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Roadside attraction

January 01, 1970

For the unrelated American production and distribution company, see Roadside Attractions.

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,[1] and subsequently caught on in Australia.[2]

The "World's Largest Dinosaur", a roadside attraction in Drumheller, Alberta

History edit

When long-distance road travel became practical and famous in the 1920s, entrepreneurs began building restaurants, motels, coffee shops, cafes, and unusual businesses to attract travelers.[3][4] Many of the buildings were attractions in themselves in the form of novelty architecture, depicting everyday objects of enormous size, typically relating to the items sold there.[5] Some other types of roadside attractions include monuments and fictionalized-paranormal/illusionary amusements such as the Mystery Spot near Santa Cruz, California,[6] or curiosities such as The Thing? along Interstate 10 in Arizona.[7]

With the construction of the U.S. Interstate Highway System in the mid-1950s, many roadside attractions were bypassed and quickly went out of business.[4] Some remained attractive enough to divert travelers from the interstate for a brief respite and thus remain in business. The best example of this change is along US Route 66, where in the southwest, Interstate 40 provided for non-stop travel.[8][9] In 2017, the publication Best Life listed 33 top roadside attractions in the U.S. Among those listed were Lucy the Elephant, Margate, NJ; Cabazon Dinosaurs, Cabazon, CA; Oregon Vortex, Gold Hill, OR; Jolly Green Giant, Blue Earth, MN; and Secret Caverns, Howes Cave, NY.[10]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Rick Quinn; RoadTrip America (3 April 2018). RoadTrip America Arizona & New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips. Imbrifex Books. pp. 177–. ISBN 978-1-945501-11-1.
  2. ^ Kaye Sung Chon (4 July 2013). Geography and Tourism Marketing. Routledge. pp. 147–. ISBN 978-1-136-37739-6.
  3. ^ Wickman, Forrest (11 August 2015). "A Mini History of Mega Tourist Traps" – via Slate.
  4. ^ a b Weingroff, Richard F. (27 June 2017). "Along the Interstates: Seeing the Roadside". Highway history. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. ^ Wickman, Forrest (11 August 2015). "A Mini History of Mega Tourist Traps". Slate. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. ^ Stewart M. Green (14 January 2014). Scenic Routes & Byways California's Pacific Coast. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 45–. ISBN 978-1-4930-0475-1.
  7. ^ Wesley Treat; Mark Moran; Mark Sceurman (2007). Weird Arizona: Your Travel Guide to Arizona's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 95–. ISBN 978-1-4027-3938-5.
  8. ^ edklein69. "Route 66 History Page". Route 66 World. Retrieved 6 April 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "The History of Route 66". National Historic Route 66 Federation. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  10. ^ Crow, Sarah (December 20, 2017). "The 33 Best Roadside Attractions in America". BestLife.

Further reading edit

  • Berger, Michael L. (2001). The American automobile in the 20th century : a reference guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313245589.</ref>
  • Hollis, Tim (1999). Dixie before Disney: 100 years of roadside fun. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781617033742.
  • Jakle, John A.; Sculle, Keith A. (2011). Remembering Roadside America Preserving the Recent Past as Landscape and Place. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press. ISBN 9781572338333.
  • Kirby, Doug; Smith, Ken; Wilkins, Mike (1992). The new Roadside America: the modern traveler's guide to the wild and wonderful world of America's Tourist attractions. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9780671769314.
  • Margolies, John (1998). Fun along the road : American tourist attractions. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0821223512.
  • Marling, Karal Ann (1984). The Colossus of Roads: Myth and Symbol Along the American Highway. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 9781452905013.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roadside attractions.
  • Roadside America: The Decline Of Kitsch? by NPR
  • “Roadside Attractions”, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
  • Society for Commercial Archeology
  • American highways and roadside attractions (NPR)

January 01, 1970
roadside, attraction, unrelated, american, production, distribution, company, roadside, attractions, roadside, attraction, feature, along, side, road, meant, attract, tourists, general, these, places, might, stop, somewhere, rather, than, being, destination, t. For the unrelated American production and distribution company see Roadside Attractions 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 1 and subsequently caught on in Australia 2 The World s Largest Dinosaur a roadside attraction in Drumheller Alberta Contents 1 History 2 See also 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory editWhen long distance road travel became practical and famous in the 1920s entrepreneurs began building restaurants motels coffee shops cafes and unusual businesses to attract travelers 3 4 Many of the buildings were attractions in themselves in the form of novelty architecture depicting everyday objects of enormous size typically relating to the items sold there 5 Some other types of roadside attractions include monuments and fictionalized paranormal illusionary amusements such as the Mystery Spot near Santa Cruz California 6 or curiosities such as The Thing along Interstate 10 in Arizona 7 With the construction of the U S Interstate Highway System in the mid 1950s many roadside attractions were bypassed and quickly went out of business 4 Some remained attractive enough to divert travelers from the interstate for a brief respite and thus remain in business The best example of this change is along US Route 66 where in the southwest Interstate 40 provided for non stop travel 8 9 In 2017 the publication Best Life listed 33 top roadside attractions in the U S Among those listed were Lucy the Elephant Margate NJ Cabazon Dinosaurs Cabazon CA Oregon Vortex Gold Hill OR Jolly Green Giant Blue Earth MN and Secret Caverns Howes Cave NY 10 See also editAnother Roadside Attraction 1971 novel by Tom Robbins Another Roadside Attraction festival Canadian music festival Australia s big things novelty architecture and large sculptures in Australia Enchanted Highway a collection of scrap metal sculptures along an unnumbered stretch of highway in North Dakota Giants of the Prairies novelty architecture and large sculptures in Canada John Margolies whose 13 000 photographs of roadside attractions in the United States are now in the public domain List of largest roadside attractions international Novelty architecture Roadside America disambiguation Tourist trap Wall Drug What Were They Thinking a Canadian comedy television series which profiled roadside attractionsReferences edit Rick Quinn RoadTrip America 3 April 2018 RoadTrip America Arizona amp New Mexico 25 Scenic Side Trips Imbrifex Books pp 177 ISBN 978 1 945501 11 1 Kaye Sung Chon 4 July 2013 Geography and Tourism Marketing Routledge pp 147 ISBN 978 1 136 37739 6 Wickman Forrest 11 August 2015 A Mini History of Mega Tourist Traps via Slate a b Weingroff Richard F 27 June 2017 Along the Interstates Seeing the Roadside Highway history Federal Highway Administration Retrieved 6 April 2018 Wickman Forrest 11 August 2015 A Mini History of Mega Tourist Traps Slate Retrieved 6 April 2018 Stewart M Green 14 January 2014 Scenic Routes amp Byways California s Pacific Coast Rowman amp Littlefield pp 45 ISBN 978 1 4930 0475 1 Wesley Treat Mark Moran Mark Sceurman 2007 Weird Arizona Your Travel Guide to Arizona s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets Sterling Publishing Company Inc pp 95 ISBN 978 1 4027 3938 5 edklein69 Route 66 History Page Route 66 World Retrieved 6 April 2018 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link The History of Route 66 National Historic Route 66 Federation 5 March 2011 Retrieved 6 April 2018 Crow Sarah December 20 2017 The 33 Best Roadside Attractions in America BestLife Further reading editBerger Michael L 2001 The American automobile in the 20th century a reference guide Westport CT Greenwood Press ISBN 9780313245589 lt ref gt Hollis Tim 1999 Dixie before Disney 100 years of roadside fun University Press of Mississippi ISBN 9781617033742 Jakle John A Sculle Keith A 2011 Remembering Roadside America Preserving the Recent Past as Landscape and Place Knoxville University of Tennessee Press ISBN 9781572338333 Kirby Doug Smith Ken Wilkins Mike 1992 The new Roadside America the modern traveler s guide to the wild and wonderful world of America s Tourist attractions New York Simon amp Schuster ISBN 9780671769314 Margolies John 1998 Fun along the road American tourist attractions Boston Little Brown ISBN 978 0821223512 Marling Karal Ann 1984 The Colossus of Roads Myth and Symbol Along the American Highway University of Minnesota Press ISBN 9781452905013 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Roadside attractions Roadside America The Decline Of Kitsch by NPR Roadside Attractions a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places TwHP lesson plan Society for Commercial Archeology American highways and roadside attractions NPR Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Roadside attraction amp oldid 1181043236, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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