9 must-see wacky and weird Midwest roadside attractions

By Cheri Sicard
Anyone planning any RV trips to or in the U.S. Midwest should take a look at the video below from Kelly and Kevin, aka The Awkward Tourists, and schedule some fun, wacky, and weird Midwest attractions along the way.

The couple recently flew to Ohio to buy a car. They took some time to road-trip home and in this video, they were stopping at as many weird Midwest roadside attractions as they could find. And they found some good ones. Some of the popular ones you may have heard of before, but they managed to unearth a few I hadn’t—and I love this kind of stuff!

9 must-see weird and wacky Midwest roadside attractions

#1 Churubusco, Indiana, aka Turtle Town USA: This small town just outside Fort Wayne boasts an enduring local legend surrounding a giant 500-pound turtle allegedly seen here back in the 1940s. Despite extensive searches, the beast was never found, but the legend endured and the quirky turtle-themed statues, murals, souvenirs, restaurants, and businesses remain to this day.

#2 Indiana Dunes National Park, Porter, Indiana: Gorgeous sand beaches and dunes that will make you think you are at the ocean, but in landlocked Indiana. Who knew?

#3 Flick statue, Hammond, Indiana: Inspired by the scene in the classic holiday movie A Christmas Story, this statue depicts when Flick gets his tongue stuck to the frozen metal pole. Why? Because Hammond was the town that was the inspiration for Jean Shepard’s stories on which the movie was based.

#4 Peaches Stadium, Rockford, Illinois: Made famous in the movie A League of Their Own, the stadium is dedicated to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. There’s not a ton to see here, but there are a few murals and you can go out onto the field.

#5 Mustard Museum, Middleton, Wisconsin: Everything, and we do mean everything, mustard can be found at the Middleton Mustard Museum, including over 500 different types of mustards, games, displays, a mustard-tasting bar, and more.

#6 The Old Fashioned, Madison, Wisconsin: This casual eatery allegedly serves the best cheese curds in Wisconsin! They’re also known for their Old Fashioned cocktails, made with brandy instead of whiskey.

#7 Pink Elephant, DeForest, Wisconsin: This giant spectacled pink elephant statue sits outside a Shell gas station where it has been since the 1960s.

#8 Fiberglass Mold Graveyard, Sparta, Wisconsin: The owner of this odd Midwest attraction started collecting the molds left over after making odd items, such as those at mini golf courses, on carnival rides, or brand logos such as Bob’s Big Boy, until he had enough to start a museum of sorts. It looks like the mold from the Pink Elephant (see above) ended up here too. This attraction is free—just park and wander around all the weird stuff.

#9 Jolly Green Giant statue, Blue Earth, Minnesota: As Green Giant corn and peas are grown here, the town decided to erect a 55½-foot-tall fiberglass statue to commemorate it. Giant Park surrounds the statue and includes some fun percussion toys that kids of all ages can experiment with.

More Midwest travel destinations:

• If you’re a history buff, stop at these Midwest living history museums
• 3 unique Midwest museums you don’t want to miss
• Worth a stop: These spectacular Midwest cathedrals transport you to Europe
• 5 charming Midwest Mississippi River towns you should definitely visit

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