The World’s Largest…
The World’s Smallest….
Shae and I love finding weird and wonderful things to do, so we’re seeking out as many of them as we can on our 50 state road trip.
We managed to find several of them in the first month of our road trip, so here are four weird things to do in South Carolina.
World’s Largest Fire Hydrant
In Columbia SC, take a trip to Busted Plug Plaza on Taylor St. There you’ll find the World’s Largest Fire Hydrant, a sculpture by local artist Blue Sky.
There’s on-street parking next to the display, with plenty more parking on surrounding streets, so bring a quarter or two for the meter. You can find the World’s Largest Fire Hydrant at Busted Plug Plaza, Taylor Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
UFO Welcome Center
On our way from Hilton Head Island to Myrtle Beach, we took a diversion up to Bowman which is about an hour’s drive south of Columbia. We’d wanted to swing by there on our way from Florida to Virginia last year but would’ve gotten there after dark.
The reason we wanted to visit Bowman is because it’s home to a UFO Welcome Center. Created by Jody Pendarvis, it’s 46 feet across and is definitely one of the weirdest things I’ve seen.
It used to be possible to go inside, but apparently the creator doesn’t live there anymore. You’ll therefore just be stopping for a few photos outside.
You can find the UFO Welcome Center at 4004 Homestead Rd, Bowman, SC 29018.
Traveler’s Chapel
On our way out of Myrtle Beach, we stopped in Conway to visit its Traveler’s Chapel. At 12′ by 24′, the Traveler’s Chapel is a tiny church, although it’s not the Smallest Church in the US.
Their website says there’s no lock and it’s always open. However, the day we visited the door seemed to be locked, so that policy might have changed. We were therefore only able to get photos from the outside.
There’s a small parking lot outside, so it’s easy to stop so long as there aren’t many other cars parked there.
To visit the Traveler’s Chapel, head to 1793 US Hwy 501, Conway, SC 29526.
World’s Smallest Police Station
While driving from Myrtle Beach to Greenville, we made a quick stop in Ridgeway. This small town is home to what was once the World’s Smallest Police Station.
The 12′ by 10′ station has been closed since 1990 but it’s still standing for you to visit. The new (also small) police station is next door, separated by a Little Free Library.
You can find the World’s Smallest Police Station opposite the Ridgeway Branch of Fairfield Library which is at 175 S Palmer St, Ridgeway, SC 29130.
Question
Do you know of any other weird things to do in South Carolina? Let us know in the comments below.
I’m glad the pup is recovering nicely. Table Rock will be on my next trip south – Shea – your photos are just amazing!
You will love Savannah! My favorite place is Bonaventure Cemetery. It is so beautiful with all the Spanish moss hanging over the statuary. I hope you have time to visit there. Also, If you pass St. John’s Island – the Angel Oak is amazing.
I look forward to all you great photos! You are livin’ the dream! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us!
Thanks for the suggestions – I’ve added Bonaventure Cemetery to our list of places to visit while we’re here. We actually visited the Angel Oak a few weeks ago on our way from Charleston to Hilton Head Island – it was indeed amazing 🙂
Thank you so much Audrey! I’m working on it 🙂 We are definitely going to go to Bonaventure Cemetery. We saw the Angel Oak on our way down to Hilton Head- it was incredible, I need to go through those photos still. Thanks again for your comment and for joining us on journey 🙂