Where to go when you need ‘to go’? The search for America’s Best Restroom has kicked off, with 10 unusual toilets in restaurants, museums and public spaces being put to a public vote.

Shortlisted loos include a 50ft-tall structure in Perry Lakes Park, Alabama – designed by architecture students at Auburn University Rural Studio – and Charleston Distilling’s whiskey barrel-shaped cubicles.

‘The usual response is that people say the restroom is very cool,’ says Charleston Distilling co-owner Stephen Heilman. ‘The restroom is part of a lot of Instagram photos.’

Miami’s Cibo Wine Bar, whose faucets hang from the ceiling, and toilets at Strataca, a Kansas salt mine some 650 ft underground, are also vying for the Best Restroom crown.

The competition, now in its 14th year, is run by bathroom supplies company Cintas. Says senior marketing manager John Engel: ‘The contest promotes the importance of hygiene and salutes businesses which strive for restroom excellence in both function and design.’

Voting ends on 31 October. A winner and runner up will be announced shortly after.

For more award-winning comfort stations, check out the Best Restroom Hall of Fame.