5 Unusual Attractions Around The World

Most tourist attractions are popular for obvious reasons. They are defined by superlatives — the biggest, oldest, most beautiful — or they benefit from heavy promotion by a city or country's tourism stakeholders. And then there are those attractions that have gained fame for less obvious reasons.

Some of these offbeat places are so odd or unusual that you can't help but want to see them. Social media has certainly helped their causes, but Facebook and Instagram aren't the only influencers. The popularity of many strange and unexpected attractions predates the rise of YouTube and Facebook when promotion consisted of word of mouth, physical guidebooks and perhaps the occasional feature in a magazine or newspaper.

* Nicolas Cages tomb

Star of both acclaimed films and box-office flops, Nicolas Cage is known for his eccentric behavior away from the screen. One of the more noticeable examples of his quirks is his tomb in New Orleans. Back in 2010, the year that he turned 50, Cage purchased two plots in the famed St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans. He used the space to build a white, 9-foot-tall pyramid. Cage fans might recognize the Latin phrase on the front of the structure: "Omnia Ab Uno" ("Everything from One"). The words were featured in his action movie, "National Treasure."

* Fremont Troll

The Troll Under the Bridge, more popularly known as the Fremont Troll, is an intimidating-looking sculpture in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, under the Aurora Bridge. There have been numerous "troll sightings" under the bridge since the 1930s, when the span opened, and the artists who sculpted the monster in 1990 chose the subject after local residents overwhelmingly voted for it.

* Bude Tunnel

The Bude Tunnel is in its namesake town in Cornwall, England. This acrylic glass tunnel is next to Bude's Sainsbury's supermarket. The 70-meter (229-foot) passage is transparent, so people can see the town as they walk along the street while protected from the elements. Its purpose is to keep customers dry as they walk between the supermarket entrance and its parking lot, so you would not expect it to be the main attraction in this pretty Cornish seaside destination.

* Haserot Angel

Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery is an historic site that has the tombs of some of America's most famous industrial-age figures as well as the grave of U.S. President James Garfield. One of the most-well-known figures here, however, is the Haserot Angel. It is a statue that marks the burial place of food industry mogul Francis Haserot. The dramatic, life-size bronze figure, created by artist Herman Matzen in 1923, is officially titled the Angel of Death Victorious. The angel is seated, and its hands rest on an extinguished torch.

* Seattles Gum Wall

The Gum Wall is in Post Alley, a lane under Seattle's Pike Place Market. The tradition of sticking gum on the wall here started in the 1990s when patrons of a local theater stuck their gum on the wall while waiting to get inside. At first, theater workers scrapped off the gum, but they gave up after people persisted with the practice. Eventually, the colorful additions stretched up and down the alley. Pike Place Market officials even started calling the strange decorations a tourist attraction, and Washington's governor, Jay Inslee, once said the spot was one of his "favorite things about Seattle."

* Island of the Dolls

Isla de las Munecas, the Island of the Dolls, seems like it should be in a hidden, remote location. It is actually in the Mexico City metro area, not far from the famous Estadio Azteca soccer stadium. This unusual, undeniably-spooky place is defined by hundreds of dolls. The dolls (many of which have been disfigured by weathering) hang from the trees around the island, which is within a labyrinthine network of canals in the Xochimilco district. The property, now run by the family of the original owner, is a major tourist attraction for people who cruise the canals.