8 Strangest Landmarks in California

California has a lot to offer both visitors and the people who call the state home. The most populous state in the union, and one of the largest in terms of geographic size, it harbors incredibly diverse landscapes, cultures, and, in line with what we will be talking about today, strange landmarks. Join us as we highlight some of the Golden State's weirdest and most interesting destinations that you can experience today, all of which are well worth a stop on a road trip. Here are the eight strangest landmarks in California.

Salvation Mountain

Salvation Mountain is a multi-colored hillside in the Colorado Desert near Niland, California. Created by Leonard Knight over nearly three decades, this 50-foot-tall, 150-foot-wide landmark is constructed from adobe, straw, thousands of gallons of paint, and other curious items. The mountain is adorned with vibrant murals, religious scripture, and messages mainly promoting love and kindness, something we can all connect with.

Knight originally attempted to construct a hot air balloon to share his faith but shifted to building the mountain when the balloon project failed. Using donated paint and found materials, he layered colorful designs, flowers, and biblical references on the desert landscape. The result is an immersive, walkable piece of art that attracts visitors from around the world to this day.

Although Knight passed away in 2014, volunteers continue to maintain the site. The landmark is located near Slab City, another spot worth a visit that is a truly off-the-grid community.

Cabazon Dinosaurs

The Cabazon Dinosaurs, located off Interstate 10 near Palm Springs, are two towering dinosaur sculptures, Dinny the Dinosaur and Mr. Rex. Built between the 1960s and 1980s by sculptor Claude K. Bell as a roadside attraction for his restaurant, these concrete giants have become iconic desert landmarks in California.

Dinny, a 150-foot-long apatosaurus, houses a gift shop filled with dinosaur-themed merchandise. You can also enter Mr. Rex, a 65-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex, and climb to a viewing platform in its mouth for a panoramic view of the surrounding desertscape.

Originally intended to draw travelers to Bell’s now-closed Wheel Inn Restaurant, the dinosaurs have taken on a life of their own as a must-visit roadside stop. In recent years, the site has incorporated other aspects, such as a creationist exhibit (which has since been removed) and various other, smaller, dino statues.

Mystery Spot

The Mystery Spot is a curious destination in the scenic hills outside Santa Cruz. It is a well-known, so-called gravitational anomaly that has puzzled visitors for decades. This roadside attraction, first discovered in 1939, features a tilted building where the laws of physics seem to defy logic. Inside, objects appear to roll uphill, people appear to shrink or grow in size (due to cleverly constructed forced perspectives), and even seemingly level surfaces that force you to lean at bizarre angles; a truly jarring place.

While the official explanation attributes these phenomena to an unexplained "gravity vortex," the optical illusions are a result of the building’s slanted construction. Despite debate among those who want to believe in the landmarks' mystical powers, the Mystery Spot continues to draw tourists who are curious about its strange, disorienting effects. In addition to the quirky exhibits, the site offers fun guided tours that explain the history and theories surrounding the phenomenon.

Winchester Mystery House

The Winchester Mystery House is a sprawling Victorian mansion in San Jose, known for its labyrinthine design, countless architectural oddities, and as one of the most haunted places in the United States. Originally built by Sarah Winchester, widow of the Winchester firearms founder, the house contains over 160 rooms, with staircases that seemingly lead to nowhere, doors that open into walls, and windows that secretly overlook other rooms.

Legend has it that Sarah Winchester believed the house was haunted by the spirits of those killed by her husband’s deadly inventions. To confuse these restless and possibly vengeful spirits, she continuously expanded the house, adding rooms and features that defy conventional building logic. Construction reportedly continued every day for nearly four decades, even through her death in 1922. Today, the historic mansion is open for public tours, allowing you to walk amongst its hallways and see its eerie design elements up close.

Giant Rock

Giant Rock sits near Landers in the California desert and is exactly what its title suggests. One of the largest freestanding boulders in the world, measuring seven stories high and spanning over 5,800 square feet, is something to see for the geology fans out there. This massive rock has actually been a significant landmark for centuries, with ancient Native American tribes considering it a sacred site.

In the 1940s, the rock gained fame when George Van Tassel, an aviation engineer, began using the site as the location for the Integratron, a structure intended for rejuvenation, time travel, and anti-gravity experiments, only adding to the site's strangeness. Van Tassel’s theories subsequently attracted many UFO enthusiasts over the years, and Giant Rock became known as a hotspot for alleged extraterrestrial activity. Today, you are free to explore the area, though much of the rock’s previous significance as a meeting place for UFO sightseers has since faded. It is still a cool side stop if you're visiting the nearby Joshua Tree National Park.

The Integratron

Also in Landers, the Integratron is an unusual looking structure with a fascinating history and a mysterious reputation, also particularly among UFO fans. Designed and built by George Van Tassel, an aviation engineer and ufologist, the Integratron was intended to be a machine for potential rejuvenation, time travel, and anti-gravity experiments. Construction of the dome-shaped building began in 1954 and was based on principles of "sacred geometry", magnetism, and cosmic energy.

The Integratron's design is influenced by the architecture of ancient temples and pyramids, and it is said to be built atop a powerful geomagnetic field, enhancing its supposed energetic properties. Van Tassel believed the structure would harness these forces to extend human lifespan and even facilitate time travel. Although no such cases have taken place, today, the Integratron is still standing and offers you a unique experience through its sound baths, where the acoustics within the dome are used to create a deep meditative environment. While the building’s original purpose remains unproven, it has become a curious and otherworldly landmark in the desert, attracting those interested in alternative science and the paranormal.

The Bigfoot Museum

The Bigfoot Museum in Northern California's Willow Creek (a hotspot for sightings of the hairy cryptid), is a fascinating stop for those intrigued by the legend of Bigfoot. Founded in 1961, the museum is dedicated to the ongoing research and folklore surrounding the elusive creature, often referred to as Sasquatch in other parts of the world. Willow Creek itself is a focal point for Bigfoot enthusiasts, with the town hosting an annual Bigfoot Festival. The museum houses a variety of exhibits covering alleged Bigfoot sightings, footprint casts, photos, and other related artifacts. One of its most notable features is the collection of local reports and stories detailing encounters with the creature in the surrounding wilderness, particularly in the nearby Klamath River area, known for its dense forests and rugged terrain, a perfect place for an elusive creature to hide.

In addition to its historical displays, the museum hosts educational programs and offers you a chance to learn about historic efforts that have gone into Bigfoot research. Please note that this attraction is only open between May and September. Attached to the museum is also the Willow Creek Visitor Center, an informative spot to learn more about the community's more conventional history and current goings on.

Museum of Death (Hollywood)

The Museum of Death in Hollywood is one of California's most unconventional and macabre attractions. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, the museum showcases a vast collection of exhibits dedicated to the darker aspects of life and death, aiming to educate visitors on the history of death in relation to art, culture, and true crime.

The museum’s exhibits include real crime scene photos, funeral memorabilia, death-related artwork, and even items associated with notorious figures like the Manson Family. You can view displays that also highlight the evolution of mortuary practices, the history of serial killers, and the impact of death on popular culture. One of the most notable collections here is dedicated to the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder, with photos and artifacts connected to the grisly yet unsolved crime.

Though controversial for its graphic content, the Museum of Death is a big attraction for anyone with a love for the morbid, providing a rare and unsettling look into the cultural and historical aspects of death, a part of life none of us will be able to escape at some point.

See California's Weird Side

Experience the Golden State's weirder side at any of these notable landmarks, many of which are accessible right at the side of the road. Whether you're in California to check out its more popular attractions or simply want to visit its lesser-known draws, you can't go wrong with any of the spots mentioned above, especially if you love the bizarre and odd aspects of life. Are there any local spots, a cool looking piece of public art or perhaps another haunted house, that you think should've made this list of the eight strangest landmarks in California?