Reports, news, and stories on quirky roadside attractions! Not all tips verified -- call ahead! Submit your own tip.
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Stands at a former gas station on Route 66. In 2019, artist Mark Cline transformed owner Mary Beth Babcock's idea into a 21-foot-tall rocket-clutching Muffler Man.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios
- Address:
- 1347 E. 11th St., Tulsa, OK
- Directions:
- Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios. East side of downtown, on the north side of E. 11th St./Route 66, at the corner of S. Quincy Ave. Buck faces east.
- Hours:
- Cosmic Curios open M-Sa 10-8, Su 11-5 Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
From the highway, you can't miss the giant Virgin Mary. It really is huge, easily the size of a small office building. There are kneeling pads set out for people coming to pray. The only sound you'll hear out there is the slow rumble of a train, or the wind.
They sell postcards of the Virgin Mary and the cliffside city of Pine Bluffs at the gas station across the road.
[Ben Perdue, 01/23/2016]Big Statue of the Virgin Mary:- Address:
- Statue Dr., Pine Bluffs, WY
- Directions:
- I-80 exit 1 in Nebraska. Drive north a quarter-mile to US 30, turn left (west), drive into Wyoming, and take the first left onto Statue Drive.
Officially called the Mariam Mother of Life Shrine. Completed in 2003. Made of stone from Lebanon, the property was a Lebanese Catholic church.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
St. Ephrem Marionite Catholic Church
- Address:
- 750 Medford St., El Cajon, CA
- Directions:
- Pull into the parking lot and bear left. Statue is at the back end of the lot.
- Phone:
- 619-997-6924
- Admission:
- Free
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
The mother of Christ stands on a knoll next to a busy highway, centerpiece of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church. On a Sunday, the surrounding lawn and shrine may be crowded with worshippers and families posing next to Mary's huge metal toes.
Note: The parking is marked as restricted to church members and as a tow-away zone, so if you don't ask permission first, leaving your car unattended is at your own risk!
[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 06/07/2011]32-Foot-Tall Steel Mary:- Address:
- 2800 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, CA
- Directions:
- In front of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
- Sioux City, Iowa - Aluminum Virgin Mary
We saw a giant [stainless steel] statue of the Virgin Maryon a hilltop in Sioux City. It is apparently part of a new religious center that purports to house a life-size replica of the Last Supper. We were chicken to go in and see it, however, since all we saw entering were little blue-haired ladies. There was quite a bit of construction going on and more attractions are promised at the site. The giant statue looks very cheaply done.
[Marsha, 04/18/1998]Trinity Heights: Giant Jesus and Mary:RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- 2509 33rd St., Sioux City, IA
- Directions:
- I-29 exit 147A. Head north on Floyd Blvd for three miles, then turn left onto 33rd St. Trinity Heights is just up the street, on the right.
- Hours:
- Grounds daily 7am-dusk; gift shop M-Sa 10-4, Su 12-4. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 712-239-8670
- Admission:
- Free.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Page of 3 [Next 5 items]
The two-ton, 30-foot tall statue is "Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of Peace." Erected on December 16, 1992, after years of prayer and donation that started in the early 80s. Every day a group of the faithful would gather at the site (before they owned it), and pray the Rosary. Miraculous happenings allowed them to purchase the land at a fraction of its true value. In 1991, they were just about to begin praying when they heard of the United Airlines plane that would be coming in for a crash landing in Sioux FCity. They believe their pre-emptive praying helped -- of 296 passengers, only 112 died. The Trinity Heights plan called for a large wood sculpture of The Last Supper, and a statue of Jesus placed on a hill west of Mary. We have a booklet on file outlining ways to help the Queen of Peace project: You can sponsor a prayer station bench, add a memorial plaque, or name an evergreen tree.