Frederick County at Roadside America

Previously, I listed the seven Washington County locations covered by Roadside America. The site has 14 Frederick County locations, the most of any Western Maryland county, even if we subtract the two defunct locations. We should keep in mind that of the counties in our remit, Frederick, being the farthest east, is the closest to Baltimore and D.C., so it's as far into Western Maryland as many day-trippers ever get. Never fear, Frederick, we will do much better even than 14!

Burkittsville: Spook Hill. “Defying the laws of gravity and common sense, vehicles appear to roll backwards up a hill.”

Emmitsburg: Big Jinxed 9/11 Statue of Flag-RaisingFirefighters. “Ended up here after three cities rejected it as too big, or too impractical, or too much of a tourist attraction.”

Emmitsburg: Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. “American saint entombed in an altar, but not on display.”

Frederick: Dog Almost Melted for Bullets. “Black-painted cast iron sculpture of a greyhound … . Confederate soldiers made off with it, planning to cast bullets with the metal.”

Frederick: Jug Bridge Monument: Oldest in USA? “The monument resembles a demijohn, a popular 19th century whiskey decanter.”

Frederick: National Museum of Civil War Medicine. “The museum asks visitors to see beyond the bloody operations, crude plastic surgeries, predatory embalmers, and, um, piles of human limbs.” Also at Atlas Obscura.

Frederick: Roads and Rails Museum. “Model train layouts can be dull, but this one features fictional locales from TV shows and a UFO landing site with crop circles.”

Frederick: Statue of John Hanson, First U.S.President. “Ignored for centuries, America's first President -- he was in office eight years before George Washington -- finally has an outdoor statue that people can visit.”

Frederick: Trompe l’oeil Bridge Mural. “The walls and bridgework along Carroll Creek are painted to create the illusion of an ivy-covered stone bridge.”

Frederick: Towering Peace Candle Tree (Gone). “A towering dead tree trunk had been carved to resemble a lit candle with the word ‘PEACE’ affixed to it.”

Rocky Ridge: Muncipal Giant Slide – Sliding Board. “All towns should have giant public sliding boards.”

Thurmont: Giant Ear of Corn Silo. “The decoration of a farm silo is inspiration for tomorrow's food imagineers -- big corn.”

Thurmont: Transformers, Metal Sculptures, PumpkinCannons. “Large metal sculptures, including giant scrap Transformers and an inspired replica of the terrorist-struck S.S. Cole -- all of which serve as targets for the farm's two pumpkin cannons.” Also at Atlas Obscura.

Thurmont: Presidential Theme Rooms and Mural (Gone). “Presidents have vacationed in this area since Herbert Hoover in 1930, and the Cozy Inn has housed advisors, visiting delegations, and the press.”

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