Volvo Island in Ottawa, Illinois

A goofy attempt to generate business for a repair shop turned into one of Ottawa's favorite tourist attractions. In 2012, the owner of a local Ottawa, Illinois, repair shop towed a 2001 Volvo S80 onto a peninsula and then used an excavator to create a small, one-car island. He intended to run a contest asking people to guess how the Volvo got there.

The contest never materialized, as there was some concern that people might try to cross the 40-foot-deep lake for a better look. Today, it is a favorite tourist spot for those visiting the Ottawa region. The immediate area now boasts several more curiously placed vehicles, among them Volkswagen Beetles suspended from trees.

The scene has been fenced off with barbed wire to keep any wayward individuals from getting too close, but those who want to take pictures can pull up at the gate or along the side of the road. Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

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