There are many strange, unusual places in Maryland that provide character to any road journey. These ten of the most bizarre roadside sights in the state are ideal for taking pictures and stretching your legs.
1. Urbana’s wingless Gulfstream
Passersby are taken aback when they see an unexplained plane fuselage sitting in a remote area distant from any airport.
2. Silver Spring Super PACyderm
With its political overtones, this allegorical elephant sculpture is a striking and quirky roadside attraction.
3. Gaithersburg’s Nike Missile Site W-92
A haunting reflection of mid-century military history, this Cold War relic is concealed among suburban developments and has three abandoned missile silos.
4. Houston’s Vanadu Art House
For fans of outsider art, a suburban house was turned into a stunning exhibition of trash art, replete with lavishly adorned cars.
5. Frostburg, God’s Ark of Safety
An eerie and post-apocalyptic roadside scene is provided by a life-size model of Noah’s Ark that is still being built decades later.
6. Massive statues of Transformers (Thurmont)
At Lawyer’s Winterbrook Farm, tall statues of Transformers keep sentry over auto wrecks as though they were in the middle of a war.
7. Germantown’s Cider Barrel
A huge wooden barrel that was formerly a roadside cider business is now deserted, yet its size and nostalgia continue to draw in onlookers.
8. Cumberland’s LaVale Toll Gate House
An unusual but intriguing piece of transportation history, Maryland’s oldest toll house is a quaint stone structure that commemorates the beginning of America’s first federal road.
9. The Baltimore Vote Against Prohibition Sign
A faded sign from the 1920s that has been preserved on a city wall honors Baltimore’s fierce opposition to Prohibition and makes a fun historical photo opportunity.
10. Clark’s Elioak Farm’s Enchanted Forest (Ellicott City)
This farm features a strange scene of nursery rhyme nostalgia thanks to the meticulous restoration and presentation of vintage fairy tale sculptures from a closed theme park.
Maryland’s highways are full with surprises, which makes every trip through the state a little more unique and unforgettable. These unusual stops are evidence of that.
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