Arizona is famous for its natural beauty, but its roadside attractions offer a different kind of adventure—quirky, mysterious, and downright strange. Here are ten of the state’s most unusual roadside stops that are well worth a break on your journey:
1. The Thing Museum (Dragoon, I-10 East of Tucson)
This bright yellow attraction is famous for its bizarre collection and the mysterious artifact at the end—a supposed mummified mother and child, wrapped in myth and conspiracy theories about aliens and history.
2. London Bridge (Lake Havasu City)
The original 1830s London Bridge, dismantled and reassembled brick-by-brick in Arizona, now spans the Colorado River, offering a surreal slice of British history in the desert.
3. Governor Hunt’s Pyramid Tomb (Tempe/Papago Park)
A white pyramid tomb for a seven-time Arizona governor, mistaken by many for an ancient Egyptian relic, sits overlooking Papago Park in the Phoenix area.
4. Elephant Feet Rest Area (Near Tonalea, Navajo Nation)
Two massive sandstone columns that look like the legs of a giant elephant, formed by natural erosion over millions of years.
5. Frog Rock (Near Congress, U.S. Highway 89)
A 16-foot tall boulder painted bright green and decorated as a giant frog, greeting travelers with whimsy.
6. Flintstones Bedrock City (Williams, near Grand Canyon)
A Flintstones-themed amusement park and RV park, complete with Fred and Wilma’s house, a brontosaurus slide, and a general store. Now part of Raptor Ranch, but still delightfully nostalgic.
7. World’s Largest Kokopelli (Camp Verde)
An enormous statue of the flute-playing Ancestral Puebloan deity, a landmark of Southwestern kitsch.
8. ‘Highway of Dreams’ 1932 Studebaker (Holbrook, Petrified Forest National Park)
A rusted, abandoned 1932 Studebaker, possibly the most photographed abandoned car in the country, featured in the park’s Route 66 exhibit.
9. Tom Mix Monument (Florence)
A roadside monument marking the spot where silent film Western star Tom Mix died in a car crash in 1940.
10. Jack Rabbit Trading Post (Winslow, Route 66)
A classic Route 66 stop with a giant fiberglass rabbit you can ride, plus souvenirs and photo ops.
These attractions showcase Arizona’s unique blend of history, pop culture, and natural oddities—perfect for travelers seeking something out of the ordinary.
Sources:
1. https://www.abc15.com/entertainment/events/the-thing-museum-arizonas-quirkiest-roadside-attraction
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(roadside_attraction)
3. https://www.visitarizona.com/like-a-local/arizona-s-roadside-attractions/
