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Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler’s Guide to Eccentric Destinations
New England is truly a Cabinet of Curiosities, and this indispensable guide directs you to its most bizarre, off the wall, and unsettling exhibits. Some evoke hilarity, some horror. Discover singing sand, glowing tombstones, ghostly squirrels, and a musical instrument said to cause madness. Marvel at the most mysterious manuscript in the world. Visit a miniature replica of the Holy Land or climb carved stone steps leading . . . nowhere. Curious New England points the way to all the tantalizing treats and terrifying treasures that remain tucked away in overlooked museums, private collections, and forgotten recesses of this very special region. *A cursed statue in Maine *Ageless American Megaliths *A window embedded in Vermont earth *Titus’s Arch on a New Hampshire hilltop *Artwork made from insect parts With precise directions, hours, and contact information, these fascinating pages reveal each mystery, miracle, and marvel, from world-class weirdness, to minor curiosities, to entertaining distractions. There'll be no more boring Sunday drives when you can visit a spider farm, explore the laboratory of “mad” scientist Wilhelm Reich, view the Hobo Hotel, and observe houses made from paper, wooden crates, mounds of earth―even covered bridges. And New England’s wonders never cease: discover evidence of manned flight a century before the Wright Brothers; visible phantoms manifesting from marble columns; and automobiles emerging from tarmac like dinosaurs from pits of tar. This one-of-a-kind collection spotlights all six New England states, illuminating everything that’s wicked, weird, and wonderful in every hidden corner of a region that rivals Old England in mysteries, miracles, and marvels.
- GenresTravelHistoryNonfiction
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 26, 2026
5 Armchair Travel Stars
Final Rating & Review were calcified under the northern waters of Lake Champlain, in the oldest exposed fossilized coral reef in the world - the 1000 acre Chazian Reef - dating back about 480million years! (A highly recommended respite on your odyssey through Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler’s Guide to Eccentric Destinations ). Have figuratively chipped away enough to release Rating & Review from its petrified prison 🌅🐚⛏️🤿.
The two remarkable and world-rambling writers/co-authors have highlighted 352 eccentric destinations throughout the six New England States, maybe not comprehensive, but certainly impressive!
Some of these unconventional destinations I have had the pleasure of living near, such as
Rt-5 through Holyoke Massachusetts. Pull over and look down, now marvel at the 190milllion year old dinosaur footprints! A total of 134 fossilized prints! These seemingly social beasts appear to have commuted along the banks of the Connecticut River, from and to where remains a mystery. The suspects: Eubrontes giganteus, Anchisauripus sillimani, and Grallator cuneatus.
A computer generated image of the Eubrontes species (Photo: Parihar, 2021)
Other destinations I hope to head to before my hitch to this earth is unloosed, such as those in Providence, RI:
No Lovecraft lover's Curious New England tour would be complete without a
tip 'o the hat to the Father of Weird Fiction/Cosmic Horror/Cthulhu Mythos. Our triptych in Providence, RI includes a poke through his papers at the John Hay Library, hoofing past the the several houses his family occupied at various times (maybe hasten past the hospital where he died), & a stop at Swan Point Cemetery-his final resting place.
H. P. Lovecraft's grave in Swan Point Cemetery - a popular destination for fans of The Father of Weird Fiction
and, while we're in Rhode Island, there's
Foster, RI: You need not travel to Transylvania to see a vampire's tomb; Foster, RI features the tomb of New England's most celebrated vampire! 19yo Mercy Brown died in January of 1892, the family's 3rd death in rapid succession. Townsfolk suspected a vampire in their their midst so dug up their fallen relatives. Two were skeletons but Mercy was in good shape. A hasty graveside autopsy revealed fresh blood in her veins &heart!
The crypt where Mercy's corpse lay through the early months of 1892. (March 7, 2010.)
There are destinations that that are a little offputing, that may be wise to bypass, such as Gungywamp, the 24 acres of Bronze Age ruins that have impossibly survived within a few miles of a six lane hwy in Connecticut! Though the name may sound Indian, it's actually ancient Gaelic, meaning "Church of the People." EMF readings at Gungywamp show "wild activity" and visitors are often aflicted with spontaneous weeping, sudden nose bleeds or bleeding gums. ☣️⛔⚠️🩸😬
In an era of political correctness and cancel culture, the authors repeatedly discovered that many museum administrators are imposing a form of "censorship" upon themselves which has banished to the back room anything considered unduly "curious." The Vermont Historical Society Museum in Montpelier has a vintage electric chair, banned from display. The Higgins Armory in Worcester Massachusetts removed its chastity belt from display after one patron complained! I did have the privilege of viewing this article of antiquity during a middle-school field trip, long before the petty protestation was registered.
Medieval Chastity Belt - No longer on view at Higgins Armory
Worst of all, some museums have discarded "curiosities" deemed no longer of value, and in doing so have destroyed forever any chance of seeing them.
Whether you live in New England, are planning a trip to New England, or are an armchair traveller like me, this book may enliven the environs in which you live, hearten an upcoming trip, or ignite your imaginary journey !
Highly recommend 💛🧚♀️🙋🏼👍
Final Rating & Review were calcified under the northern waters of Lake Champlain, in the oldest exposed fossilized coral reef in the world - the 1000 acre Chazian Reef - dating back about 480million years! (A highly recommended respite on your odyssey through Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler’s Guide to Eccentric Destinations ). Have figuratively chipped away enough to release Rating & Review from its petrified prison 🌅🐚⛏️🤿.
The two remarkable and world-rambling writers/co-authors have highlighted 352 eccentric destinations throughout the six New England States, maybe not comprehensive, but certainly impressive!
Some of these unconventional destinations I have had the pleasure of living near, such as
Rt-5 through Holyoke Massachusetts. Pull over and look down, now marvel at the 190milllion year old dinosaur footprints! A total of 134 fossilized prints! These seemingly social beasts appear to have commuted along the banks of the Connecticut River, from and to where remains a mystery. The suspects: Eubrontes giganteus, Anchisauripus sillimani, and Grallator cuneatus.
A computer generated image of the Eubrontes species (Photo: Parihar, 2021)
Other destinations I hope to head to before my hitch to this earth is unloosed, such as those in Providence, RI:
No Lovecraft lover's Curious New England tour would be complete without a
tip 'o the hat to the Father of Weird Fiction/Cosmic Horror/Cthulhu Mythos. Our triptych in Providence, RI includes a poke through his papers at the John Hay Library, hoofing past the the several houses his family occupied at various times (maybe hasten past the hospital where he died), & a stop at Swan Point Cemetery-his final resting place.
H. P. Lovecraft's grave in Swan Point Cemetery - a popular destination for fans of The Father of Weird Fiction
and, while we're in Rhode Island, there's
Foster, RI: You need not travel to Transylvania to see a vampire's tomb; Foster, RI features the tomb of New England's most celebrated vampire! 19yo Mercy Brown died in January of 1892, the family's 3rd death in rapid succession. Townsfolk suspected a vampire in their their midst so dug up their fallen relatives. Two were skeletons but Mercy was in good shape. A hasty graveside autopsy revealed fresh blood in her veins &heart!
The crypt where Mercy's corpse lay through the early months of 1892. (March 7, 2010.)
There are destinations that that are a little offputing, that may be wise to bypass, such as Gungywamp, the 24 acres of Bronze Age ruins that have impossibly survived within a few miles of a six lane hwy in Connecticut! Though the name may sound Indian, it's actually ancient Gaelic, meaning "Church of the People." EMF readings at Gungywamp show "wild activity" and visitors are often aflicted with spontaneous weeping, sudden nose bleeds or bleeding gums. ☣️⛔⚠️🩸😬
In an era of political correctness and cancel culture, the authors repeatedly discovered that many museum administrators are imposing a form of "censorship" upon themselves which has banished to the back room anything considered unduly "curious." The Vermont Historical Society Museum in Montpelier has a vintage electric chair, banned from display. The Higgins Armory in Worcester Massachusetts removed its chastity belt from display after one patron complained! I did have the privilege of viewing this article of antiquity during a middle-school field trip, long before the petty protestation was registered.
Medieval Chastity Belt - No longer on view at Higgins Armory
Worst of all, some museums have discarded "curiosities" deemed no longer of value, and in doing so have destroyed forever any chance of seeing them.
Whether you live in New England, are planning a trip to New England, or are an armchair traveller like me, this book may enliven the environs in which you live, hearten an upcoming trip, or ignite your imaginary journey !
Highly recommend 💛🧚♀️🙋🏼👍
May 23, 2021
So many shitty movies being made when there is Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations GOLD just sitting out there.
October 21, 2007
My husband and I use this as our travel guide, and head off to different sites in it for day trips when we have the opportunity. We've been to a haunted bridge, an amusement park where they turn off gravity, an abandoned weapons manufacturing plant built by a man who wanted to deal with Saddam Hussein (and was later assassinated), a footprint imbedded in stone, and several others. The history and puzzles presented in the book make every trip an excursion.
February 15, 2012
A very informative travel guide to some of the odder places in New England. There are several entries that I would have liked to have seen photographs included, yet this does not detract from the pleasure of reading this book.
Want to Read
October 23, 2007i heart new england. a lot.
February 17, 2015
Makes me want to travel!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews