As two of Texas’ biggest and most-distinctive cities, San Antonio and Austin boast landmarks that command the attention of locals and tourists alike. But sometimes it’s more intriguing to go off the beaten path — and what’s more quintessentially American than the tradition of visiting roadside attractions?

From giant sculptures and natural wonders to kooky art and oddities, there are plenty of attractions worthy of a detour — including a recreation of the ancient Stonehenge monument. With that in mind, we rounded up 20 roadside attractions in the Alamo City, Austin and the Hill Country that are worth visiting at least once.

Ms. Pearl the Giant Squirrel 2626 State Highway 71, Cedar Creek Berdoll Pecan Candy in Cedar Creek pays honor to its mascot, Ms. Pearl, with a 14-foot statue in front of the store, which they claim is the tallest squirrel statue in the world. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Larry D. Moore
Frank’s Hog Stand 801 S. Presa St., roadsideamerica.com A remnant of the classic 1920s chain of drive-in Pig Stand restaurants, Frank’s Hog Stand reopened in 2010 and served all-American fare. The restaurant has since closed, but the pig still stands as a quirky roadside attraction within city limits. Credit: Dalia Gulca
Hi, How Are You Intersection of W. 21st and Guadalupe Streets, Austin Also called “Jeremiah the Innocent,” Daniel Johnston’s iconic 1993 mural was originally painted on the side of Austin’s Sound Exchange music store. In 2023, developers demolished the building on which the mural was painted, but left it standing and promised to preserve the artwork. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Seananderson
Stonehenge II 120 Point Theatre Road S., Ingram This modern tribute to an ancient monument in Ingram requires a detour into the Hill Country, but it’s well worth inclusion on this list. Created by Al Shepperd and Doug Hill, Stonehenge II originally stood on Shepperd’s property in Hunt, before being moved to the grounds of the Hill Country Arts Foundation after his death. Around two-thirds of the size of its namesake, the sculpture is accompanied by two replicas of Easter Island heads. Credit: Shutterstock / Epiglottis
Grave of Pat the Horse Cunningham Gate of Ft. Sam Houston, Corner of Cunningham Ave. and N. Pine St., history.army.mil/museums/fieldMuseums/FSHMuseum/index.html Located on the northwest side of Ft. Sam Houston near the Westfort neighborhood is a single, large grave, where the beloved Pat the Horse is buried. Pat was a cavalry horse in the U.S. Army in the early 1900’s. When the army decommissioned its cavalry, Pat was in his 20s and was set to be euthanized, but the soldiers at Ft. Sam Houston lobbied Washington for him to be spared. The request was approved and Pat spent his retirement at the fort. When Pat died at the ripe old age of 45 he was honored with a grave with his portrait on the headstone. Credit: Photo by Sanford Nowlin
Cathedral of Junk 4422 Lareina Drive, Austin Vince Hannemann started building his Cathedral of Junk in his South Austin backyard in the late ’80s. The massive sculpture lives up to its name, reaching three stories high and continuing to evolve over the years. In 2019, Hannemann told Austin Monthly Magazine that the structure is “99 percent done.” Credit: Shutterstock / PiercarloAbate
World’s Largest Cowboy Boots North Star Mall, 7400 San Pedro Ave., San Antonio Native San Antonians might not pay any attention to the giant cowboy boots in front of North Star Mall, but there’s more to them than you’d think. Made by the larger-than-life artist Bob “Daddy-O” Wade, these boots were installed at North Star in 1979 and officially made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Largest Cowboy Boots four decades later. Credit: Shutterstock / MACH Photos
Big Slice of Pie 202 W. Center St., Kyle Sitting atop the Texas Pie Company’s roof, this hearty — not to mention gigantic — slice of cherry pie with oozing filling serves as a preview of the desserts on offer inside. Credit: Shutterstock / George Howard Jr
Bracken Cave 26101 FM 3009, (512) 327-9721, batcon.org Home to the largest bat colony in the world, Bracken Cave is a great spot to watch the bats come out. Some 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats live at Bracken Cave from March to October, making for quite the natural spectacle as they take to the sky. Credit: Shutterstock / Jeff Reeves
Lake Nessy 4550 Mueller Blvd., Austin This 16’x30′ multicolored sea serpent sits in Austin’s Mueller Lake Park across from the Thinkery. The glass and ceramic mosaic monster was created by artist Dixie Friend Gay in collaboration with Blue Genie. Credit: Shutterstock / Ant DM
World’s Largest Pecan, Seguin 390 Cordova Road, Seguin The Pecan Capital of the world won the title not just for its fields of ofTexan pecan trees but also for the 16-foot long, 8-foot wide statue of a pecan which sits outside of the Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center. The center is also home to the Pecan Museum of Texas, which houses Texan folk art and nutcrackers. Credit: Photo via Instagram / visitseguin
Junk Yard Dog 1201 Somerset Road, San Antonio This canny canine is made by the same artist as the giant cowboy boots which sit outside of North Star Mall. Bob “Daddy-O” Wade, who passed away in late 2019, built the pup out of cars in his junk yard: a 1966 Plymouth Fury, a Volkswagen Beetle and the hood of a Cadillac. Credit: Photo via Instagram / richardjgarciacpa
Natural Bridge Caverns 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, naturalbridgecaverns.com Right in San Antonio’s backyard is the largest known commercial caverns in the state of Texas. In 1960, students from St. Mary’s University were granted permission to explore the area and were convinced that underground passages would be found underneath a 60 foot limestone slab bridge. Sure enough, one of the students felt a draft from a rubble-filled crawlway — meaning there were additional passages. Today, visitors can explore the caverns through various tours. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Natural Bridge Caverns
Miraflores Sculpture Garden 1234-1366 E. Hildebrand Ave. This decaying wonder near Brackenridge Park is hidden behind a fence but still visible from Hildebrand, guarded by a beautiful gate titled “Monumento a la Ciudad de México.” Created by local physician and art collector Aureliano Urrutia, the green space is full of sculpture, tiled benches and fountains, all falling into graceful disrepair. The garden is now owned by the City of San Antonio and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as designated as a State Archaeological Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission. Credit: Photo by Michael Karlis
Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Colony 305 S. Congress Ave., Austin The Congress Avenue Bridge spanning Lady Bird Lake is home to a massive colony of Mexican free-tailed bats. According to the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife, the bridge is the location of the world’s largest urban bat colony, with an estimated population of 1.5 million bats. Peak bat-watching season is from March-October each year. Credit: Shutterstock / hayeseyes
La Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe 1301 Guadalupe St. Located at Plaza Guadalupe, the late Jesse Treviño’s La Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a mixed media mural featuring a 3-D votive candle with an eternal flame facing Guadalupe Street. The revered SA artist’s creation is said to be the world’s largest Virgin Mary mosaic. Credit: Courtesy Photo / City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture
The Picasso Benches Blue Star Arts Complex, 1414 S. Alamo St., San Antonio Blue Star has plenty to offer — from art galleries and boutiques to bars and coffee shops. Even the bus stop gets in on the action, with a set of mosaic benches paying tribute to famed cubist artist Pablo Picasso. Credit: Photo by Dalia Gulca
World’s Largest Shovel 3606 FM1327, Creedmoor This 40-foot tall shovel in Creedmoor was made from recycled materials. Credit: Photo via Google Maps
Giant Stag Made of Junk 4203 Loring Park, Converse Built from various rusted metal parts — fenders and typewriters included — this Florentino Narcis creation stands 40 feet tall in the midst of a neighborhood in Converse. Credit: Photo via Instagram / therefinedhomellc
Mansplaining Statue, San Antonio 4301 Broadway, San Antonio Though unintended by the artist, the statue Classmates on UIW’s campus struck a chord, as it accidentally immortalizes the unique frustration of being mansplained to. The statue can be found near the college’s music building. Credit: Photo via Instagram / unitedstatuesofamerica

Additional Slideshows

24 must-see roadside attractions within driving distance of San Antonio