# What are your favorite non mainstream tourist attractions in the U.S.A.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537 "2007-05-18T02:01:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/21 "2007-05-18T14:15:30Z")
Here locally there are several interesting places to visit, all within walking distance of each other. First we have Officer Row. 21 beautiful homes that have been carefully restored. All are occupied in some fashion, mostly as offices for local businesses, one is a restuarant, several are open for tours. [http://www.cityofvancouver.us/history.asp?menuid=10466&submenuid=10537&itemID=16094](http://www.cityofvancouver.us/history.asp?menuid=10466&submenuid=10537&itemID=16094) Nearby is a small, but historic airfield, with a small museum containing some very interesting exhibits. [http://www.pearsonairmuseum.org/home.htm](http://www.pearsonairmuseum.org/home.htm) Finally, just a few dozen yards away, there is the replica of old Fort Vancouver. Originally a Hudson’s Bay Company fort and the center for exploration and settlement of the Columbia and Willamette River basins, it was the western terminus of the Oregon Trail. > **[Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)](https://www.nps.gov/fova/index.htm)** > > Located on the north bank of the Columbia River, in sight of snowy mountain peaks and a vibrant urban landscape, this park has a rich cultural past. From a frontier fur trading post, to a powerful military legacy, the magic of flight, and the origin... I see these places on a regular basis and kind of take them for granted, but they’re definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/22 "2007-05-18T14:18:59Z")
[The House on the Rock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_the_rock) in Spring Green, Wisconsin is a fantastic place to spend the day. The complex is huge and filled with interesting things. Wear comfortable shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/23 "2007-05-18T14:19:39Z")
Down around Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, someone has set up a little place called the Golgotha Fun Park. I’ve never actually gone to the park, I just think that the name bears mention. My real favorite would be Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where my parents and I vacationed every summer when I was growing up. It’s an artist’s colony, and has lots of fun shops and fudge shops, and an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. There is also a Civil War-era train you can ride, Miles Musical Museum, lots of walk-through caves, and oodles of hillbilly attractions. It’s quite close to the chain of Tablerock, Beaver, and Bull Shoals lakes, which are lovely. Oh… and if you’re in the neighborhood, you really should stop for dinner at [Dowd’s Catfish](http://www.moonandstarswebdesigns2.com/dowdscatfishhouse/index1.html). You really should. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/24 "2007-05-18T14:22:50Z")
[Carhenge](http://www.carhenge.com/)! ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/25 "2007-05-18T14:41:08Z")
[QUOTE=NicePete] The [Jefferson Davis Monument](http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/KYFAIdavismonument.html) is pretty surreal. I grew up 10 miles west of here in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. We’d take annual field trips here on the last day of elementary school every year. Let’s ignore for a moment the (entirely valid) concerns about the social, cultural, political and historical implications of a monument to the first president of the CSA. This place is interesting because it’s a 351 foot high obelisk in the absolute middle of nowhere. This is a very rural area – tobacco, soybean and corn growing country. In the past decade or so there’s been a large influx of Amish families. Halfway between two county seats (Hopkinsville, pop. ~25K and Elkton, pop. ~2K) on Highway 68/80 lies Fairview (pop ~0.075K) If you aren’t expecting it, it can be rather jarring to be driving through fields of cattle and dark-fired tobacco only to glance to the side of the road and notice the world’s largest concrete obelisk. Tends to play tricks with one’s sense of perspective. I haven’t been up to the top since I was a child, at least 30 years ago. I know you can see a looooong way. As I recall the view gave me distinct insight into the benefits of contour plowing. [/QUOTE] The [Bennington Battle Monument](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennington_Battle_Monument) has a similar huge-obelisk-in-the-middle-of-nowhere feel. In addition to Watts Towers, the other surreal experience in my recent trip to LA was due to [The Museum of Jurassic Technology](http://www.mjt.org/). ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/26 "2007-05-18T14:45:45Z")
[Cantigny.](http://cantignypark.com/) I have pictures of my son climbing on the tanks - the First Division Museum is phenomenal, the house is unreal, and the gardens are breathtaking. I’m serious - if you haven’t been here (and live in the area) spend a day and GO!!! If you haven’t been here and don’t live in the area, you’d still like it if you ever ARE in the area. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/27 "2007-05-18T14:49:19Z")
[The Cloisters](http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/department.asp?dep=7) in the far north of Manhattan, is a little known about treasure. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I am partial to small little roadside attractions, I enjoy caverns, dinosaur parks, lighthouses and what not. One of my favorite is the [Twin Lights](http://www.twin-lights.org/) in the Highlands, NJ. This is also the site of the original Marconi tower. > [@](#): > > In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi placed an antenna and receiving station at the lighthouse to demonstrate his Wireless Telegraph. The New York Herald newspaper had hired him to report on the America’s Cup yacht races, which were being held off the tip of Sandy Hook. This demonstration worked so well that Marconi expanded his operations, making Twin Lights the nation’s first wireless telegraph station capable of sending and receiving messages on a regular commercial basis. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/28 "2007-05-18T14:56:06Z")
Speaking of Western Kentucky, we have [The Strange Procession that Never Moves](http://www.cityofmayfield.org/cemetery/tour.html) in Mayfield – located in a cemetery. The Jefferson Davis Memorial is REALLY out in the middle of nowhere (Hi Pete!). I wonder if something used to be nearby, long ago. Cave City, Ky., is really the capital of tacky in this part of the world – but if you like some of that roadside attraction type of stuff, they do have one of the surviving [Wigwam Villages](http://www.wigwamvillage.com/). It _still_ is a thrill for the kiddies, and their kitsch-lovin’ mamas. Almost as good as the Cozy Cone. 😉 For natural beauty, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Kentucky’s [Red River Gorge](http://www.redrivergorge.com/) and its bounty of natural arch formations. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/29 "2007-05-18T15:13:10Z")
I’d have thought that the [Jefferson Building](http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/392927768/) was mainstream, but if it isn’t, then the [United States Air Force Museum](http://www.flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/420829977/) at Dayton, Ohio, isn’t either. It has a remarkable collection of military aviation stretching back over more than a century, and isn’t just of interest to aircraft fanatics. In addition, it’s free to go in. There’s a separate section of presidential and experimental aircraft, which you need to book into to get to see – and if you’re there on a weekend or holiday, you should book early to see that part. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/30 "2007-05-18T16:12:21Z")
My favorite local attraction is the Frank Lloyd Wright [Pope-Leighey House](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope-Leighey_House) in Alexandria. I’m an admirer of Wright’s architecture, and whenever I visit this tiny Usonian house I always want to move in. For quiet and off the beaten path I like the [Holy Cross Abbey](http://www.hcava.org/) in Berryville, Va. You can tour the grounds, observe/join services, and buy homemade candy, preserves, cheese, and coffee in their gift shop. This might be borderline mainstream, but I think that many people still haven’t heard of/been to the [Udvar-Hazy](http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/) extension of the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space museum. Parking is expensive and the only food available is McDonald’s, but there are some _very_ cool planes on display (like a Concorde, the Enola Gay, and an SR-71) – and a space shuttle! [QUOTE=twickster] Longwood is nice – [Chanticleer](http://www.chanticleergarden.org/), in nearby Wayne, is much, much nicer. [/QUOTE] I never knew there was a garden in Wayne (I went to college in Radnor)! Cool! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/31 "2007-05-18T16:21:42Z")
[QUOTE=fluiddruid] [The House on the Rock](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_the_rock) in Spring Green, Wisconsin is a fantastic place to spend the day. The complex is huge and filled with interesting things. Wear comfortable shoes. [/QUOTE] That was my choice too. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/32 "2007-05-18T18:57:49Z")
One summer, while Mrs. R was off on a trip with her best friend, I took my daughters and we flew to Utah to see Dinosaur National Monument, and then we rented a Mazda and drove to Berlin, Nevada, to see [Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park](http://http://parks.nv.gov/bi.htm#VC). It’s fifty miles down a gravel road, and the display shelter is only open when a ranger is around to open it, but it was pretty cool to see ichthyosaur skeletons in situ. Outside is a retaining wall with a relief sculpture of an ichthyosaur in it. I told the girls that it was only decorative, not actual size–but I was wrong; the real thing (Shonisaurus?) was forty feet long! They really were the kings of the ocean in their day. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/33 "2007-05-18T20:53:25Z")
Out here we have the Tinkertown Museum, which is full of little handmade dioramas with moving parts and has to be seen to be believed. > **[Home - Tinkertown Museum](https://tinkertown.com/)** > > Tinkertown Museum will close for the winter on November 1, 2023. We will re-open on April 1, 2024. Normal HoursApril 1st – November 1st, 2024will be 10am-4pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday The Tinker of Tinkertown: The Life and Art of Ross Ward” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/34 "2007-05-18T21:11:15Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] [The Paper House](http://www.paperhouserockport.com/) in Rockport, MA Guy asked a carpenter to build him a frame for a summer house, and he’d take care of the rest. [/QUOTE] I so want to see this in person. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/35 "2007-05-18T21:13:00Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] I can think of several, but I’ll open with the Thomas Jefferson Building of [The Library of Congress](http://www.loc.gov/about/). It has relatively little to do with the fact that I’m a librarian or that it’s the largest library on Earth, but a lot more to do with the fact it is, internally, one of the most breathtakingly beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen, an explosion of white marble and vibrant colors and lots and lots and lots of in-jokes. [/QUOTE] I absolutely agree with everything you just said, but you left out the best part - the main reading/research room. Giant rotunda, loaded with bookshelves and other library goodness - genuinely impressive. The only problem is that it’s not open to the “tourists” - you need a Library of Congress reader’s card to get in. Those are free for the asking, but you need to learn to ask properly. Which means . . . well . . . You might need to tell a bit of a white lie. The office where you get the cards (ask any of the staffers for directions) has several signs up, sternly reminding applicants that reader cards are _not_ souvenirs. In theory, you need to have a legitimate research purpose to get one. I’m not going to say whether or not that’s how I got mine, but it’s prudent to be ready to say something like “Oh yes, I need to do research on the history of American policy towards Equatorial Guinea.” It’s worth the effort, trust me - the reading room is much cooler on the inside than it looks from the observation windows. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/36 "2007-05-18T21:18:06Z")
So many of mine have already been mentioned. I have spent a lot of time in the southwest, and I really like ancient sites such as [Mesa Verde](http://www.nps.gov/meve/) CO and [Chaco Canyon](http://www.nps.gov/chcu/) NM. A few years back I visited the rock paintings and ghost town in [Sego Canyon](http://climb-utah.com/Moab/sego.htm), Utah (Yeah - the guy in the photo I linked to is a douchebag though for going right up to the paintings - they are quite unprotected). It is on a wicked dirt road leading off the I-70 in Thompson Springs, UT, and worth the beating to your car (or the hike). The Barrier Style paintings there are stunning and a little creepy. Barrier Style is only one of several styles of native painting represented there. Last year we went to the [Fremont Indian State Park](http://www.utah.com/stateparks/fremont.htm) in UT (also off I-70 I think) and it was pretty cool. We hope to re-visit and spend a few days camping there - it was very pleasant. We went to the [Mountain Meadows Massacre](http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/mormons.html) site on that trip as well. It was very interesting and the trip was fun. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/37 "2007-05-18T21:19:12Z")
[Tahquamenon Falls](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahquamenon_Falls) has to be one of the prettiest places I’ve ever been too. Too bad its Way up North. yanno, by Athena 😉 [Holland State Park](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Harbor_Light) and seeing Big Red is always a pleasant diversion. Go later in the day and stay for the sunset. Get there early for front row parking and take a picnic lunch, sand-shoes and a jacket. It always gets chilly. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/38 "2007-05-18T21:29:23Z")
Finally got to see the [Desert of Maine](http://www.desertofmaine.com/) which has ubiquitous bumper stickers around here. I don’t know if I would call it my favorite but it was interesting to hear how it got to be the way it is, and to see several dozen acres of sand in the middle of the Maine woods. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/39 "2007-05-18T21:39:12Z")
[RUBY FALLS](http://www.rubyfalls.com/), in the Chattanooga area, is a truly spectacular caven system, with an amazing underground waterfall. Nice to visit year-round, too. [THE OLD STONE FORT STATE PARK](http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=O012) is the closest thing to Stonehenge Tennessee has. A mysterious stone & earthenwork fortification, that pre-dates Colombus. The waterfalls there are also lovely, & the whole place is spiritually uplifting in the Spring. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537/40 "2007-05-19T02:15:36Z")
[QUOTE=Ellen Cherry] The Jefferson Davis Memorial is REALLY out in the middle of nowhere (Hi Pete!). I wonder if something used to be nearby, long ago. [/QUOTE] The farm where Jefferson Davis was born. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favorite-non-mainstream-tourist-attractions-in-the-u-s-a/404537.md?page=3)