Have you ever driven past somewhere that just makes you do a double take? Kansas is full of double-takes, whether it’s a stunning sunset or a weird looking roadside attraction. These 9 places in Kansas are some of the weirdest, and they might leave you a little flabbergasted. Let’s take a look!
- Mushroom Rock State Park - Brookville
Vincent Parsons/Flickr This state park is notorious for the big mushroom rock you see in photos, but did you know there’s more than one? There are short ones and tall, skinny ones, such as Pulpit rock, but we love our mushroom rocks! They’re a great reason to get outside but they can surely turn heads, too.
- Truckhenge - Topeka
Lynae Zebest/Flickr An artist named Ron Lessman was told by Shawnee County to pick up his trucks, and so… he did! Inspired by Cargenge in Nebraska as well as a similar piece in Texas, he decided to make his statement loud and proud. He’d pick up his trucks, but they never expected how he’d do it.
- M.T. Liggett’s Political Sculptures - Mullinville
Franklin B Thompson/Flickr These political sculptures range from odd to hilarious, but the late M.T. Liggett loved them that way. He’d been creating them from scrap metal for years, and they still stand in many areas for onlookers to gawk at.
- S.P. Dinsmoor’s glass casket - Lucas
Patrick Emerson/Flickr S.P. Dinsmoor, the creator of the locally famous Garden of Eden, was laid to rest in a glass coffin kept on the premises of what is now his museum. In the pyramid on the left side of the photo, he sits, not holding up too well. What do you expect though? He’s become his own art!
- Subterra Castle - Eskridge
Matthew Fulkerson Though you can’t stay here at the moment, this missle-silo-turned-castle is home to a couple that have turned it into a new-age haven, a far cry from the cold concrete it first was. I’m sure the hot tub helped!
- The Smithalo - Longford
GoogleMaps The Smith Buffalo, aptly named the “Smithalo” is a huge, 60-ton replica of one of our native species. Well, sort of. Kansas has American Bison, but since we all refer to them as Buffalo, it’ll have to stay that way. It’s on private property, but you can see it easily just driving past it on the road.
- Bowl Plaza - Lucas
Ken Ratcliff/Flickr This public restroom is shaped like a huge toilet, covered in a mosaic of little toys and colorful stones everywhere you look. It’s been named the #2 best public restroom in America, which means you should feel pretty comfortable inside this giant toilet.
- The Strange Grave of John Milburn Davis - Hiawatha
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr Building this memorial before his death, John Davis was a sad man. His wife had died, and he used his wealth to build this elaborate (and large) memorial of their lives. When he died in 1947, his memorial stuck around to tell his story.
- Johnny Kaw, Bigger than Bunyan - Manhattan
Chris Murphy/Flickr Once a story, Johnny Kaw brought a lot of attention to Manhattan and local lore. According to his creator, Johnny is the color of golden wheat, and can bring rain by using his scythe on tornado spouts. His fields were allegedly trampled by Paul Bunyan, so Johnny used Paul’s face to carve out the Mississippi. It’s a little graphic, but even stories like these weren’t enough to make him a household name across the Midwest. Manhattan loves him, though!
What other odd places have you seen in Kansas? Tell us in the comments below! Afterwards, make sure to add all of your favorites to your Kansas 2018 bucket list.
Vincent Parsons/Flickr
This state park is notorious for the big mushroom rock you see in photos, but did you know there’s more than one? There are short ones and tall, skinny ones, such as Pulpit rock, but we love our mushroom rocks! They’re a great reason to get outside but they can surely turn heads, too.
Lynae Zebest/Flickr
An artist named Ron Lessman was told by Shawnee County to pick up his trucks, and so… he did! Inspired by Cargenge in Nebraska as well as a similar piece in Texas, he decided to make his statement loud and proud. He’d pick up his trucks, but they never expected how he’d do it.
Franklin B Thompson/Flickr
These political sculptures range from odd to hilarious, but the late M.T. Liggett loved them that way. He’d been creating them from scrap metal for years, and they still stand in many areas for onlookers to gawk at.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
S.P. Dinsmoor, the creator of the locally famous Garden of Eden, was laid to rest in a glass coffin kept on the premises of what is now his museum. In the pyramid on the left side of the photo, he sits, not holding up too well. What do you expect though? He’s become his own art!
Matthew Fulkerson
Though you can’t stay here at the moment, this missle-silo-turned-castle is home to a couple that have turned it into a new-age haven, a far cry from the cold concrete it first was. I’m sure the hot tub helped!
GoogleMaps
The Smith Buffalo, aptly named the “Smithalo” is a huge, 60-ton replica of one of our native species. Well, sort of. Kansas has American Bison, but since we all refer to them as Buffalo, it’ll have to stay that way. It’s on private property, but you can see it easily just driving past it on the road.
Ken Ratcliff/Flickr
This public restroom is shaped like a huge toilet, covered in a mosaic of little toys and colorful stones everywhere you look. It’s been named the #2 best public restroom in America, which means you should feel pretty comfortable inside this giant toilet.
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
Building this memorial before his death, John Davis was a sad man. His wife had died, and he used his wealth to build this elaborate (and large) memorial of their lives. When he died in 1947, his memorial stuck around to tell his story.
Chris Murphy/Flickr
Once a story, Johnny Kaw brought a lot of attention to Manhattan and local lore. According to his creator, Johnny is the color of golden wheat, and can bring rain by using his scythe on tornado spouts. His fields were allegedly trampled by Paul Bunyan, so Johnny used Paul’s face to carve out the Mississippi. It’s a little graphic, but even stories like these weren’t enough to make him a household name across the Midwest. Manhattan loves him, though!
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