Hidden Gems: Discovering Arkansas’s Most Unique Roadside Attractions

Are you organizing a road trip across Arkansas and looking for the top Arkansas roadside attractions to visit along the way? You won’t want to miss these fifteen must-visit destinations in Arkansas, whether you’re traveling through the Ozark Mountains, the Delta Flatlands, along the Mississippi River, or on vacation in Little Rock or Fayetteville. They make excellent complements to your route or plan for a fun road trip stop.

The top 15 roadside attractions in Arkansas are listed and they range from an oversized Jesus to a giant raven, a dancing pig to an alligator farm. (Photo: AARP)

The top 15 roadside attractions in Arkansas are listed below from SILY AMERICA, including anything from a gigantic raven to a dancing pig, an alligator farm to a world of snakes, and even an oversized Jesus! On your trip to Arkansas, you won’t want to skip any of these must-see tourist traps and pit breaks.

Top 15 best roadside attractions in Arkansas (in no particular order):

1. Mammoth Orange Café in 103 N Highway 365, Redfield, AR- Earnestine Bradshaw constructed the Mammoth Orange Cafe in 1965. It was designed to resemble an enormous orange to compete with nearby Orange Julius shops. This giant orange is still a functioning restaurant, not simply a roadside attraction in Arkansas.

2. Hogeye, the 30-Foot-Tall Dancing Boar in HogEye, Inc., 4148 M.L.K. Jr Blvd, Fayetteville, AR- Instead of putting up a standard sign in front of their bespoke goods company, Hogeye Inc. in Fayetteville chose to construct a landmark. They made the decision to construct the 30-foot tall world’s largest boar in response to their own logo, which portrays a fearsome animal on a battle shield.

3. Big Raven Statue in 211 US Hwy 63, Ravenden, AR- A huge statue of a raven stands in honor of the bird that gave the town of Ravenden its name. The fiberglass sculpture was initially constructed in 1991, but it was destroyed by fire a few years later, along with its successor. It was replaced in 1996 by a 12-foot-tall cement raven, which is still standing today.

4. Tiny Town in374 Whittington Ave, Hot Springs, AR- Tiny Town by Frank Moshinskie is exactly that—a tiny town. The little village has rivers, mountains, homes, pubs, swimming pools, parks, and is lit up and electrified. There are even teeny tiny people to enjoy it all. Several of the exhibits were influenced by Moshinskie’s trips to the United States and well-known figures.

5. Giant Budweiser Beer Can in 21163-21399 AR-22, Lavaca, AR- Local cattle rancher and beer distributor David McMahon, Sr. made a significant move to demonstrate his appreciation of beer, particularly Budweiser. On his property, one of the silos was painted to resemble a massive Budweiser can as it would have appeared in 1975 or 1976.

6. Christ of the Ozarks in 937 Passion Play Rd, Eureka Springs, AR- Visitors go to The Great Passion Play to observe the hour-and-a-half-long outdoor amphitheater production of Christ’s final days.

7. Arkansas Alligator Farm: Home of the Merman in 847 Whittington Ave, Hot Springs, AR- Any road trip would be appealing to stop at an alligator farm. But when you include a merman, you have one of Arkansas’s top roadside attractions. Visit the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo to see some alligators, stroke some goats, and marvel at The Merman—a leathery, mummified creature that is part fish and half monkey that was originally seized off the coast of Hong Kong.

8. Popeye Statue in Popeye Garden, 811 Fayetteville Ave, Alma, AR- The town of Alma, Arkansas, is known as the spinach center of the world, and to honor this distinction, Popeye the Sailor Man has a large statue there. The community first constructed a paper mache and fiberglass statue of Popeye in 1987, but in 2007 the current 8-foot-tall bronze monument took its place.

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9. Beatles Park & Abbey Road in 110 Abbey Road, Walnut Ridge, AR- In Arkansas, The Beatles arrived on September 18, 1964. Despite the band’s brief stop at Walnut Ridge Airport to switch flights, a lifelong memorial was created. An aluminum sculpture of the Abbey Road album cover measuring 20 feet wide and 10 feet tall was erected in Beatles Park in 2011. Around town, you can also find bright murals of the Fab Four, a yellow submarine, and other things.

10. Gateway Rabbit in Gateway, AR- This enormous cartoon bunny, which was once a parade float in the 1980s, stood in front of R.C.’s Family Style Restaurant (previously Hillbilly Restaurant) for many years. Around 2007, the rabbit was relocated to a private lawn after being repainted white (it had previously been bubblegum pink) after the restaurant closed.

11. Big Turkey and Rooster in QC Supply, 2285 E Pridemore Dr, Lincoln, AR- These avian roadside attractions are located in Lincoln, Arkansas, in front of QC Supply (Preferred Poultry Supply). The 12-foot tall gigantic turkey and rooster left Springdale in 2012 and now reside outside the Lincoln poultry supply store.

12. Fouke Monster Mart: Home of the Legendary Boggy Creek Monster in 104 US-71, Fouke, AR- The equivalent of bigfoot in Fouke is the Boggy Creek Monster. The 300-pound, 8-foot-tall, hairy creature has been a local spook since at least 1834 and served as the inspiration for several horror movies. When taking a road trip through Arkansas, stop at Fouke Monster Mart (previously Peavy’s) to learn more about this local lore, get some trinkets, and get your picture taken with the Boggy Creek Monster.

13. The Guitar Walk in 109 SW Front St., Walnut Ridge, AR- You may hear music and hear tales of rock ‘n’ roll superstars like Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley who performed along Highway 67 in northeast Arkansas as you stroll down this 115-foot-long concrete Epiphone Casino guitar.

14. Billy Bass Adoption Center in Flying Fish, 511 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock, AR- The Flying Fish restaurant in Little Rock is where these once-popular novelties go to die…or, at least, retire. We all remember the Big Mouth Billy Bass, the As Seen on TV hot of the late 90s/early 2000s that came in the form of an animatronic mounted fish who would sing hits like “Don’t Worry… Be Happy” and “Take Me to the River.”

15. Snake World in 3380 US-62, Berryville, AR- Over 70 snakes are kept in Dale Ertel’s Arkansas trailer, and he has over 45 years of experience managing reptiles. Visit us today to take a tour and discover everything there is to know about snakes.

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