All across the province, along major highways and small country lanes, stand a large number of roadside monuments that remind us that Quebec is an amazingly weird place. There’s a giant statue of a man with moose antlers, there’s a lookout in the shape of a cow, there are big trucks, whales, puffins, dinosaurs, and a lot of roadside shrines. They can be visited on a leisurely summer road trip when a detour to take a selfie with a tyrannosaurus rex is the order of the day.
Some are meant to be advertisements for local businesses, others are there for religious or historical reasons but whatever they’re there for, they’ve become monuments to individuality, free expression, and weirdness.
So, pack up and get going because there’s no better place to let the sun shine on your soul than the open road.
Cow Lookout
Price: Free
Address: St-Georges-de-Windsor, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: The residents of St-Georges-de-Windsor take pride in their cheese and they’re not afraid to show it, so they constructed a lovely cow-shaped lookout that will give you all the views.
The Dinosaurs Of The Madrid 2.0 Rest Stop
Price: Free
Address: Saint-Léonard-d'Aston, Quebec (Highway 20, Exit 202, Rang du Moulin-Rouge)
Why You Need To Go: Do you think anything can tricera-top these dinosaur statues in the lovely town of Saint-Léonard-d'Aston? I dino think so.
Giant Puffins
Price: Free
Address: Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: This achingly-beautiful community in the Côte-Nord region of the province is known for its marine life. So it should come as no surprise that someone decided to erect these puffin statues as a tribute to seabirds that live in colonies around the town's shores.
Caterpillar 789 Dump Truck
Price: Free
Address: Fermont, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: The small mining community of Fermont is a really cool place with a very male-energy-centric looking coat of arms. It's definitely off the beaten path but if you make it up there, make sure to check out this great big dump truck. It also has a massive housing structure known as le Mur Écran, built to protect the town from frigid Arctic winds.
Cantine Ben La Bedaine
Price: Free
Address: 599, rue Principale, Granby, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: It all started in 1950 when Bernard "Ben" Dubé opened his own restaurant, at the tender age of 19. Things went so well they eventually built this huge statue of a man proclaiming his desire to fill your belly.
Je Suis La Nature
Price: Free
Address: Gaspé, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: This sculpture of a man-moose by artist Jean-Robert Drouillard near Gaspé is sure to give you pause.
The Painted Fire Hydrants Of New Carlisle
Price: Free
Address: New Carlisle, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: Decorating their fire hydrants to look like cartoon characters is something they excel at in the beautiful little town of New Carlisle.
Manche d'Epée (Sword Handle)
Price: Free
Address: Manche d'Epee, Quebec
Why You Need To Go: I challenge you to try and pull the sword from the stone of this roadside attraction — but not really because that might be illegal.
Ben Lalen Boutique
Price: Free
Address: Sainte-Eulalie
Why You Need To Go: Most Quebec road trips will mean passing by a roadside shrine or two but this store in Sainte-Eulalie has taken it to a whole different level by mixing in statues of farm animals, cartoon characters, and other fun stuff.
We strongly advise that before you go swimming or visit any location, you check the most recent updates on potential hazards, security, water quality, and closures. If you do plan to visit a location, respect the environment and obey any local laws.
