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

The 25-foot Princess Pocahontas has welcomed visitors to her namesake Iowa town since the mid-1950s. Standing beside Highway 3, she makes quite an introduction. 09-06

The statue originally accompanied a teepee-shaped souvenir shop. That business disappeared, but a replacement teepee arrived during a 2014 restoration, returning a familiar shape to the roadside scene.

UPDATE: The statue remains in Princess Park on the east side of town. Interpretive displays and a nearby historic log cabin give visitors more to explore around this unusual landmark. 06-26

Albert the Bull
Audubon, IA
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Meet Albert the Bull in Audubon, Iowa. A cow? Nope. One look underneath settles that debate! Standing 30 feet tall and weighing 45 tons, this giant Hereford has greeted visitors since 1964.

Local volunteers built Albert to promote the cattle industry, using salvaged windmill framework beneath his concrete exterior. Named for banker Albert Kruse, he later appeared in Beethoven’s 3rd. Quite a career for a bull who never leaves town. 09-06

UPDATE: Albert remains a familiar Audubon attraction. Camping, walking trails and an audio kiosk offer visitors more to enjoy around the oversized Hereford. 06-26

Blue Whale
Catoosa, OK
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

The Blue Whale of Catoosa has been smiling at Route 66 visitors since 1972. Hugh Davis built the 80-foot-long whale as an anniversary surprise for his wife, Zelta. That certainly beats an ordinary greeting card.

The family project became a popular swimming hole, complete with slides, diving platforms and picnic areas. Swimming has ended, but the friendly whale still draws cameras from around the world. 09-06

UPDATE: Following the city’s purchase of the property, a major restoration added a visitor center, playground, trails, expanded parking and neon signage in 2026. The whale remains a signature Mother Road stop. 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

Buffalo
Jamestown, ND
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Here’s one buffalo you won’t miss. Dakota Thunder stands above Jamestown near Interstate 94, measuring 26 feet tall and 46 feet long.

Proposed by businessman Harold Newman and built by artist Elmer Petersen in 1959, the concrete-and-steel giant cost roughly $8,500. He finally received his name in 2010 after a contest attracted more than 3,500 entries. Nearby Frontier Village and the bison museum make the stop worth exploring. 08-17

UPDATE: A 2023 restoration repaired cracks and refreshed the exterior, keeping this 60-ton roadside resident ready for another generation of visitors. 06-26

Red Bull
OK
Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier

Here’s a roadside mystery along an old stretch of Route 66 in Oklahoma. Known to some travelers as the Red Bull, this rusted figure near St. James has outlasted the business it once helped advertise. Its faded red head offers a clue to the nickname, though exactly what the figure represents remains uncertain.

Weathered and surrounded by an increasingly quiet landscape, it’s the sort of forgotten oddity that rewards taking the old road. No enormous billboard or busy parking lot here—just an unusual survivor waiting for someone to stop and wonder about its story. 09-06