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OTHER GIANT STUFF (page 2) |
Grand Guitar
Bristol, TN |
South Austin Music
Austin, TX |
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The Grand Guitar, modeled after a Martin guitar, is three stories tall and 70' long. It was built in 1983 and originally housed a music store. It was later used as a radio station and museum of country music with unusual instruments and Porter Waggoner outfits. It was closed around 2001 was deteriorating. Then in 2004, it reopened as the Joe Morrell Grand Guitar (a music musuem). For more, see this website.
The giant guitar at South Austin Music is really just a rootop sign rather than a true giant guitar since it is only two dimensional. But I'll include it here anyway. The guitar is lit at night. For more, see this website.
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Guitar House
Fayetteville, GA |
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The Guitar House was built in the 1970s by a country western music fan. The simulated guitar lays on its back and slopes from the body to the neck. It's difficult to tell the shape from the ground or from these photos but it's quite evident from the air. For more, see this website.
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Giant Saxophone
Houston, TX |
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The 70' tall Giant Saxophone is made of Volkswagen parts and other recycled items. It was originally painted blue and built in 1993 by Bob Daddy-O Wade. It was located in front of "Billy Blues Bar & Grill" and later at "Cabo Restaurant" which closed in 2006. Although I have heard that the Saxophone will be moved to another location in Houston or Austin and repainted the original blue, it was still here as of 2008. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
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More Musical Instruments:
Guitars (Charlotte, NC)
Fiddle (Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia; Canada)
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Giant Pie Pan
Traverse City, MI |
Giant Fork
Milan, NY |
Giant Fork
Ellsworth, ME |
Giant Daffodil
Finleyville, PA |
Giant Tulip
Austin, TX |
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In 1987, this Giant Pie Pan was used to make a 28,350 pound cherry pie. The pan is 17' 6" in diameter. It stands in front of the former Chef Pierre Bakeries plant. For more, see this website. [photo thanks Mark Comstock]
The Milan Fork is 31' tall and made of steel. It was built in 2000 as a pun on its location at a fork in the road.
The Ellsworth Fork is at the My Fork in the Road Café, which is at another forked intersection. The restaurant opened in 1995 and will be closing in 2004. I'm not sure of the fork's fate after that. For more, see this website.
The Giant Daffodil is located at Trax Farms Market. Although the giant flower appears to be a modern metal sculpture and not one of my preferred media (e.g., fiberglass, cement), it is still a make-you-smile roadside eyecatcher. Trax Farms began retail operations at this location in 1957, selling mostly produce and jams. In 1986, they expanded and added a bakery, deli, gift shop, and garden shop. Trax also continues functioning as a farm with 630 acres producing fruit and vegetables. For more, see their website.
The Giant Tulip stands in front of the Prima Dora gift shop. It was created by Chuck Watson in 2000. For more, see their website.
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Giant Flowers
Meadville, PA |
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These Giant Flowers were created from recycled road signs by Allegheny College students in 2001. The students, with assistance from PennDOT workers, created this "Signs & Flowers" installation. Each of these 12 road sign flowers are about 10'-12' tall. The soil is composed of shredded tires. For more, see this website.
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Giant Baseball Bat
Louisville, KY |
Giant Baseball Glove
Louisville, KY |
Giant Golf Ball
Newark, OH |
Giant Golf Ball
Las Vegas, NV |
Giant Golf Ball & Club
Des Plaines, IL |
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The Louisville Baseball Bat is 120' tall and was built in 1995. It was modeled after Babe Ruth's bat and stands in front of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Inside, there is a shop where you can have your own customized bat made.
The Giant Baseball Glove is actually a limestone bench inside the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. It is 10' long and was built in 1998. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The Newark Golf Ball advertises for the AA Pro Shop (a golf equipment store). For more, see this website.
The Vegas Golf Ball has been painted to look like a soccer ball. I assume there was once a golf course where the Wetlands Park soccer fields are now. Does anyone know more about it? For more, see this website.
The Giant Golf Ball & Club is located in front of the Golf Center Des Plaines. For more, see their website.
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Giant Basketball
Knoxville, TN |
Giant Football
Green Bay, WI |
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This Giant Basketball is located at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. It is 30' tall and made of steel and fiberglass. For more, see their website.
This Giant Football supports a canopy at the Resch Center which is next door to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. For more, see their website.
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Giant Game Pieces
Philadelphia, PA |
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The Giant Game Pieces were installed in 1996 in Thomas Paine Plaza downtown. The fiberglass and steel statues include dominos, chess figures, bingo card markers, a Monopoly hat and iron, and Parcheesi pieces. The artwork is officially entitled "Your Move" and was a collaborative project of Daniel Martinez, Renee Petropoulis and Roger White. For more, see this website.
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Giant Lamp
Austin, TX |
Giant Light Bulb
Oshawa, ON |
Giant Plug
Elmira, NY |
Giant Martini
Ocean City, MD |
Giant Pipe
Tampa, FL |
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This Giant Lamp is in front of Top Drawer Thrift. It is a functioning light. For more, see their website.
The Giant Light Bulb is installed in front of Osso City Lighting.
This Giant Plug stands in front of Booth Electric Supply.
The Giant Martini is a 25' tall Sour Apple Martini. This was erected within the past couple years but the restaurant next store is now closed.
The Giant Pipe is on the roof of Edwards Pipe & Tobacco. They have been a "Tampa Tradition Since 1960."
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Giant Cigar
Philadephia, PA |
Giant Cigar
Boston, MA |
Giant Cigar
West Hollywood, CA |
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The Philadelphia Cigar is part of SJ Cigar's sign. They have been here since 1996. For more, see their website.
The Boston Cigar hangs in front of Stanza dei Sigari, a cigar bar. For more, see their website.
The West Hollywood Cigar is installed on the sign in front of the Liquor Locker.
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Giant Kachina
Carefree, AZ |
Giant Kachina
Elk City, OK |
Giant Kachina
Gallup, NM |
Giant Kachina
Williams, AZ |
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The Carefree Giant Kachina is a 39' tall version of a Hopi Indian doll. It weighs more than 14 tons. For more, see this website.
The Elk City Kachina is at the National Route 66 Museum. It is made of painted metal.
The Gallup Kachina welcomes visitors to the "Heart of Indian Country". It has been here many years and stands at the Greyhound station facing I-40. For more, see this website.
The Williams Kachina is one of two at the Canyon Gas/Canyon Trading Post & Restaurant. There has been a trading post here since 1889. For more, see this website.
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Giant Envelope
Lakeside, CA |
Giant Toilet
Hornberg, Germany |
Giant Bicycle
High Point, NC |
Harley-Davidson
Motorcycle
Las Vegas, NV |
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The Giant Envelope stands next to a now vacant office building.
The Giant Toilet is part of the Duravit Design Center. Duravit is a bathroom furniture manufacturer. The Toilet is over 60' tall and serves as an observation platform. It was designed by Philippe Starck and built in 2004. The Toilet is illuminated at night. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [photo thanks Tino Beitlich]
This Giant Bicycle is on the roof of a bike shop on Main Street.
This Harley-Davidson Motorcycle projects over the entrance to the Harley-Davidson Café. It was in stalled in 1997. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
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Giant Microphone
Colorado City, TX |
Giant Penny
Woodruff, WI |
Giant Toonie
Campbellford, ON |
Giant
Weber Grill
Chicago, IL |
Giant
Weber Grill
Lombard, IL |
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The Giant Microphone stands in front of KVMC, an AM radio station.
The Giant Penny is 10' tall and made of concrete. The backside is blank. It was created in the 1950s to commemorate the 1953 "Million Penny Parade" fundraising campaign to build a hospital. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
The Giant Toonie was built in 2001 and is 18' in diameter. The local artist, Brent Townsend, designed the polar bear that is used on the face of this coin. The Canadian one collar coin has a loon on it and is called the "loonie". This two dollar coin is therefore called the "toonie". This monument is actually the second one built. The first was made from 700 lights and stood just a few feet away. It was installed in 1996 - the same year the coin was first produced. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Chicago Weber Grill is mounted above the entrance to the Weber Grill Restaurant. This location opened in 2002.
The Lombard Weber Grill is installed next to the restaurant, which opened in 1999. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
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The Darkroom
Los Angeles, CA |
Giant
Thermometer
Baker, CA |
Giant Painting
Goodland, KS |
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The Darkroom is one of the most famous examples of mimetic/programmatic architecture (buildings shaped like things). This camera-shaped building was built in the 1930s as a camera store. Although the signage has been removed, the black vitrolite facade is intact and the building is still recognizable as a camera. It has been used as a restaurant for many years: Sher-E Punjab Cuisine, La Boca del Conga Room, and now the El Toro Cantina. Disney built three replicas of the building at their Hollywood, Paris and Orlando amusement parks. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
The Giant Thermometer has a 3-sided digital display and is 134' tall. It was built by the Electric Sign Co. of Las Vegas in 1991. That same year, strong winds broke it in half and it had to be rebuilt. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [first photo thanks Crawford Appleby, second photo Glenda Campbell]
There was another a giant thermometer in Chicago, IL.
The Giant Painting is a replica of Vincent Van Gogh's "Sunflowers". The 32' tall painting stands on an 80' tall easel. It was built in 2001 as a reference to Kansas' "Sunflower State" nickname. This painting was created by Cameron Cross who hopes to build six others around the world. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [photo thanks Crawford Appleby]
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