As the birthplace to 8 U.S. presidents, it should come as to surprise to visitors that Virginia is proud of its political past and present. This is evident through the numerous museums and statues that are sprinkled throughout the town’s towns and cities, each of which pay homage to this political presence in a proud, though often just plain strange manner.

Weird and wacky is something the roadside attractions of Virginia do well. So join us as we uncover the strange places that can be found on the side of the road in this proud, but beautiful state.

1. Drug Enforcement Administration Museum: Arlington, Virginia

If you visit this museum in the hope of scoring or getting high, you will be sorely disappointed. This museum is actually hardcore intent on deterring this behavior, with its shock antics aimed to scare young children and disgust the older generations.

Experience the “modern pleasure drug culture”, head to “Jimmy’s Joint” or get caught up in a booby trap that was used in the marijuana fields back in the 80’s. This museum has it all.

2. George Washington Masonic National Memorial: Alexandria, Virginia

This ten-storey shrine is dedicated to George Washington and everything he stood for by reminding the general public that he was the “guiding light of the American Republic”.

The memorial is tucked away in a museum that also houses precious artifacts like Washington’s Clock of Death and an ornate replica of the Ark of the Covenant. It may be slightly tacky, but it’s definitely worth a stop.

3. Dinosaur Kingdom: Natural Bridge, Virginia

Welcome to a world where humans and dinosaurs co-exist; at least until the humans get eaten!

This is a place where dinosaurs can rise again and we can mingle amongst them. Combine this with a somewhat comical interpretation of the war between the north and south and you have an attraction that is wacky enough to sink a ship, or at least bring down a T-Rex.

4. Enchanted Castle Studio: Natural Bridge, Virginia

Although gutted by a vicious fire back in 2001, some of this Enchanted Castle remains, much to the pleasure of those searching for strange and wacky statues and replicas.

Visit the large alien bug, tree trunks with twisted human faces, a Muffler man worked into a giant Transformer robot and King Kong clutching a biplane. As far as weird and wacky goes, this one takes the cake.

5. Haunted Monster Museum: Natural Bridge, Virginia

Set in a real, musty and dank old house, this haunted monster museum boasts every textbook cliché you could possibly think of.

Venture outside of the house into the “Freakout Forest” and you will stumble across a graveyard, a crashed plane and a rather unpleasant ogre eating a childe. Creepy to say the least!

- Chrissy

Visited Virginia recently and come across any other strange roadside attractions? Let us know about them in the comments below.

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Heading out of North Carolina, we began to notice a change in the roadside attraction landscapes. We didn’t think it was possible, but South Carolina seems to have even stranger things on offer!

Want to know what we found? Read on to find out…

1. UFO Welcome Center: Bowman, South Carolina

A warm welcome is given not just to the aliens, but also to those strangely interested visitors to the UFO Welcome Center in Bowman, South Carolina.

The owner of this wacky attraction, Jody Pendarvis, has been awaiting the arrival of non-human beings since 1994 and insists that his attempt at a UFO will be a welcoming environment for aliens to get to know the human kind.

2. Button King Museum: Bishopville, South Carolina

Is there a cure for insomnia? While there may not be a definitive answer, one man has certainly made the most of this tiring condition, turning his time into a lifelong obsession with buttons.

From button suits, to button cars, Dalton Stevens has it covered…quite literally. The Button King Museum showcases a man’s lifework and offers quite a sight to look at.

3. South of the Border: Dillon, South Carolina

The South of the Border Tourist Complex is guarded by the very lovable Pedro, shaded from the harsh Mexican sun by an imposing sombrero. Pedro is a sign of what you can expect as you head further south…so basically every stereotypical embodiment of Mexico.

However, the kids seem to love this kind of thing, so either avoid this stretch of highway like the plague, or be prepared to make a roadside stop to scramble through the endless buckets of cheap novelties, all in the aim of bagging a bargain.

4. Kingdom of Oyotunji African Village: Sheldon, South Carolina

Regarded as a whole other country in its own right, the Kingdom of Oyotunji is a relatively uncrowded African Village that can be found right in the heart of Sheldon, South Carolina.

Home to several bizarre concrete monuments, and well, not much else, this African village does provide an interesting day out for the family, if nothing else.

-Chrissy

Know of any other South Carolina attractions that are just plain weird. Comment us below to tell us more!

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Home to everyone’s favorite kind of deep-fried chicken, Kentucky is a southern state that has enough strange roadside attractions to, well, fill a bucket!

So join us as we twister our way through the land of Colonel Sanders and uncover the weirdest and wackiest attractions on offer here.

1. Mammoth Cave Wax Museum: Cave City, Kentucky

These days wax replicas have taken on a whole new meaning, with some so realistic, it’s hard to tell between the wax figure and the real person. However, due to the age of the Mammoth Cave Wax Museum, many of the figures aren’t quite as realistic as one would expect.

From Martin Luther King and Mark Twain, to the cast of Baywatch and Elvis, Mammoth Cave boasts everyone significant to both the Hollywood and History worlds.

2. The First KFC: Corbin, Kentucky

This is where the junk food craze that was to take the nation, and inevitably the world by storm, began. Experience the original recipe in its original setting…fortunately though, you won’t be offered the original chicken!

3. World’s Largest Bat: Louisville, Kentucky

The search for “world’s biggest things” was met with another entry in the country town of Louisville, Kentucky, when we stumbled across a giant baseball bat. In fact, it weighs in at an impressive 34 tons to be exact.

The bat appears to wreck havoc right across town, with a 3D painting of the ball smashing into a window of the local glass shop, and a leathery bat also found at the nearby costume shop.

4. Vent Haven: Ventriloquist Museum: Fort Mitchell, Kentucky

Ventriloquism is something that has intrigued the public for many years, and as fascinating as it may be, many of us are still wary of just what these “dummies” can do.

This museum really puts you right in the thick of it, as you walk through endless rooms of silently grinning dolls, it’s hard not to get a slight feeling of the “heebie-jeebies” and wonder just what’s going on in their little wooden heads.

5. Answers in Genesis Creation Museum: Petersburg, Kentucky

Offering some sort of answer to the age old debate between Evolution and Creationism, the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum is an attraction that is guaranteed to surprise even the most skeptical among us.

From dinosaurs and cave men, to Damnation Alley and the Garden on Eden, this museum has it all, leaving no stone unturned and no myth left without an attempted answer.

-Chrissy

Think there’s more to fill the bucket? Leave your ideas in the comments below.

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