If you’re a fan of weird and wonderful road trips, this one is sure to delight. Take a three-and-a-half hour trip across the Bay State with stops at all the oddest roadside attractions around. You’ll see giant furniture, a house made of newspapers, and a mysterious circle of horses that no one can explain.
1. The Paper House, Rockport
What’s your trick for dealing with all those loose papers that seem to pile up out of nowhere? Do you, say, turn them into a summer home? That’s just what Ellis Stenman did in 1922. The ingenious engineer set out to prove that newspaper could be an excellent household insulator and built an entire home out of paper and varnish. If you visit today, you can check out his impressive collection of paper furniture and still read the print on newspapers from decades ago. (52 Pigeon Hill St., Rockport)
2. The Skinny House, Boston
This spot in Boston takes the tiny house trend to new extremes. Nicknamed The Skinny House, this residential address is just 10 feet across and 30 feet deep. Why so narrow? The story goes that just after the Civil War, a soldier returned home to find that his brother had built a large home on the land they had jointly inherited from their father. To spite his brother, the soldier built an incredibly narrow home in order to block sun to his brother’s new house. While you can’t go inside (someone actually lives in there), you can check this unique spot out from the street. (44 Hull St., Boston)
3. Ponyhenge, Lincoln
This roadside attraction will definitely make you do a double-take. Ponyhenge is a mysterious collection of rocking horses, toy horses, and plastic ponies that have been popping up in a Lincoln field for years. No one knows where the horses are coming from or who is placing them there. Even weirder, the ponies are frequently rearranged in the night and appear in strange and intriguing patterns, such as concentric circles or as if lined up for a race. The owners of the field say they have no clue what’s going on here, but don’t mind the collection of horses. If you want to check out Ponyhenge, head to the address below and observe from the street – the land is private property. (39 Old Sudbury Rd., Lincoln)
4. Little Red Schoolhouse, Sudbury
We all know that Mary had a little lamb, but did you know that the schoolhouse that inspired the nursery rhyme is right here in Massachusetts. This tiny red schoolhouse was built in the 1700s and operated until 1927. You can peer inside and check out the old-fashioned spot that Mary Elizabeth Sawyer saw fit to immortalize in poetry. (1-35 Dutton Rd., Sudbury)
5. Giant Red Chair, Gardner
If your thing is big chairs, the penultimate stop on our quirky road trip will thrill you to the bone. This massive red chair sits by the side of the road in Gardner, "The Chair City." It was built in 1976 and stands over 20 feet tall. Though its status as the largest chair in the world has been snatched away in recent years, this massive seat is still a fun spot to take a few pictures. (130 Elm St., Gardner)
6. Buttonball Tree, Sunderland
Sunderland’s famous Buttonball Tree is an America Sycamore that’s actually older than the United States. Planted sometime around 1660, the tree its estimated to be over 350 years old and stands an incredible 113 feet fall. It’s definitely earned the nickname "the widest tree east of the Mississippi" with its girth of 24 feet and 7 inches. Stop by to take a few pictures and fantasize about climbing to the top. (N Main St., Sunderland)
This trip will take you about 3.5-hours of straight driving, though you'll definitely want to factor in time to explore. Click here for a full map and driving directions for the trip. For another great road trip idea, check out our guide to visiting all the best waterfalls in Massachusetts.
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