go-round prefer centrifugal force. America’s oldest operating carousel featuring ponies suspended from chains has delighted children (riders must be 12 or younger) since 1883, when it was abandoned here by a traveling carnival. The 20 hand-carved steeds “fly” outward as they accelerate, giving riders a chance to snatch the brass ring for a free ride.

Green Animals Topiary Garden | Portsmouth

How do you groom a century-old giraffe? With an old-fashioned hedge clipper and lots of patient hand labor, same as you would for all the other creatures fashioned out of living privet, boxwood, and yew at America’s oldest topiary garden. Bears, an elephant, a lion, and a camel are among 80 meticulously pruned denizens of the seven-acre property that includes colorful annual gardens, a magnolia arbor, and vistas of Narragansett Bay. 

Old Stone Mill | Newport

Few of New England’s venerable structures have inspired as much controversy as this eight-arched, rough stone tower in Touro Park. It was long known as the Viking Tower, thanks to a Danish professor’s 1837 assertion that it was built by Norsemen. That theory fit the era’s Vinland mania—but carbon dating suggests a less romantic origin. The tower was likely a mill built in the 1600s by Rhode Island Governor Benedict Arnold, ancestor of that Benedict Arnold. 5 Touro Park St. W.

Smith’s Castle | North Kingstown

British colonist Richard Smith came to Rhode Island around 1637 and set up a trading post near Wickford Cove. His fortified house, in those dangerous days, became known as his “castle,” and his heirs later made it the center of a 3,000-acre plantation. The present castle is a handsomely preserved 1678 home with a massive kitchen hearth, wide-planked floors, and age-darkened beams, filled with fine 17th- and 18th-century furnishings. 

Spring Lake Arcade | Burrillville

Just in case the mint stops making pennies, save a few rolls and head for the nation’s oldest penny arcade. Since 1931, this temple of coin-fed fun has been a happy adjunct to the beach and paddleboat scene at Spring Lake, and, yes, it still does feature games that cost one cent. Those would be the oldest of a century’s worth of arcade games, including Skee-ball, exasperating “Steam Shovel” toy pickups, and a veritable Smithsonian of pinball.

Vermont Roadside Attractions

Chazy Fossil Reef | Isle La Motte

The world’s oldest fossil reef stands high and dry on an island in Lake Champlain. Four hundred and fifty million years ago, Isle La Motte, like the rest of the Champlain Islands—and all of Vermont—lay thousands of miles to the southeast, beneath warm Ordovician waters. The tropical sea was home to now-extinct gastropods, sponges, and other primitive marine species, visible today as fossils embedded in limestone at two island locations.

Dog Chapel | St. Johnsbury

Anyone who has seen Stephen Huneck’s books and woodcut prints featuring his black Lab, Sally, knows that the late artist adored dogs. The central feature of Dog Mountain, the 150-acre canine playland he created, is the Dog Chapel—a place where carved dogs anchor the pews, dogs grace stained glass windows, a leaping lab with golden wings tops a pedestal, and visitors paper every wall with photos of departed fur friends. A sign at the entrance says it all: “All Creeds – All Breeds – No Dogmas Allowed.”

Hope Cemetery | Barre

A biplane. A race car. A cello. An angel, lost in thought. All attest to the remarkable skill of generations of granite carvers, who worked in the stone called Barre Gray. The monuments in Hope Cemetery were largely the work of Italian craftsmen, who memorialized themselves and their friends. Of all their realistic portrayals, perhaps the most touching is the sculpture of a pensive Elia Corti, a sculptor and socialist activist shot by an assassin in 1903. 201 Maple Ave.

See More: Written in Stone | The Artisans of Hope Cemetery

Miniature Stone Castles | South Hero

Vermont is short on castles—unless you count the dollhouse-sized stone whimsies that dot the southernmost of the Champlain Islands. Built in the mid-1900s by Swiss immigrant and local jack-of-all-trades Harry Barber, they’re scattered among private lawns but are mostly visible to passersby. Bicycling the flat South Hero landscape is a great way to go “castle collecting,” along a route that takes in South Street, West Shore Road, and Lakeview Road.

Robert Frost Interpretive Trail | Ripton

For more than 40 years, Robert Frost taught at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, and summered at a nearby cabin from 1939 until his death in 1963. One of America’s early poet laureates—and Vermont’s first—is commemorated at a 1.2-mile-long interpretive trail within the Green Mountain National Forest, just off Route 125. The accessible trail traverses a hemlock grove and wildflower meadows, and several of Frost’s best-loved poems are posted along the way.    

This feature was originally published as “One-Off Wonders” in the July/August 2025 issue of Yankee.

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