This Quirky Road Trip Will Show You Europe’s Famous Landmarks Without Leaving The U.S.

Feel like exploring Europe but don’t want to spring for a set of international plane tickets? This oddball road trip is just the thing.

Hop in your car and set off to check out these replica European monuments that are actually scattered all across America. All you need is some gas and a reliable car – no passport required. The trip involves over 40 hours of driving time alone, so set aside a couple of days so you can stop for the night along the way.

Google Maps

Here's a link to the road map with driving directions.

Wikimedia Commons/Miroslaw Mucha

We're starting this journey in Niles, Illinois, located just over 30 minutes north of Chicago. This town, which has a population of around 29,600, is home to a replica of Italy's famously tilted Tower of Pisa. The American version of the leaning 12th-century bell tower is half the size of the original. (Address: 6300 W Touhy Ave., Niles, IL)

Wikimedia Commons/Mayur Phadtare

You don’t need to travel to Greece to be filled with wonder at the achievements of the ancients – there’s actually a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee. It was built in 1897 by a Confederate veteran. Though this temple is roughly the same size as the real thing, it offers an intact roof and doesn’t require a trek in the scorching heat of Greece. (Address: 2500 West End Ave., Nashville, TN)

Wikimedia Commons/AJ Camerio

The Temple of Hera is a famed Greek ruin where the Olympic flame burns. Though the original temple is located in Olympia, Greece, this full-scale replica is tucked away in Wetumpka, Alabama. You can also check out nearly 40 other duplicated Greek works of art on the temple grounds, such as "Winged Victory." The temple is located in Jasmine Hill Gardens, a green space established in the early 1930s. (Address: 3001 Jasmine Hill Rd., Wetumpka, AL)

TripAdvisor/ mr hoegee

You don’t have to travel to the City of Light to see the Eiffel Tower. Simply head to (where else) Paris, Texas. Though the Texan version of the famous architectural marvel is about 900 feet shorter than the original, it does sport a charming red cowboy hat. (Address: 2025 S. Collegiate Dr., Paris, TX)

Wikimedia Commons/Billy Hathorn

Stonehenge is a prehistoric ring of standing stones located in Wiltshire, England. Though no one knows exactly who built the original monument or why the stones are arranged as they are, the residents of Odessa, Texas are lucky enough to have a nearly full-scale replica of the famous ruin right on the campus of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Though the replica is about 14 percent smaller than the original, it still draws visitors off of Interstate 20. (Address: Preston Smith Rd., Odessa, TX)

Wikimedia Commons/Ken Lund

"London Bridge is falling down" isn’t just a nursery rhyme. The real London Bridges dates back to the time of the Roman Empire and has been rebuilt numerous times. After one 131-year-old iteration of the bridge began to sink into the River Thames in 1962, a wealthy and eccentric Missouri businessman named Robert McCulloch had the bridge shipped in pieces to Arizona. Here, it was reconstructed in Lake Havasu City. This isn't actually a replica - these very stones actually did once span the Thames in London! (Address: 1340 McCulloch Blvd., Lake Havasu City, AZ)

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