There are lots of amazing sights you can visit in the US, but haven’t we all gotten bored of seeing the same, albeit beautiful, sights? Rest assured there are definitely more unusual places that you can visit! The United States is such a diverse land, and you can be sure that we have the best of everything.
With how diverse our great country is, you know you can find the best mountain sites and the most amazing waterfalls, we even have great castles that you can visit! Yet, what else is there to be seen?
If you are looking for something more exciting to add to your holiday schedule, look no further! Here we have gathered some of the most unusual and, dare we say, weird places you can think of! From unexplained phenomenons to Mother Nature’s most outstanding creations, from abandoned places to unusual stores, we are sure you can find something here that will surprise you and maybe even pique your interest!
Let us know which one of them you added to your bucket list!
Marfa Lights, Texas
To be able to see these you will have to make a night trip to Marfa, Texas, the recommendation being that you should be staying somewhere around the location. The lights were first noticed in the 19th century and are still visible today. It is definitely an unusual occurrence, and no one has been able to explain it so far.
Everyone, from famous meteorologists to just local folk, has seen these stunning lights along the horizon, and as far as anyone can tell they have no source at all. They appear randomly at night all year round, no matter the type of weather. There is even a viewing area 9 miles east of Marfa, somewhere along Highway 90, so you do not have to brave the uninhabited areas where they generally appear. The lights appear in white, red, or blue and they are very random as they do not appear at the same hour every day.
Regardless of where they come from, they have become a famous, yet unusual, attraction and you should definitely stop by to see them. You could even catch the Marfa Lights Festival if you are lucky enough! Two birds with one stone.
Natural Rock Face, Alaska
Around the Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area in Alaska, you can find the naturally formed profile of a head, named appropriately, the Natural Rock Face. It is an unusual place to visit, as unusual as the formation of this rock is, as it is all the work of Mother Nature.
To be able to see the face, you have to approach the site by boat. And you will definitely not regret it as you will be able to admire the Sumdum Glacier as well, since it frames the Natural Face Rock.
It is almost unbelievable, but the rock truly looks like a human bust seen from the profile. It would be a cool stop if you happen to plan a visit through Alaska.
Unclaimed Baggage, Alabama
This center is unusual in its nature and business plan. Back in 1970, Doyle Owens started to sell unclaimed baggage from flights in front of his house. Surprisingly, it soon took off and became a huge success, leading him to open a store. Nowadays, the Unclaimed Baggage Center is located in Alabama, and it has a very tight knit relationship with airlines and transport companies.
Today the center is a huge warehouse that spans over a city block, attracting more than a million visitors annually, not only from all over the United States but also from overseas. The store is 40,000 square feet and is split into departments that sell or donate the contents of abandoned or lost luggage. If you decide to pay a visit, do not worry as they do have a store map so you will not get lost, and also a cafe where you can take a break.
Read more about the funniest things found in unclaimed baggage here!
Glass Beach, California
This unique, albeit unusual beach, is proof that Mother Nature is the most creative and surprising! You can visit this amazing and unique beach if you go to Fort Bragg in California. The glass beach is a result of six decades of people, wrongly, throwing their trash into the ocean from the cliffs. It is definitely not environmentally friendly, but Mother Nature had other plans for all that garbage.
In the end, all the trash started to wash up on the shore of the beach, yet in a very unusual form: they were smooth pieces of glass. With how plastic wasn’t as prevalent back then as it is now, it’s not surprising. Yet, nowadays it is a beautiful sight. The beach is protected, so don’t even think about taking one of the glass pieces with you.
However, you can take all the pictures your heart desires and you may even be lucky enough to find a sapphire colored gem from an apothecary bottle or ruby red from a 1967 car’s headlights. Small pieces of history are preserved on the shores of this beach!
Thor’s Well, Oregon
There are numerous unbelievable natural landmarks (some of them present on our list too). Yet one of the weirdest ones is located near the Yachats, just off the Oregon coast. The site is called Thor’s Well, and you get to see where the ocean drains off. Yes, we are aware of just how crazy that sounds. However, this is what this natural sinkhole is.
Previously an underwater sea cave, Thor’s Well was formed as the result of the cave’s roof collapsing due to erosion. The well left behind is about 19 feet deep and creates an out of this world view. You should plan your visit during high tide, in order to see the water rush over the edge and shoot up into the air.
There is a specially made paved trail leading to an overlook, so you can even count on taking some amazing pictures. If it’s up to your alley, you can always take one of the trails down to see the sinkhole at ground level – but be careful of the crashing waves. We wouldn’t want you disappearing in the water vortex.
Jules’s Undersea Lodge, Florida
For one unusual and, we dare say, weird location, you should visit Jules’s Undersea Lodge. What was initially a La Chalupa laboratory for marine research has been remade into a lodge. Yes, the lodge is partially underwater, and you can look out of the window to admire the marine life! The waters surrounding this underwater hotel are a natural nursery used by reef fish, so you can even see barracuda, parrotfish, snapper, and even tropical angelfish.
You can stay here anywhere between a few hours to a dull day, as the Lodge also provides scuba diving gear and air tanks for as many dives as you desire. If you are sure it won’t freak you out, you can even choose to stay overnight in the underwater hotel, surrounded by clear walls, water, and fish, or just take the less extreme option and enjoy lunch at their restaurant.
Whichever you choose we are sure you will have an amazing, and very unusual experience.
Museum of Death, New Orleans
It is a known fact that there are a lot of strange things to see and experience in New Orleans’s French Quarter. It is what brings it its unique charm and is part of why people want to visit. That’s why you do not have to look far and wide to search for a museum that is dedicated to death as it is right there. The Museum of Death is one of the weirdest places to visit in the US and their exhibits will definitely make you feel like someone’s watching you.
They dedicated this museum to showcasing death, in all its forms. They also have an exhibition on serial killers, crime scenes, death related artwork, and lots of displays of mortuary equipment. The place is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is indeed fascinating. And what a better story to tell your friends and family when you come back home than telling them you have been to possibly the most unusual museum!
They also share souvenirs in case you wanna get something for a loved one, but keep in mind that cameras and videos are not allowed.
Cincinnati Abandoned Subways, Ohio
There are a lot of movies that are set in abandoned subways and let’s be honest, they always pique our interest and it’s happened to the best of us to think about how it would be to go around subways. Well, if you were ever curious you can rejoice as Cincinnati has their now abandoned subway tunnel open for visitors! It is also the largest tunnel in the US.
If we are honest, it was not abandoned, but rather the construction stopped in the late 1920s, leaving the started project of seven miles of tunnel graded and bridged without tracks. In the end, the entrance to the subway was leveled down to make room for highways, but the tunnels in the underground remain to this day. Despite the fact that they have offered tours in the past, the tunnels are no longer accessible. If they were, it would have been one of the most unusual tourist attractions you could visit.
Who knows? Maybe in the near future, they open the tours again so all of us can satisfy our curiosity!
Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail, Missouri
Yep, you read that one well. The Nuclear Waste Adventure Trail is not just a name for shock value, but an actual old nuclear waste disposal site. Back in WWII, this Weldon Springs site was the place where they threw the nuclear waste, and it was so much that it was almost seven stories high.
The place was too dangerous to be visited for years, as the radiation levels were too high, but in recent times it has been deemed safe to be visited. It is nothing but the weirdest place you can visit in America! You can hike up the waste pile, which has been covered with rocks and soil, but the harmful toxins created the site’s signature white ground all those years ago. You can hike up to the top of the hill for a fun wasteland moment, or you can pay the museum a visit to learn more about nuclear waste.
One thing’s for sure, you cannot get bored in this unusual attraction!
If the weird and unexpected places are not your cup of tea, don’t worry! You can always pay these stunning waterfalls a visit we guarantee you will not regret it!
