Did you know the US is the birthplace of roadside attractions? Springing up in the 1920s and 1930s when highway travel began to be popular, these fun roadside stops were created by locals as a way to make money by the people passing through. However, since many of the attractions were built long before the Americans with Disabilities Act many were not made to be wheelchair accessible. Fortunately, that is not the case for all roadside attractions.
Some of the old roadside attractions have gone, but there are still some that exist that are possible to visit in a wheelchair. And there are several more that have been built since that era that are fully accessible as well. You may have to do your research, but amazing and accessible roadside attractions are out there. Here are some of our favorites.
10. Cadillac Ranch - TX
Located in Amarillo, Texas, a small town located in the panhandle of Texas situated on Interstate 40 aka Route 66, is Cadillac Ranch, a public art installation built in 1974. It was an idea dreamt up by 3 artists who are part of the art group Ant Farm and consists of 10 Cadillacs buried nose first in the ground, painted in bright colors.
To visit Cadillac Ranch, there is a free dirt parking lot. Go through the gates down a brief dirt path to see the sculpture. Admission is free and the path is easy for most wheelchair users to traverse. Those who use manual wheelchairs, however, may need some assistance.
9. Carhenge - NE
If you plan on traveling through Nebraska this Summer, make sure to stop by Alliance, a small town located in the western part of the state off County Road 59, to see Carhenge. An art installation that opened in 1987, it is a scale replica of England's Stonehenge and is completely constructed out of 39 grey-painted cars (and a few trucks). To visit, the sculpture has dirt paths around the structure that are smooth with plenty of room to maneuver around the painted vehicles. Admission is free.
8. Wall Drug - SD
Created in 1931 by a family in Wall, South Dakota to make extra money from the passerby’s by offering by free ice water, Wall Drug became one of the biggest roadside attractions in the Midwest. It includes the original drugstore, a massive gift and souvenir shop that has thousands of items including Native American-made gifts and Black Hills Gold, as well as a restaurant and a "backyard" with wacky attractions/photo ops like a train station water show, a T. Rex that roars and a miniature Mount Rushmore.
There's also an arcade in the backyard, as well as "mines" where kids can pan for gemstones and a building that has more than 1,400 historical photos of South Dakota. The entire facility is wheelchair-accessible, and admission is free.
7. Cabazon Dinosaurs - CA
Located in Cabazon, California, Cabazon Dinosaurs is an infamous dinosaur sculpture park that opened in 1964 to promote the nearby eatery, the Wheel Inn Restaurant. Cabazon is located off Interstate 10, east of Los Angeles, and features sculptures created by Claude Bell, a local artist. The park has two enormous steel and concrete dinosaurs that resemble a brontosaurus and a T. Rex. Named Dinny and Mr. Rex, each took several years to build.
The brontosaurus is 150 feet long and the T. Rex weighs 100 tons. Throughout the year, different outfits are painted on the dinosaurs for the change of seasons or holidays. There are another 70 dinosaur sculptures that are also here. When visiting, Cabazon offers a paved parking lot with paved sidewalks throughout the entire attraction, making it very easy to navigate in a wheelchair. Admission is $15.
6. PEZ Visitor Center - CT
If you’re a fan of PEZ Candy, made in Connecticut since 1927, the PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, Connecticut, a small town south of New Haven situated between 95 and Highway 122, is worth the drive for this 4,000-square-foot epic roadside attraction.
A modern-day attraction adhering to ADA standards, you'll find accessible parking, an elevator, and a fully accessible building to learn everything you'd ever want to know about PEZ, including the history, memorabilia, and a huge store with unique flavors. You can even watch the candy being packaged. Admission is $5 and includes a free PEZ lanyard.
5. SPAM Museum - MN
If you find yourself in southern Minnesota near 35 this Summer and if you're a fan of SPAM, a must-stop is the SPAM Museum in downtown Austin, Minnesota. Another company-created museum dedicated to their brand, the SPAM Museum celebrates the history of the product as well as how it's made and shows different SPAM products sold throughout the world. The current building where the museum stands was built in 2016, making it fully ADA accessible. Admission is free and guided tours are also free and available upon request.
4. Monkey Island - FL
A nature preserve located in Homosassa River, Florida, a small town north of Tampa located off 98, is the super fun Monkey Island. Not really an island but a small piece of land located in the middle of a river, Monkey Island features dozens of spider monkeys that have been living there since the 1960s.
To view the monkeys on Monkey Island, you can watch from a pier that is fully accessible and located in front of Riverside Resort, a resort that is right next to Monkey Island. Or you can eat or have a drink at the resort (at either their restaurant or bar) for a quick peek. And no one is allowed to touch the monkeys or physically get on the island.
3. Foamhenge - VA
A true quirky roadside attraction located off Highway 620 west of Washington, DC in Centreville, Virginia on Cox Farms is Foamhenge, a true-to-size replica of Stonehenge made entirely of Styrofoam. The entire structure is located on a flat grassy area that makes it easy to traverse from a wheelchair too.
Opening in 2004 after being conceived and built by artist Mark Cline, Foamhenge was originally supposed to be an April Fool's Joke but ended up becoming a popular tourist attraction for the town of Natural Bridge, Virginia, where Foamhenge was originally located until it was moved to its current location 6 years ago. Foamhenge is only open on Saturdays between 1-2 pm during the Summer but is more open during their Fall Festival.
2. South of the Border - SC
A Mexican-themed roadside attraction located near the border of South Carolina and North Carolina in the town of Hamer, South Carolina and situated off 95, is South of the Border. This infamous roadside attraction has been attracting visitors for 70 years and offers a variety of things to check out from a restaurant, a gift shop to a giant sombrero in the sky that you can go to the top of in an elevator. The entire facility is fully accessible and offers a hotel or campground to spend the night. Admission is free.
1. House on the Rock - WI
Located in Spring Green, Wisconsin off Highway 23, west of Madison, is the architecturally bizarre "home" known as House on the Rock. Built in 1960 by designer Alex Jordan Jr., this home is nearly fully accessible to wheelchairs despite that it was constructed before the ADA.
The attraction features several different buildings attached by tunnels or bridges and they are filled with different collections that the designer amassed, from guns from around the world to a huge, automated orchestra. It is hard to describe but the good news is that you can meander through the entire structure in a wheelchair. The only area where no wheelchairs are allowed is the Sky Bridge; a large glass walking tunnel that goes out over the valley. Admission is $20.
