8 of the Quirkiest Towns in Northern United States

The Northern United States is a geographic region in the northernmost part of the country, filled with history, culture, nature, and more. When it comes to nature, this region is home to the largest waterbodies in North America including Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, the Missouri River, Lake Superior, and the Mississippi River. Regarding history, the Northern United States boasts some of the most historic states in the country like New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Iowa, and Massachusetts, among others.

Natural and historical features aside, this region also hosts many quirky towns, some of which may leave people scratching their heads. There is a town renowned for hosting the largest objects in the world, and another named one of the most unusual words, Hell. For an eccentric adventure in an unconventional destination, visit these quirky towns in the Northern United States.

Seward, Nebraska

The year 1975 might seem like every other year for those who were born before then. However, it was quite an extraordinary year for an extraordinary man named Harold Keith Davisson. This man loved the year so much that he decided to preserve as much as he could about the year for his grandchildren to remember him 50 years later. So, he built the world's largest time capsule, housing more than 5,000 objects from 1975 in a 45-ton underground vault. This rare town is an excellent destination to visit to see tons of relics associated with the year, like a car built in the same year. Although there are other interesting things about Seward, like a nearby convenience store called the Dead Zone, and its iconic Fourth of July celebrations, Harold’s time capsule makes it even more quirky. 

For those born in 1975 and looking for a place to celebrate a birthday, this capsule is the ideal spot to visit for an unforgettable birthday experience. The capsule was sealed on July 4, 1975, and is scheduled to be open on July 4, 2025, and that’s something to look forward to.

Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa

Maharishi Vedic is a small community that stands out for its striking and distinctive architecture. Built by renowned Asian guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, all buildings in the town pay tribute to Maharishi Veda, a medieval architectural blueprint based on the principles of peace, satisfaction, happiness, and prosperity. While the buildings abide by the principles of Veda, the residents are not left out. They practice daily meditations inspired by the same principle to promote good health, mindfulness, and balance. This community is also the first all-organic town in the United States, with an existing ban on all non-organic foods, gasoline vehicles, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.

Monowi, Nebraska

When it comes to sheer quirky vibes, Monowi is in a class of its own. This small town raises eyebrows with its one population status. It is home to only one resident, Elsie Eiler, and achieved that status after the passing of Elsie's husband, Rudy. On the entrance of the town is a sign that reads "Monowi 1." Features of the town include three housing units, with Elsie occupying one, and two public buildings - Monowi Tavern and the library of Rudy, her husband. This library is home to around 5,000 books and open to visitors. There is no post office or police station in the town.

Elsie is everything in Monowi. She is the town's librarian, mayor, clerk, treasurer, and, on a less serious note, the town's only bartender. Sadly, she is now in her 90s, which probably means the town might soon become completely empty.

Centralia, Pennsylvania

Once a vibrant mining town with around 1,000 people, Centralia is now a near ghost town with only five residents counted in 2020, and that’s enough to raise eyebrows. This town’s decline dates to 1962, when firefighters started a fire at a dump with an opening that led to an abandoned coal beneath the town. The fire soon spread into the coal mine, sending dangerous fumes into the air that chased away the residents in a short time. Today, that fire still burns, and it has literally turned the town into an inferno that attracts curious people from all over the world.

Casey, Illinois

Casey is a small town in Illinois renowned for hosting some of the world's biggest objects. These objects were created by one of the town's indigenes, Jim Bolin, who decided to give back to his people. He did some of the projects with recycled materials, which adds a fascinating effect to the entire concept of the "Big Things, Small Town" theme that Casey is known for.

Casey is home to 12 certified world's biggest items on the Guinness World Record, some of which include the World's Largest wind chime, mailbox, key, golf tee, pitchfork, rocking chair, barbershop pole, and swizzle spoon. As a result, the town is a bustling tourist destination, and one can hardly blame its visitors as these gigantic items are irresistible.

Lily Dale, New York

Lily Dale is a small hamlet in New York that started as a summer retreat for spiritualists. It was founded in 1879 and has since evolved into one of the world's largest destinations for spiritualism. This village is as sacred as a monastery and was created to promote religion, science, and the philosophy of spiritualism.

Adherents of this religion believe that the dead can communicate with the living through mediums. As a result, there are several mediums resident in the town, attracting thousands of people yearly who come to attend spiritual classes and witness unnatural demonstrations.

Buford, Wyoming

Buying and selling, or even auctioning of towns by individuals is not something common around the world. But that is the story of Buford, a town bought in 1992 by Don Sammons who moved in with his wife and son. Unfortunately, his wife died in 1995, and his son left in 2008, leaving his dad alone in a 10-acre town. Sammons was left alone until 2012 when he decided to auction the town.

The highest bidders, two Vietnamese citizens, grabbed it for $900,000 and renamed the town Phin Deli. Today, Buford is home to zero residents, and it is the self-acclaimed smallest town in the US. Even though there is not much to do there, Buford still remains popular, and hundreds of people pass through the quirky town on Interstate 80 every day.

Hell, Michigan

Hell in Michigan comes with a bizarre name that may deter visitors, or lure them to the town. For those curious enough to visit, Hell is just 50 miles outside of Detroit and is not literally hellish when it comes to the weather. What makes this town interesting are the unique things visitors can achieve there. Those who have the time can experience what it feels like to get married, become a mayor for one day, and buy a piece of land in hell just for the fun of it. Also, it is just super exciting for a person to say they’re coming from hell and be able to prove it. In addition, the town has a university known as Damnation University, where one can obtain over 50 degrees. A quick fun fact is that most people unconsciously recommend this town all the time just by saying "go to hell."

The Northern United States may be renowned for having some of the country's best states with big cities like New York, Chicago, and Boston. But there is a quirky side to this region that lives under the shadow of its top-tier attractions and destinations. These towns are part of that unique side of the region and they are worth visiting, if only to just experience something different.