From Pay Phones To Pancakes, New York’s Hidden Gems Await

Route 66 is celebrating an anniversary this year. The Mother Road is about to turn 100.

It was commissioned on November 11, 1926, and was one of the first roadways of the USA's first federal highway system, spanning eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California.

What a trip that must have been to take back in the day when the road was completed. There were and still are many interesting attractions and oddities along the 2,448 miles of asphalt.

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But you don't have to travel all the way to Route 66 to take in interesting attractions and oddities. Good 'ol New York State has plenty of attractions and oddities. Checking the website Roadside America, I found a few interesting and odd things you can see right here in the Empire State. Here are six that I found interesting to check out:

Cardiff Giant

In Cooperstown at the Farmer's Museum lies the famous Cardiff Giant. It was a huge (pardon the pun intended) hoax by George Hull, who, by the way, was from Binghamton. I've seen it. Worth the visit, especially since there's so much more to check out in the Cooperstown area.

Tower of Pay Phones

Remember pay phones? Boy, are we getting old. On Rhode Island Street in Buffalo, there's a sculpture called 'Don't Drop a Dime on Me' that consists of 36 pay phones. Unfortunately, according to Roadside America, the phones don't work.

All Things 'Oz' Museum

Are you a fan of the movie "The Wizard of Oz?' Well then, you'd be happy to check out a museum that contains over 15,000 items related to O,z, and its writer, L. Frank Baum, who was born in Chittenango. This museum is located on Genesee Street in Chittenango.

World's Largest Pancake Griddle

Planning a trip to Penn Yan anytime, which is home to the popular Windmill Farm and Craft Market, is also famous for being the home of the world's largest pancake griddle. That's right, a pancake griddle that is just over 28 feet tall. Apparently, it was created to commemorate the world's largest pancake, which was made on September 27, 1987. The griddle is on display at Birkett Mills, located on East Main Street in Penn Yan.

UFO & Paranormal Museum

Are you a believer in UFOs and the paranormal? Well then, you need to visit the Pine Bush UFO and Paranormal Museum. According to Roadside America, this museum features animatronics, dioramas, and films about everything paranormal...complete with an alien abduction photo opportunity at the end. Who wouldn't want that? The museum can be found on Main Street in Pine Bush.

Museum Of Gods and Monsters

Okay, this sounds interesting. This collection of oddities resides in the Town of Friendship, in Western New York, as Wolf's Museum of Gods and Monsters. The Museum, set in a former church, features all sorts of aliens, ghosts, witches, the devil, movie monsters, and human monsters, says Roadside America. There's an exorcist bedroom, a wall of horrorgraphs, skeletons seated in the pews, and a room called 'Hell.' Sounds like a scary good time. Wolf's Museum of Gods and Monsters is located on West Main Street, Friendship, New York.