Braum's Milk
Oklahoma City, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here's a look at the famous Braum's Milk Bottle in Oklahoma City. Located right along Route 66, this giant milk bottle has been catching the attention of passing motorists since 1948 and can be seen from blocks away. While many people know it today as the Braum's Milk Bottle, the rooftop bottle has advertised several local dairies over the years, including Townley's Gilt-Edge before Braum's took over the lease in 1996.

The tiny triangular building beneath the bottle dates back to 1930 and contains only about 350 square feet of space. Its unusual shape was dictated by an old streetcar line, making it one of the more unique commercial buildings along Route 66. Over the years it has housed everything from a grocery store and cleaners to offices, restaurants, and retail shops, while the bottle above has remained one of Oklahoma City's best-known roadside landmarks. Thanks to Billy Benham for the name correction and historical information. 08-17

UPDATE: The Milk Bottle Grocery remains one of the most recognizable landmarks along Oklahoma City's stretch of Route 66. The rooftop bottle was repainted in 2021, and the historic building continues to serve as commercial space while attracting Route 66 travelers and roadside photography enthusiasts. 06-26

Pocahontas
IA
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Pocahontas stands staring out solemnly over the town that bears her name. At 25 feet tall, Princess Pocahontas has been welcoming visitors to this Iowa community since the mid-1950s and remains one of the state's more unusual roadside attractions.

The giant statue was built to honor the town's namesake and originally stood in front of a large teepee-shaped souvenir shop that welcomed travelers along Highway 3. While the gift shop disappeared years ago, a new teepee was added in 2014 as part of a restoration project, helping preserve one of Iowa's best-known roadside landmarks.

Whether you're collecting oversized roadside attractions or simply exploring Iowa's back roads, this giant maiden is worth stopping to see. 09-06

UPDATE: Princess Pocahontas continues to stand in Princess Park on the east side of town. The restored teepee, interpretive displays, and nearby historic log cabin help tell the story of the monument, which remains one of the most recognizable roadside attractions in northwest Iowa. 06-26

Albert the Bull
Audubon, IA
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

The famous Albert the Bull makes his home in Audubon, Iowa. Well... maybe a cow? Nope. One look underneath settles that debate pretty quickly! Standing 30 feet tall, stretching 33 feet long, and weighing 45 tons, Albert has been greeting visitors since 1964 and proudly claims the title of the World's Largest Bull.

Albert was built by local volunteers to promote Audubon's rich cattle industry and was named after local banker Albert Kruse, who helped champion the project. Constructed around a framework of salvaged Iowa windmills and covered in concrete, the giant Hereford has become one of the state's best-known roadside attractions. He's even enjoyed a little Hollywood fame, appearing in Beethoven's 3rd, along with mentions on The West Wing and Jeopardy!.

If you're traveling through western Iowa, Albert is hard to miss and definitely worth a stop for a photo. Just don't call him a cow! 09-06

UPDATE: Albert continues to welcome visitors to Audubon and remains one of Iowa's most recognizable roadside attractions. The surrounding park now includes camping, walking trails, and an audio kiosk sharing the history behind the giant Hereford bull. 06-26

Blue Whale
Catoosa, OK
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Catoosa is home to one of the most famous roadside attractions along Route 66—the Blue Whale of Catoosa. Built as a surprise anniversary gift by Hugh Davis for his wife, Zelta, this friendly giant has been welcoming visitors since 1972. Measuring 80 feet long and 20 feet tall, the smiling whale quickly became much more than a backyard project.

Originally built for family fun, the whale soon grew into a popular swimming hole complete with slides, diving platforms, picnic tables, and plenty of summer memories for generations of Oklahomans. Although swimming is no longer allowed, the Blue Whale remains one of the most photographed landmarks on the Mother Road and an absolute must-see for anyone traveling Route 66. 09-06

UPDATE: The Blue Whale has undergone its most significant improvements since it was built. Following the City of Catoosa's purchase of the property in 2021, a major restoration project was completed in 2026, adding a new visitor center, playground, walking trails, expanded parking, and the site's first official neon sign. The whale continues to welcome visitors as one of the most recognizable icons of Route 66. 06-26

Sandhill Crane
Steele, ND
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Travel down Interstate 94 through Steele and you'll eventually come across a rather tall bird standing just off the highway. Meet Sandy the Sandhill Crane, the world's largest sandhill crane. Standing 40 feet tall with a 32-foot wingspan, this giant bird is hard to miss and promotes the area as one of North Dakota's premier birding destinations.

Sandy was built by local farmer and ironworker James Miller over a two-year period and erected in 1999. The massive steel sculpture celebrates the thousands of sandhill cranes that migrate through central North Dakota each year, making this a popular stop for both road trippers and bird watchers alike. If you're passing through, it's well worth pulling off the interstate for a closer look. 09-06

UPDATE: Sandy continues to greet travelers along Interstate 94 and remains one of North Dakota's best-known roadside attractions. The surrounding park includes interpretive displays and information about the area's importance as a migration stop for sandhill cranes. 06-26

Red Bull
OK
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Here's another roadside delight, found just off the Mother Road in Oklahoma. Standing beside an abandoned stretch of old Route 66 near the nearly forgotten community of St. James is this unusual rusted figure, affectionately known by many Route 66 travelers as the "Red Bull." Whether it actually represents a bull or something else has been lost to time, but the faded red coloring around its head certainly explains the nickname.

The figure has become one of those hidden Route 66 treasures that photographers love discovering. With the original business long gone and the surrounding landscape slowly being reclaimed by nature, it stands as a lonely reminder of a time when businesses along the Mother Road relied on eye-catching roadside displays to lure passing motorists. Today, it's the mystery surrounding the figure as much as its weathered appearance that continues to attract visitors.

If you happen to be exploring Oklahoma's remaining alignments of Route 66, this forgotten relic is worth seeking out. It may not have the fame of some of the highway's better-known attractions, but it's exactly the kind of roadside oddity that makes wandering the old road so rewarding. 09-06

Buffalo
Jamestown, ND
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here's one buffalo you definitely won't have any trouble spotting! Towering over Interstate 94 on a hill overlooking Jamestown, Dakota Thunder is one of those classic roadside attractions that makes you do a double take from miles away. Standing 26 feet tall, stretching 46 feet long, and weighing an incredible 60 tons, this giant bison has been welcoming travelers since 1959.

The monument was built by the Jamestown Chamber of Commerce as a way to encourage motorists to pull off the interstate and spend some time in town. Local businessman Harold Newman came up with the idea, while Jamestown College art instructor Elmer Petersen designed and built the massive sculpture using a steel framework covered with wire mesh, concrete, and stucco. Considering it cost only about $8,500 to build, it's probably one of the best tourism investments the city ever made.

For more than fifty years the buffalo didn't even have an official name. That finally changed in 2010 when a worldwide naming contest attracted more than 3,500 entries before "Dakota Thunder" was chosen. Today, the giant buffalo overlooks the National Buffalo Museum and Frontier Village, where you can also see a live herd of American bison grazing nearby. It's a fun stop that combines one of America's largest roadside sculptures with a chance to see the real thing. 08-17

UPDATE: Dakota Thunder remains one of North Dakota's best-known roadside landmarks. A restoration project completed in 2023 repaired cracks and refreshed the exterior, helping preserve the giant buffalo for future generations of road trippers. The National Buffalo Museum, Frontier Village, and the resident bison herd continue to make this one of the state's most popular roadside stops. 06-26