Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the U.S., but don’t let its modest size fool you—it’s absolutely bursting at the seams with bizarre brilliance. This coastal pocket of New England is like someone bottled eccentricity, added a splash of maritime mystery, sprinkled in a little ghost lore, and wrapped it all in colonial charm. Where else can you visit a vampire’s grave, meet a 58-foot termite in a Santa hat, and stumble into a surrealist museum run by animatronic chipmunks—all before lunch? Whether you’re into hedge-sculpted unicorns, Lovecraftian nightmares, or centuries-old penny arcades that still take, yes, actual pennies, Rhode Island serves up weirdness with a wink and a side of clam cakes.
Sleep Next to a Vampire’s Grave
Location: Exeter, RI
Weird Factor: Colonial goth energy, full tilt.
In 1892, the townsfolk of Exeter dug up 19-year-old Mercy Brown’s body, suspected her of being a vampire, burned her heart, and fed the ashes to her brother. Totally normal family intervention, right? Her grave is still in Chestnut Hill Cemetery—and yes, people leave her offerings. (Just don’t camp there. The undead are chill; park rangers are not.)
Visit the Museum of Natural History’s Creepy Curios Cabinet
Location: Roger Williams Park, Providence
Weird Factor: Where dusty science and Victorian creepiness overlap.
Sure, there are meteorites and taxidermy birds, but the real draw is the museum’s cabinet of curiosities: shrunken apple heads, bone fragments, and whisper-worthy oddities displayed like a 19th-century parlor dared you to look. Bonus: the planetarium next door sometimes screens sci-fi films under the stars. You came for fossils, stayed for the mild dread.
Tour the Lovecraftian Underbelly of Providence
Location: All over Providence
Weird Factor: The city is the mythos.
H.P. Lovecraft, horror’s weirdest uncle, lived, breathed, and slowly unraveled in Providence—and you can follow his twitchy footsteps. Visit his grave (people leave tentacle trinkets), stop by his favorite haunts, and take a walking tour where every crooked house looks like it’s whispering secrets from beneath the floorboards.
Marvel at the Big Blue Bug (and Its Seasonal Costumes)
Location: I-95, Providence
Weird Factor: A 58-foot termite wearing a Santa hat.
His name is Nibbles Woodaway, and he is, technically, an ad for a pest control company. But Rhode Islanders treat him like an honorary cryptid. In winter, he gets a Santa beard. In October? A witch hat. One year, he was even dressed as a giant healthcare worker. The point is: he slays, seasonally.
Stumble into Musée Patamécanique
Location: Bristol, RI
Weird Factor: A surreal freak‑show of pataphysical automata.
Open by appointment only, this Bristol museum is equal parts mechanical theater, sensory oddity lab, and art‑labyrinth. Expect singing animatronic chipmunks, olfactory clocks, a holographic ear violin—and a machine that claims to reconstitute digested food. Inspired by pataphysics, it’s a legit creative fever dream.
Step into the Nostalgia of Spring Lake Arcade
Location: Burrillville, RI
Weird Factor: America’s oldest penny arcade—still operating.
Since 1930, this beachside oddity lets you play century-old pinball, skee-ball, strength‑test, and shooting-gallery machines—all for pennies. It’s kitsch, it’s retro, and a surprising time capsule of joy. Opens only in summer.
Roam the Strange Green Animals Topiary Garden
Location: Portsmouth, RI
Weird Factor: Hedge sculptures shaped like animals…and unicorns.
America’s oldest, non‑zoo topiary garden takes sculpted plants seriously. Inanimate flora becomes giraffes, teddy bears, peacocks—and even unicorns. It’s lush, artistic, and subtly uncanny in its precision.
Contemplate the Mysteries of Newport Tower
Location: Touro Park, Newport, RI
Weird Factor: Windmill… or secret portal?
This enigmatic stone tower sparks fringe theories about Vikings and Templar builders. Archaeologists lean toward a 17th‑century windmill, but feel free to don a robe and chant—tour groups tend to scatter.
Discover the Gun Totem Art Sculpture
Location: Providence Federal Plaza, Providence, RI
Weird Factor: Over 1,000 disabled guns fused into a totem.
Artist Boris Bally built a striking 12-foot-high public sculpture of decommissioned firearms embedded in concrete. It’s visually arresting and socially provocative, standing in silent protest as an offbeat landmark.
