Creativity. Uniqueness. Out-of-the-box thinking. These are not words we commonly associate with public transportation, much less the very utilitarian piece of infrastructure we call a bus stop. But this hasn’t stopped some architects and designers from deciding to put together something truly special for all the daily commuters that wait, rain or sun, night or day, for a bus to show up.
Internet users from all over the world share the signal and at times bizarre bus stops they have encountered, so if you are waiting for a bus, congratulations, otherwise, get comfortable and be sure to upvote your favorites.
#1 In Japan, These Grandparents Didn’t Want Kids To Feel Lonely While Waiting For The Bus. So They Made A Life-Size Version Of Totoro, A Famous Cartoon Character, At The Bus Stop
Image credits: vincenzo.acunzo.52
#2 Someone In Norway Has Furnished A Bus Stop, Nobody Knows Who
Image credits: s0bmarine
#3 This Bus Stop In Brazil, Before And After An Artist Added Their Touch
Image credits: duudoor
If some of these stops seemed luxurious, in the 18th and 19th centuries, when coaches and carriages were the main means of overland transportation, travelers would find inns and similar establishments along the route. Imagine a bus stop with beds, a restaurant, and other amenities.
An early example of this was the Angel in Islington, which was a multi-floor building, where people could eat, sleep and refresh themselves when entering or leaving London for one trip or another. Modern travel is fast enough to no longer require these sorts of establishments, but we can find their spiritual successors in the rest stops dotted along highways all over the world.
#4 The Most Beautiful Bus Shelter In The South Hui – Shimmer Xuan Pavilion
Image credits: kissman77
#5 Bus Stops In Japan, Modeled After Fruits Such As Watermelon, Lemon, Strawberry, Tomato, & Muskmelon
Image credits: ExpertAccident
#6 To Launch Its New Breakfast Sandwiches Caribou Coffee Turned Bus Shelters In Minneapolis Into Ovens – With Real Heat
Image credits: greatcampaigns
These days, a seat and some protection from the elements are considered sufficient. These are welcome additions for anyone who has to regularly wait in the rain for transportation to arrive, but this has also perhaps been the cause for some fascination with “unique” bus stops. After all, if most are just brick, concrete, or glass boxes, anything more will draw a person’s attention.
#7 Amazing Idea For A Bus Stop
#8 Today’s Art Bus Shelter Is The Bright Green Canopy Of Ginkgo Leaves On North Ave. One Of My Favorite Ones
Image credits: athens.artisan
#9 The City Of Leicester Starts Turning Bus Stops Into “Bee Stops”
Image credits: clearchanneluk
Indeed, the average bus stop is so nondescript that many of us overlook them, despite interacting with them in one way or another constantly. Bus stops are generally where trash cans are placed, many will feature advertisements that may catch our eye even if we don’t pay attention to the location. In this way, they already serve some public utility. Similarly, one might use a stop to shelter from the rain, even if they aren’t actually taking a bus anywhere.
#10 This Beautiful Bus Stop Is In Holstein, Germany. In Front Of The Local High School
Image credits: St_Gemmel
#11 The Most Beautiful Bus Stop I’ve Ever Seen
Image credits: heibart
#12 A Playful, Practical And Quirky Bus Stop That Draws The People Of Baltimore. State Of Maryland, USA
Image credits: mmmm.tv
Just because they are commonplace and utilitarian, doesn’t mean they have to be bare. This list shows all the creativity that one might find when designing a stop but in some places, but in some places, certain luxuries are becoming standard. For example, in particularly hot countries, like India, Turkmenistan, Israel, and the UAE, bus stops may be enclosed and air-conditioned, so passengers don’t have to sit in blistering heat for extended periods.
#13 Bus Stop With Buster The Cat
Image credits: gioandmarina
#14 Bus Stop In Thailand
Image credits: Proteon
#15 Kwik-E-Mart Themed Bus Stop In London
Image credits: -Omegamart-
Ultimately, what prevents bus stops from being as comfortable, interesting, and unique as they could be are the age-old issue of costs. Similarly, many areas have rules and regulations dictating specific standards that need to be met. Overall, this is a good thing, as public utilities should be safe and functional, but the utilitarian nature of public transportation often limits how creative one can get with it.
#16 My Mum Painted This Mural Over Graffiti At A Bus Stop
Image credits: glassspires27
#17 Bus Stop In Korea Spraying Mist During The Summer To Keep People Cool
Image credits: kwispycreme
#18 Boa Noite, Curitiba
Image credits: tglow_light
#19 A Very Special Bus Shelter In Älvnäs, Ekerö. For Those Of You With Children Who Love Harry Potter, You Just Have To Visit This Place
Image credits: vagabondmamma
#20 The Mushroom Bus Stop
Image credits: jedispifits
#21 Cat Bus Stop, Japan
Image credits: otokichijapan
#22 It’s Not Every Day You Find Yourself Installing A Life-Size Sheep On The Roof Of The Village Bus Shelter, But Today Was Such A Day
Image credits: kithaigh
#23 This South Korean Bus Stop
Image credits: wlsuszmrist
#24 Next Level Bus Stop At Žďár Nad Sázavou, Czech Republic
Image credits: Andis Aboltins
#25 Today’s Art Bus Shelter Is Pillsbury. It Makes Me Smile Every Time I See It
Image credits: athens.artisan
#26 This Bus Stop
Image credits: joannecheuk
#27 Someone Took Advantage Of The Pattern Of Holes In This Bus Stop Bench To Macrame A Peacock Into It
Image credits: jewyouevenlift
#28 Green Roofs Contribute To The Reduction Of Dust In The Surrounding Area And Improve The Microclimate In Urbanized Areas Lacking Green Spaces
In addition, they naturally cool the space under the shelter and provide a natural habitat for small animals, thus contributing to the increase of green areas in the urban environment.
Image credits: mmcite.br
#29 Modern Bus Stop In Sweden
The Station of Being features wooden pods in which travelers can lean very comfortably. The pods are shaped so that they automatically turn out of the wind, providing comfort without requiring any power. Travelers can also turn the pods to personalize the station and enable various social settings.
Designed and developed by Rombout Frieling lab and the Research Institute of Sweden.
Image credits: romboutfrieling
#30 SG Upping The Game For Buses & Bus Stops! From Swing, Book Corner To Charging Ports, Panel Showing Next Few Stops In Buses
Image credits: xavierlur
#31 This Bus Stop In Germany That’s Been Decorated By Local Residents
Image credits: MrPoj612
#32 Dutch Cities Have Managed To Stabilize Urban Bee Populations By Turning Bus Stops Into “Buzz Stops”
Image credits: Jolanda van Ginkel
#33 This Heated Bench With A Wireless Charging Pad For Your Phone At A Bus Stop In South Korea
Image credits: Lezbi_Nerdy
#34 A Bus Stop Made From An Old School Bus
Image credits: budonka
#35 This Bus Stop Was Decorated To Look Like The Set Of Rosanne
Image credits: gemologyst
#36 “Wave” Bus Stop, Gagra, Abkhazia
Image credits: broken666moon_ph
#37 This Was A Bus Stop In Bangkok. Each Side Of The Stop Had A Small Garden With Essential Herbs For Cooking Like Basil, Watercress, And Lemongrass
I guess you pick some on the way home to add to your dinner. I thought it was pretty cool.
Image credits: instagram.com
#38 Bus Stop – Library In The Polish Village Of Uwieliny
Image credits: AffectionatePin1558
#39 I Found This Most Attractive Thatched Roof Bus Stop Shelter In Dunchurch, Warwickshire
Image credits: anotherdaycalling
#40 Bus Stop Mario
1. Go to a local WWII flak tower;
2. Add an image to a nearby bus station;
3. … And align!
Image credits: hootersbutwithcats
#41 Bus Stop In Norway With Books You Can Read While You Wait
Image credits: mymindismycastle
#42 How Adorable Is This Bus Stop?
Image credits: westcountrybumpkinbookworm
#43 First-Class Bus Stop. Why Can’t Taking The Bus Be More Luxurious? Happiness By Design
Image credits: georgious.nl
#44 This Bus Stop Next To A Football Field
Image credits: monk0909
#45 Bus Stop, Poland
Image credits: archi.pearls
#46 This Enclosed Bus Stop For The Kids To Use While Waiting In The Cold
Image credits: Banterfix
#47 Fancy Wood Structure Bus Stop Off The Main Road In Bludov, Northern Moravia
Image credits: busstopsaroundtheworld
#48 This Is How The Dutch Keep Their Hands Warm At Cold Bus Stops
Image credits: cyrilio
#49 Bus Stop, Austria
Image credits: klauhelm
#50 Architects From Seven Countries Designed Some Bus Stops In A Little Austrian Valley
Image credits: FloraBaker
#51 At This Bus Stop Named “Planetarium”, There Is A Cutout Of The Moon On The Roof Of The Bus Stop
Image credits: PedroF_
#52 Some Of My Favorite Estonian Bus Stops. You See A Lot When Cycling
Image credits: beverleythornley
#53 No Trip To The Island Of Unst Where We Arrived Today Is Complete Without A Visit To The Most Famous, Fun, Unusual, Amazing Bus Shelter In The World
It is located near the village of Baltasound. Ready to shelter you from the rain while you wait for the bus, all dressed up to the smallest detail, each year according to a different theme.
Image credits: ornella.martina.rinaldi
#54 This Nicely Covered Bus Shelter Informs About The World Environment Day
Image credits: claus.in.iceland
#55 This Bus Stop
Image credits: infobreda
#56 The Bus Stop In My Neighborhood Is So Beautiful
Image credits: eurobertamarinho
#57 A Businesswoman From Cambé, Paraná, Transformed A Bus Stop With A New Structure And Paintings
Image credits: cacambaria
#58 Creepy Altered Carbon Bus Stop Ad
Image credits: AltCarb
#59 Guitar Bus Stop At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Image credits: chicago_metal_rolled_products
#60 Beautiful Scenery
Image credits: leeyikkeat
#61 Here’s Another Art Bus Shelter, On The East Side, With Brilliant Leaves, All Year Long
Image credits: athens.artisan
#62 Modern Bus Stop In Krumbach, Austria
Image credits: Kanisfluh
#63 A Giant Pin In A Bus Stop
Image credits: 8Black_Kitsune8
#64 Bus Stop In Village Luky, Lviv Region, Ukraine
Image credits: lviv_soviet_modernism
#65 Nature Has Embellished This Spot In Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Image credits: janecmelo
#66 Cozy Bus Stop Near Me – I’m Tempted To Take A Flask And Sit There With A Cuppa And Read One Evening
Image credits: wirral_guy
#67 This Bench/House Is At A Bus Stop In Toronto
Image credits: Musicferret
#68 Omsk, Russia, 2016
Image credits: soviet_busstops
#69 Cutest Bus Stop
Image credits: sunsetdeamor
#70 “The Amazing Whale Jaw” Bus Station By Nio Architecten In Hoofddorp, Netherlands
Image credits: gruber_architekturfotografie
#71 Decorated Bus Stop Near Fowey Cornwall By Jane Tinsley
Image credits: LawrenceChard
#72 There’s This Fully Furnished Bus Stop Just Outside My Town
Image credits: ShilkaGamer
#73 Family Guy Bus Stop, Budapest
Image credits: jujuubrown
#74 Hannover, Germany, Is Another City With Unusual Bus Stops
Image credits: Christian A. Schröder
#75 These New And Beautiful Anti-Air Pollution Bus Stops In My City
Image credits: cocaineandcakepops
#76 Skull Bus Stop, Dordrecht
Image credits: gerco_vos
#77 These Little Brutalist Concrete Bus Shelters Are Called Canberra Bus Shelters As They Were Designed For Our Nation’s Capital City Where You See Them Everywhere
They’re used in a few other towns and cities around Australia, this one is in Killarney Heights.
Image credits: bingleby
#78 Short Story Bus Shelter
Image credits: Philip Bosma
#79 One Of The Best Things I Found In Japan By Far. It’s An Actual Bus Stop
Image credits: AmbiguousOeillade
#80 This Is A South African Bus Stop
Image credits: slyzxx
#81 Kyrgyz Hat-Themed Bus Stop In The Village Of Jil-Aryk, Kemin District, Chuy Region, Kyrgyzstan
Image credits: mcsmoggle
#82 My Mosaic Bus Stop All Surrounded By Winter Beauty
Image credits: linda_rinda
#83 Bus Stop, Ukraine
Image credits: vasilishinaevgeniia
#84 Another Linear Art Bus Shelter. This One, On Baxter, Is One Of Our Oldest, Yet Still Fresh And Modern
Image credits: athens.artisan
#85 Large Replicas Of King Charles’s Crown Have Appeared On Top Of Three Bus Stops Along Oxford Street In Celebration Of The King Charles III Coronation
Image credits: cmintyart
#86 This Bus Stop Looks Like A Living Room
Image credits: reddit.com
#87 I Saw A Bus Stop In The Shetland Islands With Homey Decorations
Image credits: Shark-Farts
#88 This Bus Stop Ad Uses Real Beer Bottles
Image credits: TheDoubleShift
#89 This Bus Stop Has A Swing
Image credits: mildlyinterested-
#90 This Bus Stop Near My Home In Norway
Image credits: Freezingcow
#91 Bus Stop, Ainslie
Image credits: follow_alida
#92 My Neighbour Redesigns Our Street’s Bus Stop Every Year. Western Australia
Image credits: HalfWaySlick
#93 This Feels Like Someone Accidentally Scaled It Up To 2x
Image credits: schuldberg
#94 You Can Wash Your Hands At The Bus Stop
Image credits: frozencity3942
#95 For Me, This Is A Great Idea To Transform A Bus Stop And The Bus Shelter Into This
Image credits: Claus in Iceland
#96 This Bus Stop In Krumbach, Vorarlberg
Image credits: vannomaden
#97 Bus Stop Living Room In Melbourne, Florida
Image credits: Don_K_Suna
#98 Gucci, Year Of The Rabbit Bus Station In Chengdu China
Image credits: uk_sunshine_digital
#99 This Bus Stop With A Sink, Paper Towel, Mirror And Even A Speaker In Magé, Baixada Fluminense
Image credits: mari_oliveira.of
#100 This Bus Stop Ad For A Health Club In The Netherlands Had A Scale In The Seat And Displayed The Sitter’s Weight For All To See – To Shame Him Or Her Into Joining
Image credits: creative_ads
#101 This Bus Stop Has A Digital Poster Space That Gives The Time, Day, Date, And Temperature
Image credits: AJerkForAllSeasons
#102 This Bus Stop In Hannover
Image credits: Benutzer:AxelHH
#103 Bus Stop That’s Made Out Of Airplane Parts That I Pass By On My Way To Work
Image credits: a100bronies
#104 Good Morning, Baltimore
Image credits: fundrayser
#105 Bus Stop With A Little Library In Brittany, France
Image credits: skribobby
#106 These Bus Stops In Israel Can Be Also Used As Shelters In Case Of Mortar Shots (1997)
Image credits: IndividualPen
#107 The Sofa At This Bus Stop
Image credits: melancholicmelon1
#108 This Bus Stop Is Facing The Wrong Way
Image credits: birdnerdthethird
#109 I Found Totoro’s Bus Stop
Image credits: UnderneathTheBunker
#110 Post-Soviet Bus Stop In The Zelenodolsk Industrial Zone
Image credits: woodyfind
#111 Bus Stops, Ermlitz
Image credits: klara_uwu_2137
#112 Bus Stop, New Zealand
Image credits: joe_harrison_photo
#113 Cute Mykonian Bus Stops
Image credits: elizanoodle
#114 “Sometimes It’s Good To Miss A Bus. It Might Be The Wrong Bus” – Steve Guttenberg
Image credits: djerba_shots
#115 We Designed And Produced An Umbrella Bus Stop For The Town Of Kaspichan
Image credits: gotinshtain
#116 Finally Saw One Of The Works By Artist Aida Muluneh From The Series “This Is Where I Am”
Image credits: trish_mayo
#117 This Bus Stop Painted As The Simpsons’ House
Image credits: Ellioth_mess
#118 This Bus Stop Is In The Sunshine State. I Love This Salute To Florida’s Citrus Legacy
Image credits: christinejamesmckenzie
#119 McDonald’s Bus Stop, Saipan
Image credits: daytoday_collective
#120 McDonald’s Bus Stop
Image credits: lalala23lalala
#121 Colorful Bus Stop, Germany
Image credits: michaelschreiner.de
#122 This Bus Stop In The Czech Republic Looks Like The Boston Dynamics Robot Dog
Image credits: catch22milo
#123 Umbrella Bus Stop
Image credits: stops_by
#124 A Vibrant Work By Graffiti Artist Eder Quirino
Image credits: o_mano_que_faz_um_b