If you’ve ever taken a long road trip on a federal interstate, you might have had reason to stop at one of the nation’s nearly 3,000 rest areas. Built starting in the 1950s as part of the Interstate Highway System, these stops were intended to provide a safe, convenient spot for travelers to go to the bathroom, eat a picnic lunch, or take a break from the weariness of the road.

They are also, with very few exceptions, remarkably dull. Your typical rest stop has some bathrooms, a soda machine, park benches and maybe a few travel brochures in a dusty display. Other than that, there just isn’t a lot going on. In some cases, the abandoned feel of rest stops has made them a locus for crime, and it generally makes them less appealing than they could be.