Links and Bibliography

The internet is a gold mine of information on "larger than life" attractions.The red links below are to some of the sites we used to plan our photographic odyssey as well as links to some of the specific sites photographed.

Links:

General Information on roadside attractions:

Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions is the first site to search. Type in the area you want to research or the type of attraction you seek and you are on your way!

Hampton Landmarks - Photo Gallery features landmarks that have been restored with help from the Hampton Hotels. It has links to "Explore the Highway" and "Hidden Landmarks" as well.

Roadside Architecture is a "one-woman effort" of close to 1,000 pages of roadside attractions. It is organized by categories and in some sections by state.

Worlds Largest Things Traveling Roadside Attraction is a twist on the usual site. Roadside attractions are visited, photographed, documented, then a small replica is made. The replica is taken back to the original site and photographed with the full size attractions. The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things is also a traveling exhibition and the artist can be scheduled for lectures. See the site for more information.

Highway Giants - Muffler Men is a Waymark site with an interactive map of Muffler Men and other giants in the US. It is not complete but has locations and photographs of 31 different figures.

I am a devoted fan of Zippy the Pinhead comic strip by Bill Griffith. A recurring theme in the strip is Zippy's interaction with roadside attractions. I have started a collection of strips that show Zippy interacting with the sites I have photographed. The site includes an interactive map and a "strip search" by date and keyword.

Some of the specific attractions photographed:

Lucy The Margate Elephant official site

The Big Duck, Flanders, Long Island, New York

Precious Moments Park and Chapel, Carthage, Missouri

Longaberger Basket company's home office, Newark, Ohio

Glenn Goode's Big People, Gainesville, Texas

Praying Hands monument, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cross Ministries, Groom, Texas

Shoe House, Hellam, Pennsylvania

Starship Pegasus, Italy, Texas

Helpful books:

New Roadside America: The Modern Traveler's Guide to the Wild and Wonderful World of America's Tourist Attractions by Doug Kirby, A Fireside Book, 1992

Fun Along the Road: American Tourist Attractions by John Margolies, Bulfinch Press, 1998

Buildings in Disguise: Architecture That Looks Like Animals, Food, and Other Things by Joan Marie Arbogast, Boyds Mills Press, 2004

Roadside Americana by Eric Peterson, Publications International, 2004

Bright Bytes Studio: Jack and Beverly's Home Page

9/7/2007