| Big Critters |
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| BEARS | ||||||
| Giant Bear Johnstown, NY |
Giant Bear Brockton, MA |
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The Johnstown Bear stands on the roof of Bear Muffler. [second photo thanks DinerFan]
The Brockton Bear is installed on top of the sign for Bear Brakes. |
| Polar Bear & Cubs Mesa, AZ |
Polar Bears Rumney, NH |
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The Polar Bear & Cubs sculpture is about 9' long and has been on permanent display downtown since 2006. It was created by Dollores Shelledy of Salt Lake City, UT and was designed for children to climb on. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
These Polar Bears are part of the sign at Polar Caves Park which has offered cave tours since 1922. For more, see their website. |
| Polar Bear La Crosse, WI |
Polar Bear Homewood, IL |
Polar Bear Elmira, NY |
Polar Bear White Bear Lake, MN |
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The La Crosse Polar Bear is installed on the roof of Paul's Heating & Air Conditioning. The store also has a polar bear and seal in the window that were taxidermied after an Alaskan hunt in 1971.
This Homewood Polar Bear is located on someone's front lawn. The Elmira Polar Bear stands on the roof of the Maple Lawn Dairy Bar. They opened in 1962 with a giant metal ice cream cone sign on the roof. The bear is dressed in various outfits throughout the year. Their ice cream is homemade. The White Bear Lake Polar Bear, aka "Pauly R. Bear", is part of the signage for Polar Chevrolet. He is 35' tall and made of steel and fiberglass. He weighs several tons. The bear was built in Roseville, MN in 1965 and installed on a post at what was then Thane-Hawkins Chevrolet. He was the frequent target of high school kids who shot arrows at him. He was moved to the roof but proved to be too heavy for that as he moves a bit in the wind. So a new post was created for him. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| Polar Bears Nashville, TN |
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These 5 1/2' tall plaster Polar Bears were created in 1930 for Polar Bear Frozen Custard shops. While the chain seems to have been a Southern phenomenon, there was a location in Washington, DC (1, 2) that was demolished in the early 1980s. The buildings icy exteriors were embedded with mirrored glass for a glittering appearance.
The statues shown above were installed in front of a residence on Edgehill Ave. in the 1940s. In 2005, they were moved to a new spot in the neighborhood officially known as the "Edgehill Polar Bear Plaza". There are reports of two other Polar Bears like this in Nashville - one might be the one described below. For more, see this website. |
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More Polar Bears:
Cochrane, ON |
| Polar Bear Nashville, TN |
Polar Bear Jackson, TN |
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This Nashville Polar Bear is another example of the custard shop bears described above. This one is in front of a residence and is now missing an arm.
This Jackson Polar Bear now functions as a mailbox at the Fireplace Center. |
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More Snowball Polar Bears:
Wichita, KS [gone] Springfield, MO Saltillo, MS [gone] Tunica, MS Memphis, TN Memphis, TN |
| White King Elko, NV |
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| The Commercial Casino features two statues of White King in their signage. Old postcards show at least one of the statues wearing a cowboy hat and holding something pipe-like in his paws. At over 10' tall, "White King" was believed to be the world's largest polar bear. In 1958, he was brought here, already stuffed, and put in a display case in the casino's coffee shop. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. |
| Smokey Bear International Falls, MN |
A&W Great Root Bear Lancaster, WI |
A&W Great Root Bear Neillsville, WI |
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Smokey Bear stands 26' tall and is accompanied by two smaller cubs. This fiberglass statue was created by Gordon Displays in 1954. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 4. [photo thanks Mark Comstock]
The A&W Great Root Bear was introduced in 1974. I believe A&W is still producing these statues. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. |
| Yogi Bear Cave City, KY |
Yogi Bear Emporia, VA |
Yogi Bears Brandon, SD |
Yogi Bear Seaside Heights, NJ |
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The Cave City Yogi Bear stands in front of Jellystone Park Camp Resort. There are several other identical statues on the property. The Emporia Yogi Bear stands at another Jellystone Park. The chain was founded in 1969 and there are now about 70 locations in the U.S. and Canada. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
The Brandon Yogi Bears are located at another Jellystone Park. For more, see their website. The Seaside Heights Yogi Bear is on the Pier with several other statues of people and animals. |
| Giant Bear Winter, WI |
Giant Bear Vulcan, MI |
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The Winter Bear stands in front of the Big Bear Lodge. For more, see their website.
The Vulcan Bear was created by John Radlovic. It is 17' tall and 28' long. For more, see this website. |
| Golden Bear Klamath, CA |
Grizzly Bear and Salmon Crescent, OR |
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This Golden Bear is installed at the foot of the Klamath River Bridge. There are four of these bears, two at each end of the bridge. I believe they have been here since at least the 1930s. The California Golden Bear is now extinct though it still appears on the state's flag.
This Grizzly Bear and Salmon statue has been on the roof of Ken's Sporting Goods since the late 1980s. The fiberglass statue is about 16 1/2' tall. Ken calls him "Griz". This store caters mostly to the hunting and fishing crowd but also sells liquor. For more, see this website. |
| Bear and Moose Griffith, IN |
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| These Bear and Moose statues are located on the roof of American Natural Resources which specializes in taxidermy. The store opened in 1975. |
| Grizzly Bear Utica, IL |
Bear & Salmon Ottawa, ON |
Bear Richland, WA |
Big Blue Bear Denver, CO |
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This Grizzly Bear is installed in a fountain in front of Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort.
This bronze Ottawa Bear & Salmon sculpture is installed at the entrance to the Sparks Street Mall. For more, see this website. This Richland Bear is located at the Uptown Mall in front of the Uptown Triplex Theatre. Does anyone know his history? This 40' tall Big Blue Bear, officially titled "I See What You Mean", is the creation of Lawrence Argent. It was installed at the Convention Center in 2005. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. |
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More Bears:
Polar Bear (Nome, AK) Bear (Union, MI) Bear (DuBois, WY) Koala Bear (Victoria, Australia) |
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