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10 Weirdest Tourist Attractions in the US

In a country as vast and diverse as the United States, there are bound to be countless interesting places to visit in just about every state. When thinking of tourist attractions, people tend to think of the popular ones like New York City鈥檚 Empire State Building.

The U.S. has plenty of bizarre tourist attractions that are hiding in plain sight and even more that are in cities less known by the public.

Because the United States is such a large country, there are plenty of things to see and do.  However, if you want a truly unique experience, consider visiting more unusual places.

America is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, some of which are fascinatingly wacky. Whether you’re looking for a museum dedicated to bananas or a house made of paper, odds are it can be found somewhere in the US.

1. Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum – San Antonio

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“Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum (located inside Truck Yard The Colony) showcases the life鈥� s work of Barney Smith, who created over 1400 art pieces out of toilet seats over the course of many decades. 

At this museum in San Antonio, Texas, retired master plumber Barney Smith has turned toilet seats into works of art.

Originally started in his garage, the museum is now a popular stop for travellers, who can even get their name engraved on a seat if they bring in one that Smith ends up using.

2. Glass Beach – Fort Bragg, California

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This beach is the result of decades (1906 to 1967) of people dumping garbage of all types into the ocean by throwing them over the cliffs.

Eventually, this garbage started washing up onshore in the form of smooth pieces of glass.

The beach is protected, so you can’t take any of your finds with you, but feel free to take as many pictures as you want.

If you’re lucky, you may find a sapphire gem from an apothecary bottle or a ruby red from car taillights before 1967.

3. Grant County Historical Museum – Canyon City, Oregon

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This museum in Canyon City, Oregon, has everything from human skulls to stuffed two-headed calves.

The human skulls are of Barry Way and William Cain, the first two men to be hanged in Canyon City.

As for the three stuffed two-headed calves, they were born on ranches in the area and have been on display in the museum since its opening in 1954.

4.  The Museum of Bad Art – Somerville, Massachusetts 

Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Art. The Museum of Bad Art……

Yep, MOBA (as it is commonly referred to) has been confusing people in Somerville, Massachusetts since 1994.

According to Atlas Obscura, the first-ever piece was an awful painting found in a garbage can. That inspired a local gallery owner to look for more bad art, which he successfully found to the point that the collection now takes up two buildings.

According to the Museum’s website, the art is so bad that it’s good. You can see for yourself by paying the $5 admission charge.

5. Leila鈥檚 Hair Museum – Missouri

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Leila’s Hair Museum was a museum in Independence, Missouri that displays examples of hair art dating back to the 17th century

Way back before cameras, people salvaged their loved ones鈥� tresses, which were then braided into wreaths, or incorporated into art and jewellery, and kept as family heirlooms.

Down in Independence, Missouri, one 86-year-old woman has displayed thousands of these heirlooms, some of which date back to the 17th century, in the world鈥檚 first and only hair museum.

6. Marfa Lights – Texas

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The Marfa Lights first gained notice in the 19th century, and they are still visible today.

Everyone from locals to famous meteorologists have viewed these gorgeous lights southeast of Marfa along the horizon, and they seem to have no source at all.

The area where the lights are is hard to traverse and uninhabited, and the lights can be white, blue, or red.

They will appear randomly at night all year round, regardless of the weather. There is an official Marfa Lights Viewing Area 9 miles to the east of Marfa along Highway 90.

7.  International Banana Museum –  California

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If you were going to build an entire museum around a single item, it makes sense to choose the banana, which is apparently America鈥檚 favourite fruit. Somehow, this compact space is filled with 20,000 different banana-themed things, including everything from buttons and ashtrays to a banana-shaped record player.

You can browse all this weirdness for only $1, which will be refunded if you happen to buy something. There鈥檚 also banana-flavoured ice cream, frozen bananas and sodas on offer.

The brand ambassador, Platty also a banana, and apparently quite the traveller 鈥� keeps the museum鈥檚 Facebook page up-to-date with banana-themed jokes and trivia.

8.  The Paper House – Rockport

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In 1922, a mechanical engineer named Mr. Elis F. Stenman began building his summer home out of newspaper, just for fun.

Now called “the Paper House” and found in the town of Rockport, Massachusetts, the house includes everything from a paper piano to paper-constructed desks and chairs.

9. Hole N鈥� The Rock – Moab, Utah

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One of the weirdest roadside tourist traps in America, Hole N鈥� The Rock is a 5,000-square-foot home carved out of a massive rock in Utah’s Canyonlands country.

The man-made home includes a 65-foot chimney, a bathtub built into the rock, and 14 rooms that visitors can now tour.

To appeal further to tourists, the unique rock also features a gift shop, an exotic zoo (with camel, bison, and zebras) and locally made Native American items (such as pottery, jewellery, and dream catchers) and other fun additions specific to its location.

10. Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail – Weldon Spring, Missouri

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In Saint Charles County, Missouri sits a 17,323-acre nuclear waste disposal site that visitors can tour.

Weldon Spring was a major manufacturer of explosives, producing over 700 million pounds of TNT by the end of World War II.

A decade later it became a uranium refinery during the Cold War for nuclear bombs. In the 1980s, all the abandoned radioactive material was buried in a man-made mini-mountain that people can now climb.

If you’ve explored even just some of this colossal country, it鈥檚 more than likely you鈥檝e experienced plenty of the more popular tourist attractions in the USA.

But what about some of the more offbeat attractions dotted around this vast country? No matter how many road trips and staycations you鈥檝e done, you can鈥檛 claim to have explored the whole of America until you cross off at least a couple of these weird and wonderful tourist attractions.