woman at car forest nevada

Weird Nevada

Founded by gold miners and cowpokes, built up by casino magnates, and populated by renegade artists, the Silver State is anything but ordinary. If you’re curious to seek out these strange tourist attractions all over Nevada’s wild, weird West, you’ll experience clown motels, car forests, haunted hot spots, and plenty more unusual places to visit.

The Most Unique Things To Do in Nevada

Museum-hop between displays detailing cursed artifacts, atomic bomb tests, murderous mafiosos, and retired neon signs in Downtown Las Vegas. Take a road trip to uncommon art galleries, Area 51, and an Alien Research Center. Go off the beaten path and come face-to-face with Weird Nevada—and be prepared for anything and everything.

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Nevada’s Most Unusual Roadside Attractions

Welcome to the weirdest, wildest West. Goldfield was once one of Nevada’s largest boomtowns. At Goldfield Historic Cemetery, you can browse historic epitaphs of residents long since passed—including the unfortunate “DIED EATING LIBRARY PASTE.”

Also in Goldfield, the International Car Forest of the Last Church is an unconventional sculpture garden. Dozens of painted cars stand on end, straddle crevices, or balance delicately on top of one another. The artwork is always changing, so no two visits are ever alike.

Seven Magic Mountains is a cluster of neon boulders stacked 35 feet high, towering over the desert landscape. This polychromatic photo op is an art installation visible from I-15, especially if you’re headed to The Strip.

goldfield cemetery unknown man died eating library paste
Goldfield Historic Cemetery
woman at seven magic mountains in nevada
Seven Magic Mountains

The Goldwell Open Air Museum puts the “ghost” in “ghost town.” Begun in the 1980s by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski, its plaster ghosts form a spectral tableau of Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” These haunting installations enchant thousands of international visitors to nearby Rhyolite Ghost Town and Death Valley National Park.

In Hiko, E.T. Fresh Jerky has your Area 51 fuel-up needs covered. Browse kitschy curios, pose with life-sized aliens in funky murals, and load up on a robust snack selection. Just down the Extraterrestrial Highway, visit the Alien Research Center. Gleaming in the desert sun like an actual spaceship, this silver Quonset hut and its two-story silver alien security guard serve up the latest alien apparel, hats, and far more. 

Root for the bad guys at Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum in Boulder City. Curated by an award-winning special makeup effects artist, the museum celebrates horror movie icons through screen-used props, life-size figures, and an on-site screening room. 

Tunes, Dunes & Saloons

A Playlist for the Peculiar

We don’t know what kind of music ghosts and gray guys like, but we think it might go something like this. In fact, our Weird Nevada playlist is so out of this world, the UFO in the other lane might ask you for the link (better save it now or risk getting beamed up).

Weird Nevada Soundtrack by Travel Nevada

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Haunted Places to Visit in Nevada

Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum in Downtown Las Vegas features 30 rooms jam-packed with some seriously spooky artifacts—some of which are rumored to be the world’s most haunted objects. 

Virginia City’s Washoe Club & Haunted Museum is one of the most haunted places in the West. Take the tour to hear stories about the Millionaires Club, reported hauntings, and tales from the historic crypt.

puppet room at zak bagans haunted museum
Zak Bagans’ The Haunted Museum
interior of the clown motel
The Clown Motel

The Clown Motel in Tonopah boasts one of the largest private collections of clown figurines and memorabilia under the sun. If the creepy clown theme isn’t enough to spook you, the added bonus of nightly spirits slinking over  from the cemetery next door might just do it.

Pioche was once more rough-and-tumble than Tombstone and Dodge City, and it has the spirit sightings to prove it. Check into the Overland Hotel & Saloon—where you’ll have to specifically request a ghost-free room—and see if you sense any strange activity.

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Ready to Experience Some Weird Places in Nevada?

Uncover unexpected encounters, memorable characters, and only-found-here experiences with Nevada Magazine & Visitor Guide.

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#TravelNevada

Keep your eyes peeled and your camera ready for UFOs and otherworldly guests. Share your proof with #TravelNevada (and maybe find it featured here).

❤️Someone told me there's a cow in this photo! Where?!🤤
.......... “IT IS NOT THE DESTINATION WHERE YOU END UP BUT THE MISHAPS AND MEMORIES YOU CREATE ALONG THE WAY.” ~ PENELOPE RILEY
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Stay tuned for some live streaming later today! Got a new bike mount for my phone! Can't wait to try it and show you my neighborhood!
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Love above all else,
Michael R.
*Alexa play firework by Katy Perry* 🎇🧨🎆 #happy4thofjuly #fireworks #besafe #lastyearsroadtrip #nevada
Pinball Hall of Fame (Las Vegas, NV 2019) 👾
𝗘𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝗺𝗼𝘀 ✨👽✨⁣
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I recently found myself out in the middle of nowhere Nevada.  Couldn’t resist lighting up some buses and checking out some stars.  It’s damn dark out there! 🌚 ⁣
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•⁣ #internationalcarforest #internationalcarforestofthelastchurch #travelnevada #goldfield #goldfieldghosttown #goldfieldnv #nevadanights #nevada #nv #milkywayshooters #sonyalpha #sony1224gm #tonopah #tonopahnevada #litbylume #nightshooterz #thecosmos #darkskyshots #onlyinnevada #explorenevada #jrodphoto
The Bartine Outhouse from early 1900s. The only known 5-hole outhouse in Nevada! 😄
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#outhouse #eureka #historicbuildings #travelnevada #theloneliesthighway #nevada #roadtrip #roadtripusa #travel #travelblogger #travelphotography #traveller #travellife #instatrip #vacation #traveldiaries #travelwithme #roadtripusa #adventure #alwaysanadventure #americathroughmylens #getlost
If you haven’t been to Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum yet, go! Go now! It’s super fun and very Halloween-y 👻 They’re in Boulder City right as you cruise into town 🧟‍♂️ tomdevlinsmonstermuseum bouldercitynevada #nevada #travelnevada #bouldercity #roadside #roadsideamerica #roadsideattraction #monster #monstermuseum #tomdevlinsmonstermuseum #horror #horrormovies #halloween #thegypsylark
RIVIERA STARDUST | THE NEON MUSEUM, LAS VEGAS

One of the highlights of my trip to Las Vegas was exploring the Neon Museum in the downtown area. There is so much Vegas history in these old signs. I highly recommend a visit here if you are visiting.
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#theneonmuseumboneyard #NevadaAdventures #theneonmuseumlasvegas #theneonmuseum #lasvegas #lasvegastourism #neonsigns #neonlights #signs #lasvegashistory #museum #travel #tourism #Fitzgeralds #Nevada #LasVegas #touristattraction #lit #USA #touristdestination #travelusa #desert #brightlights #Vegas #travelnevada #copyrightamandawhite2024
A truly weird (and wonderful) Nevada experience...essentially,
Before heading west to Tonopah, we took a quick detour east to the isolated volcanic region where you can find Lunar Crater.
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It's one of six National Natural Landmarks throughout Nevada. ⠀
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The geological name for this shallow and broad crater is a
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