“Mystery Spot”...”Mystery Hill”...we've all seen these little roadside tourist traps at least once in our lives. It seems that years ago, there were many more in Michigan, but there are only two legitimate, “official” sites.

First of all, what are these darn things? When did these gravity-defying locations start becoming roadside tourist attractions?

For one thing, these “gravitational anomalies” have probably been around thousands, maybe millions of years. As far as we can tell, the first time one of these locations was used as a tourist stop was in 1940. George Prather came across it in Santa Cruz, California in 1939 and saw it as a way to make some money. Called a 'tilt-box' or 'gravity house', George unleashed his mysterious attraction to an unsuspecting public...and it went over BIG.

Men, women, and kids were fascinated at water running uphill, people leaning at a 90-degree angle and not falling, and other aspects of this newfangled curiosity.

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During the 1940s and 1950s, it really took off across the country and soon some locations popped up in Michigan. I seem to recall many others, but nowadays Michigan seems to have only two: “Mystery Spot” in St. Ignace and “Mystery Hill” in the Irish Hills, although that one is closed.

For the location in St. Ignace, surveyors discovered this ‘phenomenon’ in the 1950s when their equipment seemed to be on the fritz, doing weird things and making the workmen feel dizzy. When they realized what was going on, the wheels were in motion to turn the area into a tourist 'spot' and make a few bucks.

But don't despair if you can't make it to St. Ignace...there are other, unofficial locations in Michigan that seem to defy gravity.

There's a road where your car rolls uphill, located at a lost ghost town called Putney Corners. Called 'Gravity Road' or 'Gravity Hill', it's southwest of Traverse City. Find out more HERE.

Then there's another one on Reasner Road east of Higgins Lake near Rose City. This one has been experienced by many curiosity-seekers. Read more HERE.

And finally, what would gravity-defying be if there wasn't a graveyard involved somewhere? Well, there is in Farmington, at the Oakwood Cemetery. The cemetery hours are 9a-6p, and your vehicles start rolling uphill when you reach a weird-looking tree. See what I mean HERE.

Explanations have gone from scientific to absurd. Mystery Spot's website says some of them include:
Alien Spacecraft Guidance Systems buried underground
Carbon dioxide rising out of the earth
Magma vortex
Ozone layer hole
UFO buried underground ...and others.

I happen to believe it's just the way the trees & foliage have grown around a hilly piece of earth (and a shack that's built crooked on purpose) that makes people appear to defy gravity. I'm no expert...just a guess. But don't try to explain it...just have fun.

So the title of this article says 'five' spots, but unless Mystery Hill in the Irish Hills re-opens, for now there are four locations for you to check out during a Michigan roadtrip!

Five Michigan Locations Where You Can Defy Gravity

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