“Google Maps Oddities”: 95 Times People Found More Than They Were Looking For On Google Maps

Google Maps launched on February 8, 2005, and since then, it has completely changed the way that people get around. It was created by Australian software engineer Stephen Ma, who aimed to create a better, alternative solution to MapQuest, the current online mapping leader at the time. Thanks to Google Maps, gone were the days of printing out directions and needing a navigator in the passenger seat to tell you where to go.

With a team originally named “Where 2 Technologies,” Ma pitched an early version of his mapping program to Larry Page, one of Google’s co-founders. Google was interested, but only if they turned their desktop software into something that worked in a web browser. They managed to pull it off, and Google hired the Where 2 team in 2004. 

To celebrate two decades of their famous mapping technology, Google posted an article last year featuring 20 features and hacks on Google Maps that many users aren’t aware of. First, they noted that when driving with Google Maps, users can customize their navigation icon. So if you’d like to travel in a virtual pickup truck, SUV, or racecar, go right ahead! You can also choose between eight colors for your vehicle.

The search feature on Google Maps is also much more advanced now than it used to be. Using Gemini, users can search for something such as “fun winter activities” or “interactive date nights” in their area, and Google Maps will immediately come up with suggestions. Even when you don’t know where that is, Google Maps will get you where you want to be. 

Many foodies use Google Maps to decide where to go to eat. And if you want to figure out whether or not a restaurant appeals to you quickly, be sure to check out their “menu highlights.” You’ll be able to see the most popular dishes without having to search through the entire menu.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to understand a neighborhood or area at a glance, use the Lens in Maps feature. It allows users to see an augmented reality through their phone that instantly overlays helpful information about where they currently are.  

When you’re driving with a car full of passengers, you might be wondering if there are any HOV lanes along your route. But have no fear, Google Maps will show you exactly where they are.

Meanwhile, if you’re a passenger in the vehicle who’s bored, you can time travel with Street View. Go check out your old childhood home, your high school, or the university where you studied abroad. You can “walk around” via Street View and allow yourself to become filled with nostalgia.  

Now, there are clearly plenty of strange sights to find on Google Maps. But if you’re curious about some of the creepiest places that you can find on Google Earth, Maptive has compiled a list of them. The first of which is The Boneyard in the state of Arizona. This is the largest storage facility for retired aircraft on the planet, housing approximately 4,000 planes from the US military and other government agencies. From above, this site in the middle of the Arizona desert looks incredibly ominous.     

Another place you can visit via Google Maps that looks particularly fascinating is the Human Lips in Sudan. Obviously, this location is not made from real lips, but rather a natural structure that seems to have formed the shape of lips. With the right shades of sand, rocks, and trees, the image of lips appeared. What’s even more fascinating about this site is that lips have symbolic importance in Sudanese culture. Some tribes even use lip plates and lip tattoos to represent beauty, social status, and protection against misfortune.

Something that you have to get close to see well on Google Maps is the scarecrow village in Nagoro, Japan. This small town is home to over 300 life-sized scarecrows, who were all created by local artist Tsukimi Ayano. Some of the scarecrows were made to resemble former residents, while others look like fictional characters. Visitors can see them acting out daily activities, such as waiting for a bus, fishing by the river, working in their gardens, and more. 

Are you enjoying these peeks into random places all over the globe, pandas? Keep upvoting the photos that you find particularly fascinating, and let us know in the comments below which sites you’d like to visit in person. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another article from Bored Panda featuring oddities from Google Maps, look no further than right here!