12 Bizarre Roadside Statues And Rocks In Connecticut That Will Make You Do A Double Take

This 14-ft. tall polar bear stands on the Tidal Marsh Trail in New Haven. He's made from wood and items reclaimed from the abandoned building behind him. He was created by Connecticut artist M. J. DeAngelo. You can find a map and more information about the Tidal Marsh Trail on Alltrails.

The Frog Bridge is a beloved spot in Willimantic that is just as quirkily charming as it sounds. It was created to memorialize the 1754 "Battle of the Frogs," when Willimantic residents thought that ribbiting frogs were actually warring invaders. Learn more about this amusing bit of history in Connecticut in this article.

The Grave of XYZ is an unidentified grave that's featured in a Connecticut urban legend. The Deep River Savings Bank was robbed in 1899 by four unidentified men. One was shot and killed by a night watchman. According to legend, he was not identified and no one claimed his body. Supposedly, for years after the robbery, a strange woman in black came and visited the grave, leaving flowers in memory of XYZ, whoever he was. In actuality, the robber was identified shortly after the shooting and there was no woman in black. However, the urban legend lives on and even today, many tourists come to visit the XYZ grave in the cemetery.

In 1659, 59 British judges sentenced King Charles I to death. His beheading resulted in the dissolution of the British monarchy. A year later, Charles I's son came into power and decided to take vengeance on the judges who ruled against his father. He sentenced all of the judges to death. Three of the men fled England and headed to Connecticut to try to escape the sentence. A group of Puritans hid them in the woods of New Haven and supported them by sneaking them food. The judges hid in a small cave and lived there until later fleeing to Massachusetts, where they lived out their lives in peace. Find out more about this interesting story from Connecticut history here.

This is a neat little park that is a great attraction for dinosaur lovers of all ages. Three different kinds of dinosaur footprints are preserved in the rocks here. It's amazing to walk here and imagine prehistoric creatures roaming the area!

The Chapel of Our Lady of the Assumption is a beautiful little retreat on tiny Enders Island. It's a great spot to visit for some peace and quiet. Oddly enough, it's also home to the severed arm of a 13th-century English priest. At the time of St. Edmund's death, it was common for "relics" to travel to different churches throughout the world. "First class relics" were pieces of canonized saint's bodies, most often small pieces of bones, but in some cases, entire limbs, such as Edmund's arm. Find out more about visiting the home of this unusual artifact at the St. Edmund's Retreat website.

Hartford Hospital may seem like your typical city hospital, but it's home to an adorable statue just outside of the main entrance. The statue depicts a dog named Rover who waited faithfully outside of the home for his sick owner to be discharged. According to one version of the story, Rover's owner passed away in the hospital and Rover, too, stayed there until he died. We prefer the happier version of this Connecticut tale, where Rover's owner was released and brought the dog home to live out their days together!

Korzcak Ziolkowski publicly sculpted this magnificent piece of art back in 1941. The subject is Noah Webster, the father of the American dictionary. Vandals have repeatedly broken off several of his fingers, which have been reattached by the city.

Did you know there's a statue in front of the Connecticut River of the first turkey to be pardoned by a President? The lucky tom was named Jack and was pardoned by President Lincoln in 1863. He was intended to be part of the family's Christmas dinner, but Lincoln's young son Tad begged for his father to spare him.

Sybil Ludington's name is not as well-known as other Revolutionary War heroes. The 16-year-old girl was the daughter of a colonial colonel. She made an overnight ride to notify colonial militias that Danbury had been burned by British soldiers. Her ride was not as famous as Paul Revere's, but nevertheless, she is memorialized in a statue in front of the Danbury Library.

Hidden away in Norwich's Sachem Park is a small monument recognizing the grave of Miantonimo, a Narragansett chief who was executed in what is now the park. Miantonimo was killed there in 1643 and the monument was erected way back in 1841.