40 Giant Roadside Attractions That Are Pure Americana
I’ve driven all over the United States, and can confirm that we have to be the best at giant roadside attractions. I believe it started with Route 66, but now it’s a uniquely American thing. Only in the United States do we build things this big for no reason.
If you can’t pull off the road to see these, don’t worry. Someone already did and shared it in the Giant Roadside Attractions Facebook group. These attractions are pure Americana and perfect road trip inspiration.
1. “I saw this in Key West years ago – anyone know where it is now?”
2. “Boothbay, ME”
3. “Albert the Bull, world’s largest bull. Audubon, Iowa.”
4. “Paducah, KY”
5. “The Route 66 Astronaut in Weatherford, Oklahoma”
“Finally, a new giant roadside attraction! The Route 66 Astronaut in Weatherford Oklahoma is 30 feet tall, he’s a big one!! He was dedicated in August 2025 making him the newest one we’ve ever seen!
The Chamber of Commerce received a grant from Route 66 and they chose the astronaut as a symbol of ambition, exploration, and the community’s drive to reach for the stars.
Weatherford also claims to be the ‘Oklahoma Space City’ so it’s very fitting!”
6.
7. “I had to check out ‘Stile di Famiglia’, the giant fork, twirling ‘spaghetti’ on it!”
“You can find it in Omaha, in what is called Little Italy. It was pretty windy, but that spaghetti isn’t going anywhere!
(Thank you to the ones that recommended this in the groups I’m in!)”
8. “Big Mac Museum, Irwin, PA (North Huntingdon)”
9. “That is a giant robot statue holding a burger and an ice cream cone! It is a famous roadside attraction located in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.”
“Its name is Fatman, and it stands right outside a place called Joseph’s Bar and Grill.
It’s a classic spot for people driving along the old Route 66 to stop and take pictures.
Fun Facts about the Robot:
• Location: It sits on Route 66, which is a very famous highway in the United States.
• Look: It has bright red eyes, red boots, and a halo on top of its head.
• Purpose: It was built to grab people’s attention so they would stop and eat at the restaurant.”
10. “Dignity of Earth and sky in Chamberlain, SD”
11. “Little Rock, Arkansas, in Murray Park. The funky banana is titled in ‘on a roll'”
12. “Niles, Illinois”
13. “Giant Superman and Giant ‘Big John’ in Metropolis, Illinois.”
14. “This is the famous Dixie Cup Water Tower, a unique landmark located in Lexington, Kentucky.”
“It is designed to look exactly like a giant disposable Dixie cup, complete with the brand’s logo and the signature rim at the top.
Here are a few interesting details about it:
• Location: It stands at the Georgia-Pacific Dixie cup manufacturing plant on Forbes Road in Lexington.
• Purpose: While it looks like a piece of giant pop-art, it is a functional water tower used by the factory for fire protection and plant operations.
• Size: It is roughly 175 feet tall. To give you a sense of scale, if it were actually filled with water, it could hold several hundred thousand gallons!
• Significance: It has become a beloved local landmark for travelers on the nearby highways and a classic example of ‘roadside Americana’ architecture.”
15. “Catoosa, OK”
16. “Giant Gavel in Columbus, Ohio”
17. “Near Mackinac Island, MI”
18. “Chicken Boy in LA. Probably my favorite Muffler Man so far!”
19. “Abe at night under last week’s aurora…”
20. “Chicago, Illinois”
21. “Giant Cowboy Hat in Hennessy, OK”
22. “The World’s Largest Potato Masher is a 39-foot-tall, 7,500-pound sculpture in Plover, Wisconsin, located at the Food + Farm Exploration Center”
23. “We finally sat (well… stood next to) the World’s Largest Rocking Chair in Casey, Illinois!”
“Standing over 56 feet tall, this roadside giant proves that in Casey, everything really is bigger.”
24. “Blue Bear in Denver, CO”
25. “The World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois. Because nothing says road trip like a 170-foot bottle of catsup towering over the Midwest.”
26. “Granite City, Illinois”
27. “Not sure if anyone has posted this. But it’s at Blackbird hardware store in Medford, Oregon. Wrong on many levels”
28. “Big Duck”
The Big Duck is a historic roadside attraction and architectural landmark located in Flanders, a hamlet on Long Island, New York. Built in 1931, this duck-shaped building served originally as a poultry store and has since become an iconic example of “duck” or novelty architecture in the United States.
Key facts:
• Location: Flanders, Long Island, New York, US
• Built: 1931
• Architectural style: Novelty architecture
• Material: Ferrocement over wood frame
• Added to National Register of Historic Places: 1997
Origins and Design:
The Big Duck was constructed by duck farmer Martin Maurer and designed by carpenter George Reeve with the assistance of two stage-set designers from Broadway. The structure was intended to attract customers to Maurer’s duck farm, selling ducks and duck eggs directly from within the building. Measuring about 30 feet long and 20 feet high, it was made of a wood frame covered in concrete, with headlights from a Ford Model T serving as the duck’s eyes.
Architectural Significance:
The Big Duck is a textbook example of programmatic architecture—buildings designed to resemble the products they sell. Its playful literalism gave rise to the term “duck architecture,” popularized by architectural theorists Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown in Learning from Las Vegas (1972). The building’s form became an emblem of America’s car culture and roadside commercial art.
Preservation and Legacy:
The structure was relocated several times before being placed at its current site in Flanders in 1988. It now operates as a small museum and gift shop managed by the Friends of the Big Duck and Town of Southampton. The Big Duck remains a beloved local symbol, featured in art, literature, and tourism campaigns, celebrating Long Island’s historical duck-farming heritage.
29. “World’s biggest chili pepper in Las Cruces, New Mexico”
30. “Livingston, Illinois”
31. “Salem Sue in New Salem, North Dakota”
32. “Onalaska, Wisconsin”
33. “Big Bill, complete with his suitcase, was at the HiWay Cafe on RT 66 in Vinita, OK.”
“He has moved next door to the Western Motel. His spot at the HiWay Cafe will soon be filled by Big Chef, a muffler man with chef hat on and cooking utensils in his hands.”
34. “Big Green Dragon in Caryville, Tennessee”
35. “Does the blimp count as a giant? Here is Goodyear’s Wingfoot One with two bald eagles, shot June 1, 2025 at Wingfoot Lake in Suffield, OH just days prior to their 100 year anniversary”
36. “Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth, MN”
37. “Fork in the road. Franklin, Kentucky.”
38. “Lucy in the snow.”
39. “Paris, Tx Eiffel Tower with cowboy hat of course.”
40. “Have you seen the Worlds Largest Dinosaur ‘Tyra’ Drumheller AB, Canada”
