Google Street View/Google
If you’ve ever spent time aimlessly scrolling Google Maps, then you know that there are some strange things to be found on Google Street View. People love pranking the Google cameras with wacky hijinks, costumes, and more.
Assuming they are pranking, of course—it’s a big world out there, so who knows? Read through this list to find the strangest, eeriest, prettiest photos that Google Street View has captured over the past two decades.
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Year: Unconfirmed
More than likely, some guy realized that the Google Street View cameras were out, and he decided to set up this elaborate prank as a result. As you can see here, this human-horse hybrid is sitting at a table, eating a banana.
Taken in Victoria, British Columbia, this Google Street View image is yet another example of how peoples’ creativity comes out when they know the cameras are around. Or, conversely, this man just has a hobby of pretending to be a horse on the side of the road. Who knows?
Location: Cottesloe, Western Australia
Year: 2009
Nothing to see here, just a man taking his stuffed penguin out for a very bizarre looking bike ride. The bike looks like something out of the 1900s, and the penguin looks like it was bought at a dollar store.
That’s not to diminish him, of course. Our bicyclist loves his little buddy, and, though certainly weird, this photo is pretty adorable. For those wondering, it was snapped by Google in Cottesloe, Western Australia in December of 2009.
Location: St. Augustine, Florida
Year: Unconfirmed
Taken in sunny Florida, this photo pictures a prank in progress. You have to wonder what provoked this prank. Perhaps the business owner of Salon Gallery was sick and tired of this person parking there, or maybe some rowdy teenagers were pranking people the night before.
The result? A Chevy (at least, we think it’s a Chevy, it’s hard to tell because of the prank) wrapped in plastic wrap. Cruel or not, that’s certainly one way to send a message about a bad parking job.
Location: Harcourt, Ontario, Canada
Year: 2009
Taken in Harcourt, Ontario, Canada, this art installation is not exactly something you’d expect to find outside a farm. Here we see a group of mannequins having a late summer pool party, complete with sunbathing, pool noodles and a blow-up jacuzzi.
Clearly, the artist behind this display had a lot of time to go on Amazon and buy all of this stuff. We can’t tell if this stunt was set up for the Google cameras, or if the person who made this just really likes making displays with mannequins.
Location: England
Year: 2008
Clearly, this is someone’s over-the-top wedding parade. That’s our guess. Or, perhaps, this really is Cinderella on her way to the ball, horses and carriage carrying her along England’s Uxbridge Road.
This Disney recreation might be adorable, but it also appears to be holding up traffic. While the speed limit on Uxbridge is twenty or thirty miles per hour, we see a long line of cars forming, no doubt full of infuriated drivers who aren’t feeling too keen on the Cinderella story.
Location: Scotland
Year: 2008
Scotland is a beautiful country, but it’s not always easy, especially if you’re unfamiliar (or impaired), to drive in. Full of twisting, winding roads that pass quaint villages and rocky cliffs, you’ll want to have your wits about you when driving in Scotland.
Otherwise, your Volkswagen, Ford, or Toyota might do what this car did. This crash was captured by Google’s cameras in 2008 (talk about bad timing), and it showcases a car that did not manage this stony, winding turn well.
Location: Finland
Year: 2021
In 2017, a Reddit user scrolling through Google Maps found this scary image, which depicts 1,000 scarecrows standing in a field in Finland. The eerie picture looks like something straight out of a horror movie.
Rather than look like regular, less-terrifying straw figures, these scarecrows all look like they’ve been shopping at Kohls. They are wearing clothes that make them look strangely humanoid, and we wouldn’t want to be stuck in this valley at night, that’s for sure.
Location: Oscarsborg, Norway
Year: 2010
Located in coastal Norway, Oscarsborg is a small, quaint town that has quite a few characters as its residents. Google Street View caught this image, which looks as though it is a deleted scene from the hit horror-thriller series Squid Game.
The “actors” are ready to do battle, just as the contestants in the Netflix series were. Both of these orange-jumpsuit-wearing men are ready to fight, though it’s safe to assume that this, hopefully, is just a stunt for the Street View cameras.
Location: Mission Beach, San Diego
Year: Unconfirmed
Those who have visited San Diego (or live there) probably know about Mission Beach, a laid-back neighborhood that surfers, volleyball players, and sunbathers love. Mission Bay, Belmont Park, SeaWorld, and more are all popular tourist attractions.
…as is this guy, probably. Here, we see a Seaweed Monster roaming the beach. Covered in seaweed, he’s approaching the cameras with his arms outstretched, as though he’s about to send the Google Street View cams to a watery grave if they don’t get off his turf.
Location: Mesquite Road, U.S.
Year: Unconfirmed
What could possibly be the context here? Apparently, there is a mummy living in the quiet suburbs of Mesquite Road, and this mummy is being chased out by the locals, who keep pouring water on his head.
Why are they both on ladders? Why is this so dangerous? Imagine heading to the hospital after a fall from the ladder and having to explain why you were there and how you got hurt. Google Street View pranksters strike again.
Location: Portland, Oregon
Year: 2011
Oh, to be this guy, calmly enjoying the day while carrying his pet bird around. It’s just another normal day in Portland, Oregon. Taken in 2011, this photo is remarkably peaceful, if a little strange.
We’ve heard of taking dogs for a walk, but birds? Not so much. Our feathered friends do make pretty good pets, and this birdie seems to love his owner, as he’s sticking by him and not trying, at least as far as we can see, to escape.
Location: Wallingford, Connecticut
Year: 2010s
Wallingford is a beautiful New England town, located in New Haven County. The town was established way back in 1670, and it is about as quaint as you can get. Apparently, locals have an appreciation for history there, too.
A Google Street photo snapped in this Connecticut town saw a man and his son recreating the famous moment between William Tell and his son. The man was pointing an arrow at his son, attempting to shoot an apple off his head in recreation of the famous moment.
Location: Unconfirmed
Year: 2016
Taken in 2016, this alarming photo features a man in front of a log cabin. He’s dressed in a bear costume. Though the costume is no doubt supposed to be funny and cute, we can’t help but find it somewhat terrifying.
This snap looks like it came out of an avant-garde horror movie. In this imaginary film, the bear would be the villain, stalking random hikers and hunters through the forest with his onesie in tow.
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Year: 2013
Beware the pigeon people. This alarming photo was taken in Tokyo, Japan in 2013. No doubt the result of a prank on Google (or a strange, pigeon-worshiping cult, who knows?), this picture went viral on social media when it was discovered.
It was posted on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and all of the other usual sites as people tried to figure out not only who these pigeon people were, but also what their motivation could have been to do this.
