In the United States, we proudly display our history, our innovations, and our independence — often to the point of weirdness. We hoist gigantic bugs on top of buildings and erect monuments to the bizarre. At Yahoo, we salute that strange creativity. But let’s face it, sometimes these things can get out of hand. Here is our list of the wackiest monuments, landmarks, headstones, and statues from Alabama to Wyoming.

Mark Cline’s sculpture “The Lady in the Lake” in Alabama (Photo: Enchanted Castle Studios/Facebook)

Alabama The Lady in the Lake is one giant tribute to skinny-dipping (though it’s a bit weird that anglers can boat right up to her knees).

Alaska Most of the strange landmarks in Alaska seem oddly at home. The one that stands out, though, is the Batmobile, parked in front of Gorilla Fireworks.

Arizona Think about rose bushes, and Arizona is not the first state to come to mind. But it’s home to the world’s largest rose bush, believe it or not.

Arkansas We think the historical marker hanging on Miss Laura’s in Fort Smith is a bit bizarre, considering the place’s history as a brothel. Must be an Arkansas thing.

California We hereby crown California as the state with the most bizarre landmarks overall. And our favorite has to be the deserted town of Zzyzx (pronounced “Zye-zix”), at the end of a very long list.

Related: Pacific Coast Highway: The Ultimate California Road Trip

This 32-foot-tall blue mustang with glowing red eyes greets travelers at the Denver International Airport. (Photo: George Rose/Getty Images)

Colorado In a state known for its beauty, the creepy blue mustang statue at Denver International Airport makes you ask, “What were they smoking?”

Connecticut By now, we all know about the Cadillacs stuck in the ground in Amarillo, Texas. It’s the much-loved granddaddy of ridiculous landmarks. In Middletown, Conn., there’s a tribute to the Cadillac Ranch done with Yugos — it is like the ugly stepchild.

Delaware The First State National Historic Park is ridiculous only in the fact that until it opened in 2013, Delaware — the first state in the country — did not have a national park or monument. Irony at its best.

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Florida In the state with the greatest number of giant seafood statues, Pegasus killing a dragon at Gulfstream Park is refreshingly weird.

Georgia A grouping of granite slabs, the Georgia Guidestones is also known as America’s Stonehenge.

Related: Spend the Weekend with the Cast of Downton Abbey at This Georgia Resort

Jack Lord greets shoppers at the Kahala Mall in Honolulu. (Photo: rphlegm/Instagram)

Hawaii The Hawaii Five-O bust of Jack Lord at the Kahala Mall in Honolulu certainly serves a purpose, but he was in a TV show, people. We’re over it.

Idaho Which brings us to the marker at Craters of the Moon National Monument, telling us, “Get Over It.”

The infamous two-story outhouse in Gays, Ill. (Photo: Gary Cziko/Flickr)

Illinois You have to create a mental image of the workings of a Porta Potty to understand the humor behind this two-story outhouse.

Indiana This state is home to the world’s largest egg, the world’s largest candle, the world’s largest ball of paint, and the world’s largest preserved steer. But it takes gumption to promote the world’s largest sycamore stump. Not the tree, the stump.

Iowa The future birthplace of James T. Kirk has a GoFundMe page to get ready for his arrival. Trekkies everywhere should help them out.

Related: Sweat and Pork Chops: Discovering America on a 500-Mile Bike Ride Across Small-Town Iowa

The World’s Largest Souvenir Travel Plate, in Lucas, Kan. (Photo: Judah Morford/Flickr)

Kansas Souvenir plates are a bit on the wacky side. Did you ever eat off one? Of course not, because they belong on the wall. So it is hard to think of anything odder than the World’s Largest Souvenir Travel Plate, which is too big to hang on a wall.

Kentucky There are many landmarks with funny names, but Big Bone Lick State Historic Site takes the prize for the most vivid mental image.

This take on the iconic blind justice image is not a very comforting sight as one enters the courthouse in Lafayette, La. (Photo: rosemike/Instagram)

Louisiana Factor in gravesites and voodoo queens, and there is some off-the-wall stuff in Louisiana. Not hard to see, then, why they have an empty-head statue of blind justice in Lafayette.

Maine The craziest attraction in the country has to be the Desert of Maine (yes, a desert, as in Sahara), with narrated tram tours and sand-painting lessons. Hey, everybody needs to make a living somehow.

Maryland There is a giant fiberglass pineapple at Victor Graphics in Baltimore. We bet it looks great topped in snow.

Massachusetts It is more than a little weird to commemorate a fake TV witch in a place like Salem. The installation of the statue of Bewitched character Samantha Stephens (as played by Elizabeth Montgomery) certainly stirred a pot of controversy.

Related: Is Salem the Scariest Town in America — or Just a Big Tourist Trap?

“Kaiser Paul” proudly stands guard over Alpena Community College. (Photo: Corey Seeman/Flickr)

Michigan Striking another note of irony is the metal Paul Bunyan made of car parts at Alpena Community College. They couldn’t carve one from wood?

We’re glad this corn water tower exists, because it makes for epic selfies. (Photo: Rian Lemmer/Flickr)

Minnesota Where does the Jolly Green Giant get a drink? From the ear of corn water tower in Rochester, of course.

Mississippi There is nothing ridiculous about a town named Hot Coffee (or is there?). It’ll give you a jolt.

Just think of all the pies you’d be able to make with a pecan that size! (Photo: signal the police/Flickr)

Missouri The world’s largest pecan is in Brunswick, Mo. It’s probably a good thing that the world’s largest squirrel statue is in Texas.

Montana We love the whimsical concrete Cattin’ Around statue in Missoula, but who dreamed up the plan to have a birdbath on its back?

Nebraska There should be a monument to every animal lover who ever engineered something for a disabled animal. The image of a goose wearing shoes may be odd, but we applaud the ingenuity memorialized in the monument to Andy the footless goose.

Nevada Bass Pro Shops is known for over-the-top, make-your-head-spin store designs, but adding a casino doesn’t seem to fit the whole outdoor theme — though this is Nevada.

New Hampshire The USS Albacore is a submarine in a ditch. Images of a giant tuna come to mind.

Lucy the Elephant in Margate, N.J., just two miles south of Atlantic City (Photo: Diane Stoneback/Allentown Morning Call/MCT)

New Jersey Lucy the Elephant is the beloved pachyderm of the state of New Jersey. (No jokes about the governor here.) We aren’t saying she’s ridiculous, but she’s not very pretty.

New Mexico Of all the things you think of related to New Mexico, are pistachios one of them? The world’s largest pistachio is in Alamogordo.

The Hess Triangle at the corner of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue in NYC (Photo: Chris Hamby/Flickr)

New York The Hess Triangle is the smallest parcel of private property in New York. The ridiculous part is that the government fought over it in the first place.

North Carolina Sometimes you feel like a nut. In that case, you’ll want to see the giant acorn in Raleigh.

Giant pheasants along the Enchanted Highway in North Dakota (Photo: Layne Kennedy/Corbis)

North Dakota The installations along the Enchanted Highway are more whimsical than ridiculous, as any good highway art should be. Think giant pheasants.

Ohio Did they watch the movie Field of Dreams when they designed these giant ears of corn in Dublin? You can almost hear the creators whispering, “Build it and they will come.”

Oklahoma You know that a town is in need of some better PR when it decides to re-create a two-foot-deep bomb crater in front of the chamber of commerce. Somebody please lend Boise City your expertise.

Oregon The Golden lumberjack statue in Salem is ridiculous purely for its ostentatiousness: 22 feet tall and covered in 23-carat gold leaf. It is certainly shiny.

Related: Driving Up the Oregon Coast Takes a Backseat to No One

Behold, the most crime-inducing sign in all of America. (Photo: Doug Kerr/Flickr)

Pennsylvania The welcome sign for Intercourse is reported to be the most stolen town sign in the country. You’d think they would give up and have the sign cast in concrete.

Rhode Island The grave of suspected vampire Mercy Brown is in Exeter. Aren’t vampires undead? So why is there a grave?

We think this water tower in Gaffney, S.C., is just peachy. (Photo: ken fager/Flickr)

South Carolina Why wouldn’t you expect to find a gigantic peachlike water tower in the state that produces the second-highest number of peaches in the country? The odd part is why a water tower has a gigantic groove down the side that makes it look more like a big orange butt with a leaf sticking out.

South Dakota In South Dakota, you have to go big to get attention. Porter Sculpture Park has that covered. We just can’t figure out what some of those things are doing in this particular state.

Tennessee There is a Parthenon replica in Nashville. Really. Not a country singer in the world could spin that into a song.

Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo is but one of many notable landmarks worth visiting in the great state of Texas. (Photo: waxhawian/Flickr)

Texas Nobody ever said that Texas landmarks had to make sense — for example, the aforementioned Cadillac Ranch. But top honors in a state filled with big balls of barbed wire and tributes to killer bees go to the fake Prada Store art installation in the desert near Marfa.

Utah We love a good metaphor as much as anyone, but Metaphor: The Tree of Utah falls a little flat.

Related: This Amazing Utah Canyon Hike Comes With a Rescue Dog

This 19-foot-tall gorilla statue certainly brings car dealership advertising to new heights. (Photo: elmlong/Inastagram)

Vermont Queen Connie — the giant gorilla holding a VW Beetle — wins the fierce competition for the best gorilla statue in the country.

Virginia Bull Run Castle is an ode to one man’s dream in progress. It’s an odd dream, but who are we to judge?

Washington The giant Cowboy Hat n’ Boots in Oxbow Park is one of those landmarks that seem miles from where they should actually reside.

West Virginia The world’s largest teapot, in Chester, is quaint, but the fact that it began life as a big barrel promoting a root beer company is a bit odd.

Wisconsin The world’s largest fiberglass fish has a big open mouth where you can look out from between sharp pointy teeth. It’s biblical.

Douglas, Wyo., is home to the world’s largest jackalope statue. (Photo: J. Stephen Conn)

Wyoming The giant jackalope statue in Douglas is another example of a town in need of better PR. It’s Wyoming, for heaven’s sake! You shouldn’t have to pay homage to fake animals to attract tourists.

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