1

Area 51

Image: Michael Herren

Location: Nevada

Shrouded in secrecy, this military base has become synonymous with UFOs and government cover-ups. Its official purpose was testing aircraft like the U-2 spy plane and Stealth Bomber, but its classified nature fueled decades of wild speculation, ranging from secret weapons to actual aliens working for the government.

2

Coral Castle

Image: Audric Wonkam

Location: Florida

This massive stone structure was built by a single man, Edward Leedskalnin, using enormous limestone blocks—some weighing 30 tons. According to him, no heavy machinery was ever used during the construction, and he even claimed to know the secrets of the pyramids . To this day, engineers and historians debate how he moved and placed those stones with such precision.

3

Skinwalker Ranch

Image: Jacob Padilla

Location: Utah

This 512-acre property has long been at the center of UFO sightings, cattle mutilations , and alleged portals to other dimensions. The stories were so compelling that, in the ’90s, a private research organization purchased the ranch to try and make some scientific sense of the claims, conducting extensive field studies. However, after nearly a decade of research, they found no conclusive evidence.

4

Mammoth Cave

Image: Ksenia Kudelkina

Location: Kentucky

The world’s longest known cave system has its fair share of unexplored tunnels, ghost stories, and strange air currents. More than 400 miles have been mapped , yet many passages remain uncharted. Researchers have yet to fully understand the cave’s underground ecosystem, and new chambers are still being discovered today.

5

The Marfa Lights

Image: Alexandra Vo

Location: Texas

Reported since at least the late 19th century, floating orbs of light have been seen near this small town with no consistent explanation. Night watchers continue to gather at designated viewing areas along Highway 90, hoping for a glimpse. While scientific studies suggest that distorted car headlights are the most likely cause, many remain convinced otherwise.

6

The Devil’s Kettle

Image: Andrew Ling

Location: Minnesota

This unusual waterfall splits in two—one half flows normally, while the other vanishes into a deep pothole with no known exit. Scientists poured dye, ping-pong balls, and even GPS trackers into the mysterious hole, all to see where the water ends up. While researchers eventually confirmed it rejoins the river underground, exactly how and where remained elusive for decades.

7

Cahokia Mounds

Image: pcrm Dorego

Location: Illinois

Built centuries before Columbus arrived in the Americas, the ancient city of Cahokia featured massive earthen mounds, wooden palisades, and likely formed part of complex trade networks across the continent. Despite having a population rivaling London in the 1200s, according to archaeologists, the city was mysteriously abandoned in the span of a few years. No written records explain its decline, though environmental stress, resource shortages, and internal social factors are often cited as possible causes.

8

Blythe Intaglios

Image: Alexander Schimmeck

Location: California

Similar to Peru’s Nazca Lines, these giant geoglyphs are etched into the desert floor, seemingly visible only from the sky. Created by scraping away dark rocks to reveal lighter earth beneath, the figures are believed to be between 450 and 2,000 years old, depending on the specific design. While their exact purpose remains a mystery, they are believed to have had a ceremonial function.

9

The Spooklight

Image: Ben Griffiths

Location: Missouri-Oklahoma Border

Also known as the Hornet Spooklight, this floating orb has been seen since at least the late 19th century. It appears along a rural stretch of road near the small community of Hornet, Missouri, and Quapaw, Oklahoma. While some theorize it could be caused by car lights from miles away, some sightings predate automobiles.

10

Roanoke Island

Image: Stephen Crane

Location: North Carolina

In the 1580s, an entire colony vanished overnight, leaving behind only the word "Croatoan" carved into a tree. No graves, no remains—just an eerie disappearance that sparked centuries of theories, from disease and starvation to assimilation with local tribes. Modern archaeology uncovered European artifacts at sites associated with Native groups miles away, but no definitive evidence has ever solved the mystery.

1

Jesse James

Image: Jaye Haych

Born in 1847 and raised in western Missouri , Jesse James and his brother Frank earned a reputation robbing banks, trains, and stagecoaches, and committing other offenses throughout the Midwest .

After gaining national fame as an elusive criminal, Jesse James's illegal career came to an end in 1882 . He was betrayed by one of his own, Robert Ford , who had met with the governor of Missouri to make a deal and bring James down.

Jesse James lived only 34 years, but the wild story of his life is full of infamous acts that seem like something out of a movie. And here's a fun fact: his son, Jesse James Jr., starred in two silent films playing his father!

2

Billy the Kid

Image: rod m

Ever heard the name Henry McCarty ? Maybe the alias William H. Bonney? If the answer is "no," you probably recognize him by his nickname: Billy the Kid .

In addition to committing robberies and assaults, this 19th-century outlaw gained notoriety for his role in New Mexico's Lincoln County War. Billy, born in 1859 , was arrested several times throughout his life but consistently managed to escape. However, his luck ended in the 1880s.

In the year 1881 , to be exact, Billy the Kid was caught by Sheriff Pat Garrett. That same year, a few months after his last escape, he was struck down at the young age of 21 by Garrett.

3

Butch Cassidy

Image: The National Library of Norway

You've probably heard of the Wild Bunch , a gang that intimidated the American West during the late 19th and early 20th centuries . Often considered the most successful train robbery gang in history, its members were feared guys, but the most notorious was its leader: Butch Cassidy.

Cassidy, born in 1866 , started his criminal career very early. Many historical sources state that he committed his first minor crime—store robbery—when he was only 14 years old !

However, as with most outlaws, his luck ran out. Escaping the law, he traveled to Latin America. The tales say he was in Argentina and then Bolivia , where he met his end in a shootout in 1908 .

4

Sundance Kid

Image: Ady TeenagerInRO

Another iconic figure in Cassidy's gang was Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, more famously known as the Sundance Kid .

Born in 1867 , his distinctive nickname originated during his time in the Sundance, Wyoming, jail, where he landed for one of his early crimes, horse theft. Legend has it that the Sundance Kid was a man of many skills, known particularly for his talent for poker and his ability to escape the law.

The tales suggest that Longabaugh traveled with Cassidy to Bolivia, where he met the same fate as the gang leader. Another theory says that the Sundance Kid returned to the U.S. under another name and lived in a small town in Utah.

5

Black Bart

Image: Joanna Kosinska

While crime and poetry might seem like an unlikely pairing, the outlaw known as Black Bart managed to blend these two things very well.

Probably less famed than the other names on this list, Black Bart was born Charles E. Boles (or Bolton) in England in 1829 . However, he relocated to New York with his family when he was just a toddler.

Between 1875 and 1883, Boles is believed to have robbed about 28 stagecoaches in Northern California and southern Oregon. But one thing distinguished this outlaw: on several occasions, he left behind poems at the robbery sites!

6

Al Capone

Image: Ashim D’Silva

It might be hard to believe, but before Al Capone became synonymous with organized crime, he actually worked at a candy store ! Can you picture him among candies and lollipops?

Definitely one of the best-known gangsters of the Prohibition era , Al Capone was born in New York as Alphonse Gabriel Capone in 1899 . Born to Italian immigrants, Capone moved to Chicago at a young age. By the 1920s , he had already made a name for himself among the city's criminals, smuggling and selling alcohol.

In 1931, his luck ran out, as he was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for tax evasion. He was released in 1939 and passed away 8 years later.

7

Bonnie and Clyde

Image: Tengyart

Some say love's power knows no bounds, and the story of this couple seems to prove this.

Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut "Champion" Barrow, known worldwide as Bonnie and Clyde , were two outlaws who committed a wide range of crimes across states such as Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri during the Great Depression era . Literally partners in crime, they became popular icons over the years.

These two were recurring names in the headlines of their times, gaining notoriety for their robberies, both to banks and small stores. Together until the end, Bonnie and Clyde were fatally wounded in a police ambush in 1934 , when they were still very young. At the time, she was 23 and he was 25.

8

John Dillinger

Image: Tim Evans

John Dillinger , a mobster born in 1903 , led what was known as "the Dillinger Gang." During the Great Depression , Dillinger and his crew demonstrated their criminal prowess, accused of robbing more than 24 banks !

In 1934, John Dillinger became the first person to be declared "Public Enemy Number One" by the FBI. He was imprisoned multiple times throughout his life and, as the stories go, managed to escape jail twice using fake weapons made out of wood!

After a final attempt to escape, the criminal was gunned down by the authorities at the age of 31 as he exited the Biograph Theater in Chicago.

9

Pretty Boy Floyd

Image: Pepi Stojanovski

During the turbulent Great Depression era, a couple of outlaws were not only robbing banks and trains but also the national spotlight. Among them was Pretty Boy Floyd , born Charles Arthur Floyd in 1904 .

Floyd, who operated in the Western and Central U.S. , wasn't seen as a villain by many. Why? Besides robbing banks , he also used to destroy mortgage documents , something that helped many people, relieving them of their debts. Far from the sloppy appearance of many criminals, Floyd had a clean-cut and youthful look, which earned him his characteristic nickname .

His life met an end in his 30s in a shootout with the Bureau of Investigation's agents in Ohio.

10

John Gotti

Image: Jacob Spence

Known as " Teflon Don " for his slippery ability to evade justice, John Gotti was born on October 27, 1940 , in The Bronx, New York. He's widely considered one of the most dangerous crime bosses in U.S. history.

Known for his charisma and trademark hairspray look , Gotti began his life of crime when he was still a teenager. By the mid-1980s, he had become the head of the Gambino Crime Family, and throughout his life, he was accused of multiple crimes of varying severity.

Despite evading convictions many times, he was finally convicted in 1992 . He passed away ten years later while still in prison.

1

Carhenge

Image: sarahehauge

The gray megaliths of Stonehenge , in contrast with the bright green of the surrounding plains, create an image familiar to most of us. The ancient monument in the south of England inspired artist Jim Reinders to design this roadside attraction near Alliance, Nebraska, along Highway 87.

He and his family built it in 1987 on his late father’s farm as a memorial. Thirty-nine cars were buried and welded in place, then spray-painted gray to form a structure imitating the original. Carhenge remains open 24/7, and anyone is welcome to visit anytime, but it looks particularly epic against the setting sun.

2

Prada Marfa

Image: Mizzu Cho

"Wait, what was that?" Imagine driving along U.S. Route 90 and catching a flashing glimpse of this lone-standing, one-story, deserted Prada store , just feet away from the road. Located 26 miles northwest of Marfa, Texas, this storefront is a land art installation built in 2005 by the architects and artists Elmgreen & Dragset.

It wasn’t meant to be an advertisement for the brand, although the shoes and handbags displayed in the interior of the shop were provided by designer Miuccia Prada herself. The location was carefully chosen so that the white shop would stand out against the barren landscape.

3

"Giant" Marfa Mural

Image: Robert Harkness

Remember Giant (1956), the film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean? This classic about a wealthy Texan family was shot around the town of Marfa, Texas, and parts of it were filmed right at this spot. That means Marfa became the site of yet another car-stopping roadside attraction.

Right off the road on U.S. ​​Highway 90, just like the Prada Marfa, stand these colorful plywood murals that depict the characters and the Little Reata Ranch , which served as the backdrop of the movie. Artist John Cerney erected these figures in 2018, and visitors also mention that one can hear music at the site: it comes from speakers cleverly concealed between rocks and was composed by Michael Nesmith from The Monkees.

4

Galleta Meadows Sculptures

Image: Stephen Leonardi

You would have to take a 14-mile detour from California State Route 78 to see them, but it would be worth it. Galleta Meadows is a privately owned, open-to-the-public estate that has been home to over 130 giant metal sculptures created by Ricardo Breceda since 2007.

Breceda first built a giant metal dinosaur for his daughter after watching Jurassic Park III with her. When the owner of this estate saw his art, he commissioned all the sculptures that now adorn the land. The figures emerging from the ground vary. Beyond the mythological serpent dragon, some represent animals that once roamed the same land, such as the Columbian mammoth, the sabertooth tiger, and dinosaurs. A scorpion, a grasshopper, and a bighorn sheep can also be found.

5

Seven Magic Mountains

Image: Samuel Branch

The hoodoos that characterize the Western landscape inspired this pop-art image in the mind of Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard ten miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada, these stacks of boulders were painted with fluorescent pigments that are activated by the sun.

The installation, built in 2016, was funded by the Nevada Museum of Art and the Art Production Fund . It was originally intended to remain for two years, but the fascination with this highly photogenic landscape was such that it was decided to keep it in place and open to the public. The Seven Magic Mountains receive around 325,000 visitors every year.

6

Cabazon Dinosaurs

Image: Marius Christensen

One of the most famous roadside attractions in the U.S. is the Cabazon Dinosaurs, located just west of Palm Springs in California. These are two steel-and-concrete figures, about 20 feet tall, that have their own names: the Brontosaurus Dinny the Dinosaur and the T-Rex, Mr. Rex.

Dinny and Mr. Rex are repainted frequently to show varying colors and suits. A nearby museum gift shop houses over 100 dinosaur figures and animatronics. The stop became even more famous after being featured in Tim Burton’s Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), but they had been standing at Cabazon since artist Claude Bell began building them in 1964.

7

Salvation Mountain

Image: Nitro ‎

In the California Desert, not far from State Route 111, stands an artificial hill that was created in 1984 and has been repeatedly modified over the years to become a colorful folk site. Local resident Leonard Knight started building the hill in the 1980s, with the vision that it would forever hold a message of "unconditional love to humankind ."

Adobe bricks, straw, discarded tires and car parts, and tons of paint were all used in the production of this 150-foot-wide art project.

8

Enchanted Highway

Image: Carol Highsmith's America

The Enchanted Highway stretches for 32 miles in the southwest of North Dakota. It has been decorated with some of the world’s largest scrap metal sculptures, all made by local artist Gary Greff, who began the project in 1989. He started the project as a way to revive his town, Regent , while it was in economic decline.

Fish, pheasants, bugs, and even a "Tin Family" of humans adorn the landscape near the city of Dickinson. Nine sites with sculptures are built along County Highway 21, most of them featuring parking areas to allow visitors to wander near the sculptures and take plenty of pictures.

9

Peachoid

Image: Jp Valery

The Peachoid water tower stands in Gaffney, South Carolina, and is shaped like, well, a peach . The tank holds one million gallons and is visible from miles around the point at Interstate 85 where it stands.

It was built for the city of Gaffney in 1981, resembling the fruit for which they were best known. It was commissioned by the Gaffney Board of Public Works, which also wanted to make the statement that Cherokee County, at one point in history, was a bigger peach producer than the entire "Peach State," Georgia.

10

Garden of One Thousand Buddas

Image: Kirsten Ann

Would you count them? There’s a peaceful garden in a valley near Glacier National Park in Montana. In it live one thousand white statues of sitting Buddhas lining a public park and botanical garden.

The construction of the site, nestled by the Mission Mountains , began in 2000. It wasn’t until 2015, however, that the 1,000th Buddha was finally placed, reaching the original goal of the founder, a Tibetan master. Hundreds of visitors arrive each week to walk the garden and wander around the 10 acres it spreads over.