Roadside attraction
Encyclopedia
A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road
, that is frequently advertised with billboards
to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere else, rather than being a final or primary destination in and of themselves. The modern tourist-oriented highway attraction originated as a U.S.
and Western Canadian
phenomenon in the 1940s to 1960s, and subsequently caught on in Australia
.
), often advertising the items sold there, and became attractions in themselves. Some other types of Roadside Attractions include monuments and pseudo-scientific amusements such as the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
.
With the building of the U.S. interstate highway system
in the mid-1950s, most roadside attractions were by-passed and quickly went out of business. But the most famous remained attractive enough to travelers to make them leave the comfort of the interstate highway for a brief time and thus keep the attraction in business.
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
, that is frequently advertised with billboards
Billboard (advertising)
A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure , typically found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers...
to attract tourists. In general, these are places one might stop on the way to somewhere else, rather than being a final or primary destination in and of themselves. The modern tourist-oriented highway attraction originated as a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Western Canadian
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
phenomenon in the 1940s to 1960s, and subsequently caught on in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
History
When long-distance road travel became practical and popular in the late 1930s, entrepreneurs began building restaurants, motels, coffee shops, and more unusual businesses to attract travelers. Many of the buildings took the form of common objects of enormous size (see Novelty architectureNovelty architecture
Novelty architecture is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes as a novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the owner or architect. Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that...
), often advertising the items sold there, and became attractions in themselves. Some other types of Roadside Attractions include monuments and pseudo-scientific amusements such as the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
Mystery Spot
The Mystery Spot is a tourist attraction located near Santa Cruz, California. It was discovered in 1939 and opened in 1940. The operators of the small site claim that it is a place where the laws of physics and gravity do not apply and provide a number of demonstrations in support of these...
.
With the building of the U.S. interstate highway system
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
in the mid-1950s, most roadside attractions were by-passed and quickly went out of business. But the most famous remained attractive enough to travelers to make them leave the comfort of the interstate highway for a brief time and thus keep the attraction in business.
See also
- List of World's Largest Roadside Attractions
- Tourist trapTourist trapA tourist trap is an establishment, or group of establishments, that has been created with the aim of attracting tourists and their money...
- Another Roadside AttractionAnother Roadside AttractionAnother Roadside Attraction is Tom Robbins' first novel, published in 1971 by Doubleday, which initiated what has grown to be considered his cult following.-Plot summary:...
- Novelty architectureNovelty architectureNovelty architecture is a type of architecture in which buildings and other structures are given unusual shapes as a novelty, such as advertising, notoriety as a landmark, or simple eccentricity of the owner or architect. Many examples of novelty architecture take the form of buildings that...
- Australia's big thingsAustralia's Big ThingsThe Big Things of Australia are a loosely related set of large structures or sculptures. There are estimated to be over 150 such objects around the country, the first being the Big Scotsman in Medindie, Adelaide, which was built in 1963....
- Giants of the PrairiesGiants of the PrairiesGiants of the Prairies is a song by the Canadian polka band, the Kubasonics.It tells the story of the numerous "world's biggest" roadside attractions to be found in Western Canada, especially in small towns populated mostly by Ukrainian Canadians....
External links
- World's Largest Roadside Attractions
- Roadside America
- Large Canadian Roadside Attractions
- Photos Of Roadside Attractions
- Wacky Roadside Attractions - slideshow by Life magazine
- Roadside America: The Decline Of Kitsch? by NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
- The American Roadside: Photos, news and updates on America's fading roadside attractions
- “Roadside Attractions”, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
- Tacky Tourist Photos