– **History**:
– Long-distance road travel popularized in the 1920s.
– Entrepreneurs built various businesses to attract travelers.
– Roadside attractions included novelty architecture and curiosities.
– U.S. Interstate Highway System construction in the 1950s bypassed many attractions.
– Some roadside attractions like those on Route 66 remained popular.
– **See also**:
– “Another Roadside Attraction” novel by Tom Robbins.
– Festivals like Another Roadside Attraction in Canada.
– Large sculptures in Australia’s big things.
– Enchanted Highway in North Dakota with scrap metal sculptures.
– John Margolies’ collection of roadside attraction photographs.
– **References**:
– Books like “RoadTrip America Arizona & New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips.”
– Resources on geography and tourism marketing.
– Articles on the history of tourist traps and roadside attractions.
– Information from the Federal Highway Administration on highway history.
– Route 66 history resources and the best roadside attractions in America.
– **Further reading**:
– Reference guides on American automobile history.
– Books on the evolution of roadside attractions over the years.
– Guides to American tourist attractions and preserving roadside history.
– Literature exploring the symbolism along American highways.
– Publications on the fun and myths associated with American roadside attractions.
– **External links**:
– Wikimedia Commons with media related to roadside attractions.
– Article on the decline of kitsch in Roadside America.
A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road meant to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere, rather than being a destination. They are frequently advertised with billboards. The modern tourist-oriented highway attraction originated as a U.S. and Canadian phenomenon in the 1940s to 1960s, and subsequently caught on in Australia.
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