The state of Texas is full of small, unique towns worth visiting. These towns are full of southern charm and quirky attractions. Texas is also a great state for road-tripping, from following Route 66 to biking the Twisted Sisters Motorcycle Route.
There are plenty of quirky roadside attractions in Texas worth a road trip. From giant statues to the largest cowboy boots in the world to a house made of beer cans, there is no shortage of unique sights to see. Learn about ten Texas must-see attractions by reading the list below.
10 Tex Randall Statue, Canyon
Located in Canyon, Texas, this 47 ft tall cowboy statue towers over passerbyers. He was brought to life in 1959 by Harry Wheeler, a local shop teacher. This impressive statue was constructed out of cement and steel. When visiting, be sure to take in Tex Randall’s traditional attire, which includes a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, Levi’s jeans, a red bandana, and a large belt buckle. While this statue is not the largest cowboy statue in Texas, it is still a fun and quirky roadside attraction worth visiting.
- Address: 1400 N 3rd Ave, Canyon, TX 79015
- Hours: Open 24 hours
9 Ms. Pearl The Giant Squirrel, Cedar Creek
Another quirky Texas statue worth visiting is Ms. Pearl the Giant Squirrel. This 14 ft squirrel is the mascot of Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Company and sits outside their candy store. She is the largest squirrel statue in the world and is photographed 30-100 times per day!
After snapping a picture with this ravishing rodent, step inside the candy shop for a bite to eat. If the shop is closed, have no fear! The Berdoll Pecan Candy & Gift Shop features a 24-hour pecan pie vending machine, which is a quirky attraction in itself.
- Address: 2626 State Hwy 71, Cedar Creek, TX 78612
- Hours: Open 24 hours
8 The Beer Can House, Houston
The history of beer is quite interesting, with the first known barley beer dating back to 7,000 years ago in Iran. If you are looking for a beer-themed attraction in Texas, look no further than the famous Beer Can House. This funky house made of beer cans is actually a museum, and visitors venture inside to learn about why and how the house came to be. This quirky building is made up of over 50,000 aluminum beer cans!
- Address: 222 Malone St, Houston, TX 77007
- Hours: Saturday and Sunday 1-5 pm
- Cost: Adult- $5, child (12 and under)- free
7 World's Largest Killer Bee, Hidalgo
In the 1950s, several African queen killer bees escaped from a lab in South America. Fast-forward to 1990, these killer bees finally made their way into the United States, more specifically, Hidalgo, Texas. Hidalgo’s mayor at the time, John Franz, was a spectacular one-man spin team, as he used this horrible turn of events as a PR opportunity. Franz commissioned the world’s largest killer bee statue, which now sits proudly on Military Road. The small town now has its own mascot, the killer bee.
- Address: 600 Old Military Rd, Hidalgo, TX 78557
- Hours: Open 24 hours
6 Barney Smith’s Toilet Seat Art Museum, The Colony
Plumber and toilet lid artist Barney Smith created over 1,400 toilet lid art pieces. From 1992-2019, Smith operated the museum out of the garage in his backyard. In 2019, Smith moved his life’s work to Truck Yard, a dive bar/garden. While decorated toilet seats sound silly, the message behind these works of art is very inspiring. Before the opening, Smith explained, “I’d like to be remembered for how a person could save a lot of stuff that is being destroyed….”
- Address: 5959 Grove Ln, The Colony, TX 75056
- Hours: Monday-Wednesday 4pm-12am, Thursday 11am-12am, Friday and Saturday 11am-1am, Sunday 11am-12am
5 World’s Largest Cowboy Boots, San Antonio
While Seattle, Washington, is known for its quirky Hat n’ Boots statue, San Antonio, Texas, is known for being home to the world’s largest pair of cowboy boots. Verified as the tallest by the Guinness Book of World Records, these massive boots stand at 35 ft tall and 33 ft wide. This sculpture was created in 1979-1980 by artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade. If you choose to visit this attraction at night, you will find that the boots are lit up with LED lights and feature star-shaped led designs.
- Address: 7400 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78216
- Hours: Open 24 hours
4 Cathedral Of Junk, Austin
As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. The eclectic owner of the property, Vincent, has been cultivating this backyard of “junk” since 1989. The Cathedral of Junk includes various rooms, tunnels, and even a slide. You will also find a series of pictures showing the gradual transformation of this quirky space. Since the Cathedral of Junk is located on private property, visitors are required to call ahead and make an appointment before visiting.
- Address: 4422 Lareina Dr, Austin, TX 78745
- Hours: Call ahead to make an appointment (512-299-7413)
3 Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo
Located along Route 66, this quirky roadside attraction features ten spray-painted, half-buried Cadillac cars. This unique sculpture park was created by Ant Farm, an architectural and art collective. Cadillac Ranch is a fun spot to visit if you are looking to get your hands dirty at an interactive attraction. Visitors are actually encouraged to come with spray paint and add their own designs to these old Cadillacs.
- Address: 13651 I-40 Frontage Rd, Amarillo, TX
- Hours: Open 24 hours
2 The Smallest Prada Store In The World, Valentine
You’ve likely seen this mini Prada store on Instagram, in magazines, or incorporated into works of art. This quirky Texas attraction is not a traditional Prada store but rather an art installation created by artists Elmgreen and Dragset in 2005. Visitors are not able to go inside the building, but if you peer through the windows, you will see shoes and bags from Prada’s fall 2005 collection. The Prada designer store standing against the barren Texas landscape makes for a cool juxtaposition.
- Address: 14880 US-90, Valentine, TX 79854
- Hours: Open 24 hours
1 The Eiffel Tower
Yes, you read that right, but this is not the Eiffel Tower you were likely picturing in your head. That being said, this Eiffel Tower sculpture is located in Paris. Paris, Texas that is. This replica of Paris, France's famous Eiffel Tower, stands at 65 ft tall and dons a 3.5 ft red cowboy hat. The best hours to visit this funky tower are between 1-3 pm and 8 pm or later. At night, the tower is lit up with red, white, and blue lights to match the colors on the Texas flag.
- Address: 2025 S Collegiate Dr, Paris, TX 75460
- Hours: Open 24 hours