Everything OddWay knows about. Narrow it down by what you're after, or where you're going.
Giant objects, odd monuments and things built for no clear reason.
Swayzee, IN
Swayzee proudly advertises itself as the "Only Swayzee in the World," a slogan tied to a local story that a wartime postcard addressed only to "Swayzee" still reached its destination. The claim appears on town signage and has become the tiny community's defining roadside identity.
Indianapolis, IN
Three massive stone figures from the demolished St. Paul Building in New York City were rescued and incorporated into a strange architectural installation in Holliday Park. The sculptures now rise from a deliberately ruined-looking structure that combines public art with pieces of a vanished skyscraper.
Notre Dame, IN
Millard Sheets' enormous 1964 "Word of Life" mosaic on the Hesburgh Library depicts Christ with raised arms directly beyond Notre Dame Stadium. Students quickly nicknamed it "Touchdown Jesus" because the pose resembles a referee signaling a touchdown and the mural is visible from inside the stadium.
Greensburg, IN
Trees have mysteriously managed to grow from the courthouse tower high above Greensburg since the nineteenth century, with successive trees replacing earlier ones over time. The living courthouse-top tree became such a local symbol that Greensburg adopted the nickname "Tree City."
Fairmount, IN
A dead tree outside a Fairmount residence has been turned into a vertical junk-art display with a Volkswagen Beetle and bicycles lodged high among its branches. The installation is on private property at 819 N. Morton Street and should be viewed only from the public road.
Indianapolis, IN
Artist John McNaughton created this warped cedar sculpture to look like a small house twisting upward as though caught in a vortex. It stands on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center and can be viewed as part of the center's outdoor sculpture environment.
Clarksville, IN
A vintage Cadillac is buried nose-first into the pavement outside the former Couch's Body Shop location on Blackiston Mill Road. A mannequin once sat dramatically on the exposed rear of the car and later reports described it being replaced by other props, but the half-buried automobile itself remains the core attraction.
Anderson, IN
Indiana's first Uranus Fudge Factory opened in Anderson in 2022 and commits completely to its deliberately ridiculous name through signs, jokes, photo opportunities and a general store built around fudge. The active business also includes ice cream and seasonal mini golf, making it a modern roadside attraction rather than merely a novelty sign.
Acton, IN
Since 1961, the Veal family has used pond water and winter weather to build an enormous naturally frozen sculpture beside their home. Pipes and sprinklers add layer after layer until the "tree" becomes a towering mass of icicles, but it only appears when sustained cold makes construction possible.
Aurora, IN
Artist Cindy Crofoot transformed boarded windows on a deteriorating downtown building into a series of painted faces and characters rather than leaving the facade blank. The installation became part of Aurora's broader public-art effort and can be viewed from the public sidewalk without entering the building.
Centerville, IN
Warm Glow Candle Company turned its headquarters into a roadside landmark with an enormous candle-shaped structure visible from Interstate 70. The oversized candle rises from the shop complex and gives travelers a straightforward stop built around one of Indiana's most conspicuous giant-object attractions.
Mentone, IN
Mentone's approximately ten-to-twelve-foot concrete egg was built in 1946 to advertise the community's egg industry and festival. It still stands downtown emblazoned with "The Egg Basket of the Midwest," preserving a wonderfully literal piece of small-town promotional history.
Cannelton, IN
Sculptor Greg Harris spent 23 months carving a High Celtic Cross directly through a massive natural sandstone slab on the Blue Heron Vineyard property. The owners describe it as the largest known in-situ Celtic Cross, meaning it was carved from stone still naturally embedded in the hillside; access follows the winery's property hours.
Franklin, IN
A gigantic wooden rocking chair survives outside a furniture business along US 31. An equally oversized chest of drawers once accompanied it but was destroyed in a fire, leaving the giant chair as the property's solitary oversized landmark.
Alexandria, IN
Mike Carmichael began the Ball of Paint on January 1, 1977 by repeatedly coating a baseball, eventually turning it into a multiton object with tens of thousands of paint layers. The Alexandria attraction is still an active family project, and visitors who arrange a visit can add their own coat of paint and receive a certificate.
