Weird and Wonderful USA

The USA’s 14 Most Weird and Wonderful Attractions and Events

Travel Counsellors 2026 trends report highlighted that UK consumers are looking for more when they travel. Travellers are seeking experiences that are “truly personal and memorable” rather than the mainstream attractions, and the US offers just that. From festivals celebrating pickles and coyote howling championships, to independent micronations and ski-rodeos, visitors will experience something truly unique when exploring one of the 50 states.

WONDERFULLY UNIQUE CELEBRATIONS

Join a howling contest at CoyoteFest, Yosemite Mariposa County, California (26 September 2026)

CoyoteFest is an event steeped in community and historic tradition in one of California’s best-preserved Gold Rush towns on the road to Yosemite, Coulterville. The festival’s centrepiece is a full-throated coyote howling championship. Every September, locals and visitors of all ages gather to unleash their best wild canine impression, competing solo or in packs for cash prizes in a contest that’s gloriously absurd and impossible not to watch. Beyond the howls, Coulterville’s Historic Main Street fills with vintage cars, a parade, live music, artisan stalls, food vendors and pony rides. yosemite.com

Celebrate the cowboy legacy in Steamboat Springs ski resort, Colorado (18 January 2027)

The Legendary Cowboy Downhill takes place in Steamboat Springs annually. This one‑of‑a‑kind ski rodeo draws professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls to compete in the snow, decked out in their cowboy gear. Visitors can watch the event from viewing areas and access the mountain via the Ikon Pass, which offers lift access to Steamboat and other resorts worldwide. First held decades ago when rodeo stars were invited to try skiing, the event has grown into a vibrant annual tradition and kept Steamboat’s heritage alive. The Tread of Pioneers Museum in downtown Steamboat showcases local Western history, rodeo memorabilia and ski heritage. Ikonpass.com

Feast on Garlic at Gilroy Garlic Festival, California ( 24-26 July 2026)

Known as the ‘Garlic Capital of the World’, Gilroy is located an hour south of San Francisco and produces a significant share of garlic for California and the US. Held annually, the Gilroy Garlic Festival celebrates this legacy, featuring everything from creative garlicky dishes, like garlic calamari and even garlic ice cream, to live entertainment and daily demonstrations, including garlic braiding. It’s a unique local tradition well worth embracing. visitcalifornia.com

The World’s Coolest (and Strangest) Festival Hits Colorado, Estes Park (March 2027)
One of America’s strangest festivals, Frozen Dead Guy Days celebrates the bizarre true story of a cryogenically frozen Norwegian grandfather whose body was stored in the mountains of Colorado for decades. Now held annually in Estes Park, the three-day event embraces the weird with coffin races, frozen T-shirt contests, polar plunges, live music, costumed parades and plenty of icy antics. What began as a local affair has grown into an internationally recognised celebration of Colorado’s offbeat spirit, attracting thousands of visitors each year for a weekend that’s equal parts quirky, community-driven and unforgettable. colorado.com

Experience art like never before at the Houston Art Car Parade, Texas (April 10 2027)

The Houston Art Car Parade is one of the most distinctive and largest free public art events in the United States, transforming the streets of Houston each April into a vibrant, moving gallery. Founded in the late 1980s and produced by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, it showcases more than 250 wildly imaginative “art cars”, vehicles of all kinds, from cars and bikes to lawnmowers and go-karts, decorated with paint, sculpture, lights and found objects. Drawing crowds of over 300,000 spectators, the parade routes through Downtown accompanied by music, performances and a festive, community-led atmosphere. visithouston.com

THE WEIRDEST MUSEUMS

Step Inside a Giant Playground of Art and Engineering, St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis’ City Museum is an extraordinary playground dreamed up by artists and engineers, transforming reclaimed industrial treasures into imaginative displays. Explore the hand-sculpted enchanted caves, climb the gravity-defying MonstroCity built from salvaged planes and ride the rooftop ferris wheel beside a 24-foot tall giant praying mantis made out of steel and carbon fibre. Don’t miss the large yellow school bus suspended over the city’s edge and the beautifully restored antique children’s carousel with hand-carved wooden horses and chariots for children to ride. Daily tickets start from £15. explorestlouis.com

Route 66 and dinosaur poop in Williams, Arizona

The Mother Road is known for its weird and wonderful roadside stops, but the Poozeum in Williams, Arizona might be one of its quirkiest yet. Opened in 2024, the museum is dedicated entirely to dinosaur poop, scientifically known as coprolite, inviting visitors to get up close to thousands of fossilised specimens. Perfect for fossil fans and dinosaur lovers, the Poozeum adds a gloriously unexpected stop to any Arizona Route 66 road trip. Admission is free. visitarizona.com

Venture inside a Giant Wild Blueberry, Maine

In Maine, wild blueberries are a serious business, with 99% of the USA’s supply grown in the state. Take a ride to Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls – a bright blue, berry-shaped bakery, museum and gift shop celebrating the state’s iconic fruit with pies, jams, syrups and every blueberry-themed souvenir imaginable. Owners Dell and Marie Emerson have dedicated their lives to blueberries, including 53 years on the only Wild Blueberry research farm in the U.S. Set along a rural highway surrounded by barrens of thriving wild blueberries, its equal parts agricultural tribute, Americana oddity and Insta-worthy pit stop. Admission is free. visitmaine.com

Follow the Fortune Hunters into Aspen’s Smuggler Mine, Colorado

Uncover Aspen’s silver mining past on a guided tour of Smuggler Mine, located in Smuggler Mountain. Once one of Colorado’s richest silver mines and home to one of the largest silver nuggets ever discovered, this underground adventure winds through narrow tunnels carved into the mountain, where hard hats, headlamps and stories of boomtown fortunes bring the Wild West to life. Along the way, guides share tales of daring miners, glittering silver veins and the mine’s role in transforming Aspen into the world-famous mountain town it is today. Tours last 1.5 hours and cost £37 per person. aspenchamber.org

ONCE IN A LIFETIME BITES

Taste Giant Hot Dogs in West Hollywood, California

Beyond the glamour and celebrity hotspots, West Hollywood is home to delightfully eccentric attractions. Grab a hot dog from Tail o’ the Pup, the city’s beloved giant hot dog-shaped roadside stand serving American favourites since the 1940s. Then head to Barney’s Beanery, the original Route 66 roadhouse, to taste the famous cast-iron chilli pot from a cosy booth surrounded by colourful interiors adorned with vintage licence plates, hanging motorcycles and an old yellow school bus. A favourite haunt for rock legends including Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin, the venue also has arcade games and a working jukebox. visitwesthollywood.com

Explore Picklesburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (16-19 July 2026)

Returning for its 11th year, Pittsburgh’s own ‘Picklesburgh’ is back for its 11th year and promises to be its biggest festival yet, expanding its footprint across the city. The four-day event celebrates all things pickled, with local chefs and vendors serving up creations ranging from pickle pizza and fried pickles to pickle-flavour beer and the festival’s famously quirky chocolate-covered pickles. Alongside the food, visitors can enjoy live music, cooking demonstrations and competitions including a pickle juice drinking contest and pickle-eating competition, known as the Dill-cathlon. visitPITTSBURGH.com

QUIRKY NEIGHBOURHOODS, TOWNS AND ‘COUNTRIES’

Discover a micronation in the Nevada desert, Nevada 

Just a few minutes east of Nevada’s capital, Carson City, visitors will discover an independent micronation, The Republic of Molossia which covers 6.3 acres of the Nevada desert. Molossia is one of at least 200 micronations in the world, complete with an official customs station, a national instrument, and even its own postal service. Visitors can book to visit the micronation on one of the once-a-month tours, and explore a tiny downtown area, home to a dozen government agencies, the First Family’s private residence, a tiki bar and grill and cultural landmarks. Contraband that will prevent visitors from entering includes firearms, tobacco, plastic shopping bags, catfish, “fresh” spinach, onions and walruses. travelnevada.com

Neverending Christmas in Leavenworth, Washington State

A two hour drive from Seattle sits an unexpected winter wonderland in Washington State. Leavenworth is a Bavarian style village set in the picturesque Cascade Mountains. Inspired by their surrounding alpine hills, in 1960 town leaders decided that Leavenworth would be completely transformed into a German Bavarian village. Today the village transports visitors to a Christmas wonderland with seasonal decor, authentic German cuisine and vibrant festivities. stateofwatourism.com

Meet the Neighbourhood Where Trolls, Rockets and Rebels Rule: Seattle, Washington
Nicknamed the “Centre of the Universe,” Seattle’s Fremont neighbourhood has long been a haven for artists, free spirits and offbeat creativity. Today, it’s one of the city’s quirkiest districts, home to the 18-foot Fremont Troll, which lurks beneath the Aurora Bridge clutching a real Volkswagen Beetle, and a statue of Vladimir Lenin, believed to be the only publicly displayed Lenin monument in the U.S. still in private ownership. Don’t miss the colourful Fremont Rocket, the tongue-in-cheek “Centre of the Universe” sign, or the annual Solstice Parade, where painted naked cyclists launch one of Seattle’s most beloved community celebrations. visitseattle.org