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Posted by Val on November 3rd, 2009 at 1:21 pm | Permalink | 2 Comments » |
This happy family of A&W icons stands on top of a truck on the side of the highway! The fiberglass Mom, pa, and baby girl are all there with their burgers and root beer…but big brother must be back in line for food, because he’s nowhere to be found!
Site: A&W Burger Family statues
Location: 12799 Old Highway 66, Rolla, MO
Cost: Free
Hours: Daylight Hours.
Date: June 7, 2009
A&W Burger Family in Rolla, Missouri | 2 Comments » |
Posted by Val on May 21st, 2009 at 2:03 pm | Permalink | No Comments » |
Just beside the Jolly Green Giant statue are some wooden cutouts of his pal Sprout and some farmers!
Site: Jolly Green Giant Statue
Location: 1130 Giant Drive, Blue Earth, MN
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always Visible
Date: August 30, 2008
Jolly Green Giant Wooden Cutouts | No Comments » |
Posted by Val on May 21st, 2009 at 9:08 am | Permalink | No Comments » |
What’s big, green, and laughs like Santa Claus? The Jolly Green Giant of course!
The Jolly Green Giant was created by the advertising firm Leo Burnett in the 1920s to serve as the spokesman for the Green Giant food company. To this day his likeness still appears in advertisements for their products.
Blue Earth, Minnesota celebrates the famed advertising icon in the form of a massive 55-foot fiberglass statue. It was built for $43,000 in 1978 to commemorate the linking of the east and west sections of Interstate 90. Paul Hedberg, the owner of a local radio station, pioneered the endevor. He hosted a program called “Welcome Travelers” and would serve his guests canned vegetables from the local plant. Interviewees would often wish to see the giant himself which sparked the idea.
The Green Giant Company took a vital role in the building of the statue, making sure he conformed to the ideal mold, especially since the giant had never before been seen from behind.
Now tourists can stop by and see the giant in his towering glory, from the front, sides, and behind.
Site: Jolly Green Giant Statue
Location: 1130 Giant Drive, Blue Earth, MN
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always Visible
Date: August 30, 2008
Jolly Green Giant | No Comments » |
Posted by Val on May 15th, 2009 at 8:55 am | Permalink | No Comments » |
On I-57 when you reach Kankakee/Bourbonnais, Illinois you might see a familiar face. A giant statue of Abraham Lincoln stands amongst construction lifts at Alexander Equipment Rental Inc. While he is not the largest in Illinois he very well might be the most prominent, as thousands of drivers drive by on the highway every day.
I’ve now passed by this giant Lincoln statue a dozen or so times but have yet to have the opportunity to stop and get a good photo. But oh do I try to capture him on “film” whenever I pass by…
>>Watch this video on Vimeo.
>>Watch this video on YouTube.
Site: Giant Abraham Lincoln Statue
Location: Alexander Equipment Rental, Inc., 1511 Commerce Drive, Bourbonnais, IL 60914 (Visible on I-57 near exits for Kankakee/Bourbonnais)
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always visible.
Date: June 19,2008/June 19,2008/May 9, 2009
The Elusive I-57 Lincoln | No Comments » |
Posted by Val on May 14th, 2009 at 8:56 am | Permalink | No Comments » |
The Swinging Sixties gave way to some of the most recognizable roadside attractions still in place today. Amongst those is the Uniroyal Gal, a giant fiberglass woman either donning a somewhat conservative skirt and top or a more provocative bikini. Uniroyal Gals can still be found across the United States. One such stands at “Stan the Tire Man” in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. This is one of the more conservative giantesses with a blue skirt and red top.
Site: Uniroyal Gal
Location: Stan the Tire Man, 1213 Broadway St., Mt. Vernon, IL
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always visible.
Date: May 2, 2009
Uniroyal Gal | No Comments » |
Posted by Val on May 11th, 2009 at 3:06 pm | Permalink | 2 Comments » |
More photographs of the Metropolis Big John from 2007…
Site: Big John Grocery Clerk statue at the Big John Superstore
Location: 1200 E. 5th St., Metropolis, IL
Cost: Free to see
Hours: Always Visible
Date: July 14, 2007
Big John Grocery Clerk – Part 2 | 2 Comments » |
Posted by Val on May 11th, 2009 at 12:04 pm | Permalink | No Comments » |
Big John is a small chain of grocery stores that have a big grocery clerk statue out front. From what I can tell only a few are currently out there (although I am not sure how many there ever were) and many that exist are at different grocery stores or different places all together. I tried to figure out more of a history than that but didn’t have any luck.
Big Johns stand between 28 and 30 feet tall, making the one in Metropolis actually quite a bit taller than the Superman statue that the town is known for. He wears blue jeans, a red shirt, a white apron, and giant black shoes and carries a grocery bag in each arm heaping with items from his shopping trip.
Site: Big John Grocery Clerk statue at the Big John Superstore
Location: 1200 E. 5th St., Metropolis, IL
Cost: Free to see
Hours: Always Visible
Date: May 2, 2009
Big John Grocery Clerk | No Comments » |
