With all the oddities and oddballs that call Florida home, the state sure does deliver on home-grown weirdness. Alligator farms, mermaids, skunk apes, haunted dolls — we’ve got it all, and it’s all within driving distance of Orlando.
Here are 22 of Central Florida’s weirdest and wackiest roadside attractions.
Credit: Matt Keller LehmanSkunk Ape Research Headquarters
40904 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee
Ah, the skunk ape: Florida’s very own ever-elusive Bigfoot equivalent. Here at Skunk Ape HQ, guests can enjoy tons of proof of the animal’s existence, as well as wildlife encounters, camping and a killer gift shop. Credit: Photo via Skunk Ape Research HeadquartersSolomon’s Castle
2 hours and 20 minutes from Orlando
Tucked away in the Florida woods is one man’s dream: a giant medieval castle made of metal. The structure is filled with galleries and artworks by its late builder Howard Solomon, plus the Boat-in-the-Moat restaurant open Tuesday through Sunday. Credit:Photo via Solomon’s Castle/FacebookWhimzeyland
1 hour and 57 minutes from Orlando
What started as an eclectic collection of art and knickknacks turned into one of Florida’s most recognizable local landmarks. The totally decked-out “Bowling Ball House” called Whimzeyland is covered with recycled materials, art projects and, yeah, bowling balls. Credit:Photo via Whimzeyland/FacebookMonument of States
300 E. Monument Ave., Kissimmee
Built as a symbol of American unity after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Monument of States was created with donations of stone that came from around the world, including a rock from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Credit: Photo via FloridaMemory.comCow Camp
14248 Camp Mack Road, Lake Wales
When the first Spanish conquistadors arrived in Florida in the early 1500s, they brought with them a small herd of cows and horses, now known as Florida cracker cows and cracker ponies. The herd grew and eventually turned into a concentrated population you can visit today. Credit: Photo via FloridaStateParks.orgDon Garlits Museum of Drag Racing
13700 SW 16th Ave., Ocala
Opened in 1984, the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing chronicles the history of the sport and houses plenty of vintage memorabilia. About 90 racing cars can be seen in the Drag Race building, while a further 50 vehicles are housed in the Antique Car building. Credit: Image viaSwampy: World’s Largest Alligator
13700 SW 16th Ave., Ocala
Visit the world’s largest alligator (-shaped building) right here in Central Florida. About 200 feet long, Swampy is the cornerstone of Florida’s Jungle Adventures (a roadside zoo), built in the 1980s by the park’s founder. Credit: Photo via WorldRecordAcademy.orgC. Green’s Haunted History Museum
1079 Stevens St., Cassadaga
Located in Florida’s very own spiritualist capital, C. Green’s Haunted History Museum offers a glimpse into the spooky world of cryptids, aliens, Voodoo/Vodun, weird deaths, creepy dolls and much more. The interior is much larger than the building makes it seem, so be prepared for a bit of an eerie trip. Credit: Photo via C. Green's Haunted History MuseumGoofy Golf
12206 Front Beach Road, Panama City
Quite possibly the area’s most puzzling roadside attraction, Goofy Golf is a decades-old mini golf course filled with figures and statues straight out of a Florida-fueled fever dream. Credit: Image via Goofy GolfDinosaur World
1 hour and 23 minutes from Orlando
Tampa Bay’s own prehistoric playground is the perfect place to wander around hundreds of life-sized dinosaurs in natural settings. The attraction offers a dino-themed play area, a massive interactive boneyard and a museum featuring a collection of animatronic beasts. Credit:Photo via Dinosaur World/FacebookFountain of Youth
11 Magnolia Ave., St. Augustine
The allegedly youth-preserving waters of St. Augustine’s Fountain of Youth have drawn tourists and locals to this 15-acre park for decades. Visitors can enjoy a paper cup’s worth of the mysterious elixir, but be warned: It tastes just how you would imagine really, really old water to taste. Credit: Photo via Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park/FacebookSt. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
999 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine
The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is one of Florida’s oldest continuously running attractions, with a little something for everyone. Visitors can get up close and personal with more than 20 species of crocodilians, as well as a variety of other reptiles, mammals and birds. Credit: Photo via St. Augustine Alligator Farm/FacebookPotter’s Wax Museum
31 Orange St., St. Augustine
With more than 160 sculptures covering a wide range of real and fictional figures, including politicians, entertainers, horror characters, historical personalities and athletes, Potter’s is definitely a (maybe kind of creepy?) sight. Credit: Photo via Potter's Wax Museum/FacebookSpook Hill
Lake Wales
Spook Hill is one of the country’s oldest “gravity hills,” offering an optical illusion that makes it appear as though cars are rolling up the hill. It’s one of Florida’s pre-Disney World roadside attractions, filled with eerie mystery that’ll (probably very briefly) entertain the most skeptical skeptics. Credit:Photo by Ebyabe via Wikimedia CommonsButterfly World
3 hours from Orlando
Florida, known for many things, is also home to the largest butterfly park in the world. The tropical oasis-like zoo is filled with more than 20,000 exotic butterflies and insects all in one place. Credit:Photo via Butterfly World/FacebookSpongeorama Sponge Factory
510 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs
First opened in 1968, Spongeorama Sponge Factory is Central Florida’s one-stop shop for all things sponges and nautical history. Pay the factory a visit to learn a thing or two about the town’s ties to sponge retailing and walk away with an absorbent souvenir of your own. Credit: Photo via Google MapsWeeki Wachee Springs Springs State Park
1 hour and 45 minutes from Orlando
Florida, the only state with very, very real mermaids and an iconic state park to visit them in. The springs also offer a great place for swimming, kayaking and all the other Central Florida waterside fun you can imagine. Credit:Photo via Weeki Wachee/FacebookLargest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture
840 Johnson Ave., Lakeland
The largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture exists right here in Florida, on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The site offers guided tours for guests to stroll through and enjoy the iconic collection. Credit: Photo via Florida Southern College
1 hour 56 minutes from Orlando This may just be one of Florida’s most niche museums, but here we are. The Central Florida town of Mulberry is home to the Phosphate Museum, dedicated to the history of the phosphate mining industry. The museum features tons of fossils, memorabilia and exhibits to really get you really hyped about prehistoric chemical compounds. Credit: Photo via Mulberry Phosphate MuseumReptile World Serpentarium
5705 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, St. Cloud
This Osceola County reptile zoo features more than 75 species of snakes, as well as lizards, crocodiles, alligators and turtles. You can learn a thing or two about native and exotic reptiles, see some critters or even attend a venom-milking show. Credit: Photo via Reptile World SerpentariumCitrus Tower
141 S. Highway 27, Clermont
The 226-foot-tall structure in Clermont was originally built in 1956 to allow visitors to observe the miles of surrounding orange groves. It was once among the Orlando area’s most famous landmarks, but now it’s home to a boutique coffee company! Credit: Photo via Google Maps
