These 7 Strange Buildings in New Jersey Are Unlike Anything Else Around

New Jersey is a fascinating place, and there are some truly unique buildings located across the Garden State. Sure, much of the state has been built up in recent years, so you'll find plenty of sleek, modern architecture located in the hubs of our biggest cities and in fast-growing suburbs, but that makes the unique old-school charm all the more important. As you explore some of the strangest buildings in New Jersey, you'll find wonders such as art deco structures that have stood the test of time for over a century, churches that look like they belong in Europe, and local curiosities born of one person's imagination. You'll even find a modern building that takes "big and bold" to a new level. It's not just weird architecture in New Jersey that makes these spots stand out—it's what each of them means to our one-of-a-kind state.

1. Lucy the Elephant - Margate City

It's impossible to miss Lucy the Elephant, the most famous landmark in the Atlantic City area. This towering, six-story elephant statue was created as a real estate and tourism promotion in 1882, making it the oldest surviving roadside attraction in the USA. To many people, it's just seen as a statue—but in reality, it's actually a building that once contained restaurants, offices, and even living spaces. Today, it's a thriving tourist site and even occasionally listed as an Airbnb.

2. Asbury Park Convention Hall - Asbury Park

Another historic building down the shore, the Asbury Park Convention Hall first opened in 1930 and is still the heart of the thriving shore town's tourist district. Designed by the famous architect duo of Warren and Wetmore, who had also designed New York's Grand Central Terminal, it boasts an Italian-French-influenced style and is currently used to host special events as well as regular roller derby games. Nearby, you'll also find the former Asbury Park Carousel, which is currently used as an art space.

3. Hoboken Terminal - Hoboken

New York is a commuter space, and countless people pass through train and bus terminals every day to head to New York. Few of those terminals look like Hoboken Terminal, though. This building, which hosts train lines, buses, and even a water taxi, was constructed in 1907 and is best known for its iconic clock tower outside. Designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Kenneth M. Murchison, it's well-known for its heavy use of wrought iron, a rarity in modern train stations. While the station has recently undergone heavy renovations, its historic character was lovingly preserved.

4. Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart - Newark

There are few things more magnificent than a traditional church, and New Jersey's Catholics don't have to travel across the river to find one that equals the beauty of Europe's cathedrals. Newark's Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, located only minutes from Branch Brook Park, is the fifth-largest church of its kind in the United States and was built painstakingly over fifty-five years, starting in 1899. Its French Gothic style has made it a top tourist destination, and its stained glass is often considered some of the best in the world.

5. Emlen Physick House - Cape May

New Jersey has some incredible Victorian architecture, but few more unique than the Emlen Physick House. Designed by architect Frank Furness for the Physick family, it's a rare building built in the Stick Style of architecture, which uses strange oversized features like massive chimneys. That gives the house an eccentric, off-kilter style that makes it feel like something out of a fantasy. It was eventually purchased by the Cape May branch of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities, and was restored and opened as a historic site offering guided tours.

6. Luna Parc - Sandyston

Most of these unique and strange buildings are historic sites. That's not the case for Luna Parc, which is the modern creation of one man, multimedia artist Ricky Boscarino. This is his private home, which he's turned into a technicolor wonderland surrounded by outdoor art pieces using everyday objects like bowling balls and license plates. Most of the year, it's simply a bizarre and beautiful roadside site, but Boscarino opens his house to tours for three days each year, where visitors can also get a look at the offbeat collections of artwork inside.

7. American Dream - East Rutherford

New Jersey has often been called the king of the malls, and they don't come any bigger than American Dream. The project formerly known as Xanadu (known for its bizarre multi-colored facade) has now been given a complete makeover into a sleek mega-mall with a giant Ferris wheel and an indoor ski slope attached. Inside, it's a massive maze-like three-story building with restaurants and attractions around every corner. The structure is so big that it can be seen from miles away, with its massive Ferris wheel beckoning people to the most over-the-top tourist attraction in the Garden State.

Have you explored any of the strangest buildings in New Jersey? If not, tell a friend about this article and put together your own tour! Many of these spots are located within a reasonable distance of some of our picks for the best Airbnbs in New Jersey for the 2026 World Cup, so you can combine them with your big sports getaway. And if you need some more ideas for where to find weird architecture in New Jersey or other quirky spots, make sure to pay a visit to Only in Your State's AI-powered travel planner. It couldn't be simpler to use - you just answer a few simple questions and let the planner create a customized travel itinerary for you!