10 American Roadside Attractions Worth Stopping For

Strange and intriguing roadside installations aren’t exclusive to Europe. Of course, you already knew that. There are hundreds of well-known roadside attractions here in U.S., but NileGuide has narrowed it down to 10 that they believe are worth pulling over for.

The Beer Can House, Malone St., Houston, Texas
Not only is John Milkovisch not very picky when it comes to his beers, he is also a pretty resourceful recycler. After retiring from an upholsterer position for the Southern Pacific Railroad, John spent his retirement crafting his home with around 50,000 beer cans.

Shoe Tree, U.S. Route 50, Middlegate, Nevada

Unlike most roadside attractions the Shoe Tree isn’t some sort of gimmick or money making scheme. Instead of flashy signs and entrance fees, this is simply a lonesome and mysterious tree laden with hundreds, if not thousands, of shoes located on a deserted stretch of highway between the cities of Ely and Reno. Although no one makes a profit off the bizarre beauty of this tree, many people have contributed their shoes to the tree over the years and it has amassed a kind of cult following.

Prada Marfa Store, U.S. Route 90, Valentine, Texas
Texas may be the biggest state in the continental U.S. but one thing it doesn’t have any of is Prada stores. The one it does have was built with no door, doesn’t have any customers or sales people, and only stocks 20 left-foot heels and six purses. Located on a lone stretch of highway, many miles from its namesake town of Marfa, the store’s only visitors are those that happen upon it by chance, and decide to stop in sheer disbelief. The store is a permanent sculpture instillation piece built in 2005 and designed by German artist duo Elmgree and Dragset. The piece was intended to be a type of time capsule that will stand sans-repairs or updates. Eventually the adobe structure will breakdown and disintegrate back into its surroundings.

Paper House, MA 127, Rockport, Massachusetts

The wooden structure of this home was built by Ellis F. Stenman, a mechanical engineer who, on an unrelated side note, designed the machine that created paperclips. What began as his curious family project of insulating the house with newspaper in 1922 was never intended to become anything more than a summer hobby. Although the intentions were meager, the abode that was finally created has been a much beloved roadside attraction since the ’20s.


Curious to see what other roadside attractions made the cut? Check out the rest of the list at NileGuide.