The 7 Oddest Places You Can Possibly Go In New York

For New Yorkers and other people around the country, Lily Dale is a place that you've either heard so much about or have let fall completely under your radar. A gated community unlike any other that you'll find in our state, Lily Dale is a town where you'll find only Mediums living. That's right! Not just anyone gets to enjoy the luxury of living in Lily Dale - you actually have to pass a series of interviews and tests to call this place home. The town has everything from a magical tree stump and pet cemetery to little shops you can check out and exciting events, a place that's so charming it's easy to forget how out-of-the-ordinary Lily Dale really is.

If you ever find yourself in the town of North Salem in Westchester County and you happen to notice something unusual on the side of Titicus Road, then don't worry - your eyes aren't playing tricks on you! That's just New York's famous balanced rock. Many stories of how this came to be swirl around the Empire State, but what you see before you is a considerably sized boulder that's perched on top of a handful of smaller rocks. The informational sign that you'll find right before the balanced rock states that it's 60-tons, made of granite, and a type of rock that's not generally found in this area. How strange!

No, this isn't a dollhouse stranded out on the waters in the town of Oneida - that's the world's smallest church. Cross Island Chapel can fit a maximum of 3 people, all of which will have to make their way to the world's smallest church by rowboat. Under 30-square-feet, this is one little quirky sight to be seen.

New York's no stranger to odd attractions, but who would've ever thought that there would be an entire museum dedicated to just Jell-O. Located out in Genesee County in the town of Le Roy, the Jell-O Museum is owned and operated by the local historical society and is quite a delightful place to visit. From wall to wall you'll see bright colors and vintage Jell-O boxes that you've never even seen before, creating a fun way to explore the history of this jiggly dessert.

Another town that's made quite the name for itself here in New York, Pine Bush has become known as the UFO Capital of the East Coast. A small town that has only about 2,000 residents, since as far back as the 1960s the people living here have claimed to see UFOs on a frequent basis. Over the years the town has come to embrace its odd activity and even throws an annual UFO Fair and has a Cup and Saucer Diner in town that's UFO-themed. Only in New York!

Again, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you and this isn't photoshop. That's The Big Duck of Flanders, New York! Built back in 1931 and even making its way onto the National Register of Historic Sites, whoever would've thought that a literal large duck would become a historic place in our state? During the holidays, you'll find The Big Duck decorated in Christmas lights and all dolled up - making it a real sight to be seen. Standing at 20-feet tall, we can guarantee this is the biggest, most unusual duck that you'll ever find in New York.

We all know that areas like Syracuse are home to lots of us New Yorkers who are full of Irish blood and pride, but if you make your way out to the neighborhood of Tipperary Hill you'll see a unique form of evidence that showcases our pride in our heritage. A sight that might take you a minute to figure out, the traffic light in the heart of Tipperary Hill at the intersection of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue is actually upside down! The story goes that during the 1920s, the Irish folks in the neighborhood continued to break the traffic light because they refused to allow the British Red to hang over our Irish Green. To this very day, the odd and confusing traffic light stays the way that it's been for nearly 100-years in Tipperary Hill.