These 15 Ohio Roadside Attractions Make For a Real Weird Road Trip

By CityBeat Staff on Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 3:48 pm

From the "world's largest" basket, drumsticks and horseshoe crab to a field of giant corn cobs and flying saucer houses, Ohio is full of bizarre roadside attractions that make you wonder, "Why?" If you're looking for a road trip full of lasting (and weird) memories, these are the spots you won't want to miss.

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World’s Largest Basket

1500 E. Main St., Newark
Although The Longaberger Company is no more, its former headquarters building along State Route 16 in Newark still stands. This giant replica of one of the company’s medium market baskets sticks out like a fly on a wedding cake. You can’t miss it.
Photo via Derek Jensen/Wikipedia

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World’s Largest Rubber Stamp

E. 9th St. and Lakeside Ave., Cleveland
If your road trip takes you to Cleveland, it will be very hard to miss this giant rubber stamp in Willard Park next to City Hall. The stamp marks the word “free,” to honor civil war soldiers and the end of slavery.
Photo via goingwrong/Instagram

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Giant Cuckoo Clock

100 N. Broadway St., Sugarcreek
The 24-foot giant cuckoo clock built in 1972 is a centerpiece of the “Little Switzerland” of Ohio. Stop by and hear the polka music that occurs every 30 minutes.
Photo via Kreuzfeld/Wikimedia Commons

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"Hug Me Jesus"

903 Union Road, Lebanon
After a lightning fire destroyed a giant Jesus statue known as "Touchdown Jesus" that brought national attention to the Solid Rock Church in Monroe in 2010, the church couldn’t go without and replaced the monument in 2012. The giant Lux Mundi statue designed by Tom Tsuchiya, affectionately nicknamed "Hug Me Jesus," is visible from I-75.
Photo via NTT72USA/Wikimedia

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Giant Tomato Soup Can

12772 State Route 110, Napoleon
As the weather starts to cool off, what could be better than a warm bowl of tomato soup. How about a massive can of tomato soup outside Campbell’s production facility near Toledo?
Photo: Screen grab via Google Maps

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Field of Corn

4995 Rings Road, Dublin
On the highway you’re bound to see plenty of cornfields in Ohio, but nothing quite like this public art installation near Columbus that consists of 109 concrete ears of corn. Each is six feet tall and weighs 1,500 pounds.
Photo via Web2jordan/Wikipedia

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World’s Largest Horseshoe Crab

7592 OH-124, Hillsboro
This massive 67-foot-long crab was created in 1997 for The Columbus Center in Baltimore and now sits on the property of a sportsmen’s lodge along SR-124 in Hillsboro.
Photo via World’s Largest Horseshoe Crab/Facebook

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World’s Largest Drumsticks

David Grohl Alley, Warren
These giant 900-pound commemorative drumsticks were placed in Warren in 2012 to mark the birthplace of Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. The sticks are in downtown Warren, south of Courthouse Square in Dave Grohl Alley, appropriately.
Photo via BeautifulWhirld/Facebook

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Hartman Rock Garden

1905 Russell Ave., Springfield
During the Great Depression, molder Ben Hartman lost his job and started building a stone and concrete fish pond in his yard. The rock garden still stands in Springfield today, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors to see replicas of landmarks such as the White House and a large castle.
Photo via Hartman Rock Garden/Facebook

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Home Pizza's Giant Pizza Chef

114 E. Main St., St. Clairsville
A tall, mustached pizza chef welcomes guests to Home Pizza, a restaurant in St. Clairsville.
Photo via Home Pizza Facebook

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Vase in Place

768 W. Main St., Zanesville
This stunning display in Zanesville, the “Clay Capital of the World” features 100 vases. The project beagn in 2005 and features contributions from 1,500 workers.
Photo via visitzanesville.com

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Giant Ronald McDonald Statue

7806 E. State Route 37, Sunbury
Snap a photo with everyone’s favorite (and slightly creepy) fast food icon at this Central Ohio spot, located right outside the restaurant. Ronald can be seen with his smiling Happy Meal gang.
Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps

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Tower of Volkswagen Beetles

1938 E. 2nd St., Defiance
A towering display of colorful '60s Volkswagen Beetles is the main attraction of the used car lot at Pack Rat's Pawn Shop in Defiance, Ohio.
Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps

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Flying Saucer House

9473 OH-123, Carlisle Designed in 1968 by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, this flying saucer-inspired house near Dayton, one of about 20 in the United States, presents a retro look to the future.
Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps

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Giant Rocking Chair

1933 OH Highway 45, Austinburg If you’re looking to sit upon this massive 20-foot rocking chair in Northern Ohio, you’ll be disappointed, unless you have a tall ladder — or sizable car you feel comfortable climbing atop. The rocking chair sits outside of Bella Care Hospice.
Photo: Screen grab from Google Maps

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