Quirky Long Island Roadside Attractions

LongIsland.com

During your travels around Long Island keep your eyes out for cool, quirky, roadside attractions and landmarks.

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Looking for something out of the ordinary to do? Do you enjoy road trips and discovering interesting landmarks and attractions along the way? Why not plan a mini road trip around Long Island to seek out all of the kitschy roadside attractions Long Island has to offer!

You’ll be sure to learn a little bit of weird Long Island history at the sites and discover a side of Long Island you never experienced before. Bring the family along and make a day of it. You’ll get tons of great pictures at the sites and you can show your friends and family all of the amazingly awesome attractions lining the Long Island roadways.

Don’t forget to look over our DIY road trip emergency kit for ideas of what to bring with you, just in case, on your roadside Long Island journey.

Grumman Memorial Park – Off Route 25 near 25A intersection in Calverton
As you’re driving down this more wooded section of Route 25 you begin to see a shape taking form above the trees. Once the trees have cleared you are greeted with a huge F-14A Tomcat, lifted up upon a pedestal. The park is a tribute to advances in aviation and aerospace which have taken place on Long Island, especially through the Grumman Corporation. You can visit the attraction for free and walk around the one acre site reading the informative plaques and standing in awe of this marvel of machinery.

Casa Basso Restaurant – Off Montauk Highway in Westhampton
Twelve foot tall dueling musketeers, a castle, mythological characters, and jumping horses greet visitors to this unique Italian restaurant. The statues and sculptures have a rich history dating back to the late 19th century when artist Theophilus Brower built a castle similar to one he’d seen in Seville, Spain then adorned it with romantic sculptures. Make sure to bring the kids along, they will have a blast exploring all of the sculptures and eccentric fare around the grounds.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial – Off Route 83 at Bald Hill in Farmingville
Situated on one of the highest points on Long Island, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial commemorates the efforts and losses of all those who fought and sacrificed for our country during the Vietnam War. It was built in the early 1990s and is a beautiful obelisk shape with a pointed top decorated with the bold colors of the American flag. The memorial is free and there are benches all around the memorial making it a great spot to sit, have lunch, and catch a nice breeze.

The Big Duck – Off Route 24 in Flanders
It’s quite impossible to miss The Big Duck as you drive down route 24 in Flanders, NY. The structure is 20 feet tall, bright white, and of course, is in the shape of a very large duck. In the 1930’s The Big Duck was originally envisioned to be a place for Martin and Jeule Maurer to sell their farm raised Peking ducks. The Big Duck now serves as a tourist center and gift shop. If you can, try to visit the duck the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving. On that day they hold the annual holiday lighting of the Big Duck.

What roadside Long Island attractions and landmarks have you come across in your travels? Which ones do you still want to discover? Let us know below in the comments!

[Source: Suffolk County, Grumman Park, Casa Basso, Suffolk County]

Pictured: "The Big Duck" in Flanders. Photo by Bob Gutowski, via Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-2.0.