| Big Stuff |
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The Giant Hand Truck stands in front of Yankee Supply. It was built in the mid-1990s and is 12' tall. The wheels are made from car tires. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
The Peace Candle of the World is about 30' tall and was built in 1970 from a silo and coated with wax. It was created by a candle factory in town which is now gone. The eternal flame was originally natural gas, later replaced with electricity. [photo thanks Mark Comstock]
The original Centennial Peace Candle was built in 1959 from 20 tons of candle wax gathered by local children. It was molded into a 21 1/2 foot tall candle and installed on Main Street. It was lit and burned for 100 days. This concrete and steel replica monument was built in 1961. For more, see this website.
The Centerville Candles advertise for the Warm Glow Candle Outlet. They are located right off the I-70 exit. There is another giant candle at their store. For more, see this website.
OTHER GIANT STUFF (page 4)
Vacuums
Fort Worth, TXHand Truck
Johnston, RI
The Giant Vacuums are eye-catchers for Evans Vacuum Cleaners.
Prayer Candle
San Antonio, TXPeace Candle
of the World
Scappoose, ORCentennial
Peace Candle
Damascus, ORGiant Candles
Centerville, IN
The 40' tall Prayer Candle is officially known as the Veladora of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was created by Jesse Trevino in 2003 as a devotional to the Virgin Mary. It is installed on the wall of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
| Big Bowl Chicago, IL |
Giant Cell Phone Millsboro, DE |
Giant Tattoo Gun Jacksonville, NC |
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The Big Bowl is a Chinese and Thai restaurant with four locations in Chicago, three in MN and one in VA. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
This Giant Cell Phone advertises for an Atlantic Cellular store. This Giant Tattoo Gun doubles as a sign for Stout's House of Pain Tattoos. |
| Giant Acorn Kecksburg, PA |
Giant Acorn Silver Spring, MD |
Giant Acorn Raleigh, NC |
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The Kecksburg Acorn was installed in 2006. It is a tribute to the acorn-shaped UFO that landed in town in 1965. The graffiti is a recent addition. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
The Silver Spring Acorn is an acorn-shaped gazebo built in the 1850s. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. The Raleigh Acorn is installed in Moore Square. The copper sculpture was created by David Benson in 1992 for the city's bicentennial. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks". Locals rub the sculpture for good luck. On New Year's Eve, the Acorn is "dropped" by crane at a different location. For more, see this website. |
| Giant Kazoo Eden, NY |
Giant Oil Funnel Miami, FL |
The Living Room Miami, FL |
Giant Flatiron Asheville, NC |
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The Giant Kazoo is on the roof of the Kazoo Gift Shop and Museum (formerly the Original American Kazoo Company, founded in 1916). It is now the only metal kazoo factory in the world. For more, see their website.
The Giant Oil Funnel is an eye-catcher for an oil change place. It looks to be modern but I could be wrong. The Living Room is an art installation with two 100' tall walls and giant furniture. The work was created in 2001 by Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt. In 2005 (left photo), the artwork adjoined a retail building. That building was demolished around 2007. It appears there is an effort to save the artwork although it has been vandalized with graffiti and remains behind chain link fencing (right photo from 2009). For more, see this website. The Giant Flatiron is placed in front of the Flatiron Building downtown. I believe the 15' tall sculpture was modeled after a Monopoly game piece. It was installed here in 2002 as part of the Asheville Urban Trail. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. |
| Christmas Ornaments Frankenmuth, MI |
Christmas Bulbs Frankenmuth, MI |
Coin Op Laundry Bellflower, CA |
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These Christmas Ornaments and Christmas Bulbs are located at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. There are also a number of giant Santas and other statues there. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [photos thanks Mark Comstock]
The Coin Op Laundry features giant clothespins clipped to the roof. |
| Giant Watch Los Angeles, CA |
Giant Grandfather Clock Kewaunee, OH |
Giant Cuckoo Clock Wilmot, OH |
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This Giant Watch acts as a sign for the Feldmar Watch & Clock Center.
This Giant Grandfather Clock is about 35' tall and stands in from of Geppetto's Top of the Hill Shop. The store is now closed. The clock has been here since at least the 1990s and used to keep time. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. This Giant Cuckoo Clock is believed to be the world's largest. It was built between 1962-1974 as part of the Alpine-Alpa Cheese House, a restaurant and gift shop. The place was last owned by Grandma's Alpine Homestead/Swiss Village which sold a wide variety of clocks as well. The giant clock has moving figures and stands 23 1/2' tall, is 24' wide, and is 13 1/2' deep. The clock was restored in 2007 as part of Hampton Inn's "Save-a-Landmark" program. However, the restaurant has been closed since late 2008 and the clock is said to be deteriorating. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. There is another giant cuckoo clock in Frankenmuth, MI and another in Douglasville, GA. |
| Mario's Seawall Italian Restaurant Galveston, TX |
Leaning Tower of Niles Niles, IL |
Prince Restaurant Saugus, MA |
Frankie Tomatto's Markham, ON |
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Mario's Seawall Italian Restaurant has been here since 1973. Before that, the building was home to Mario's Flying Pizza. The building's central feature is a reference to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It was created during a remodeling in 2003 when they added the patio. For more, see this website.
The Leaning Tower of Niles was built in 1934 to serve as a water tower for three swimming pools. It is a half-scale replica of the Tower in Pisa, Italy. Designed by Albert Farr, it was also known as "Farr's Folly" as it considered a silly building at the time. The tower no longer holds water. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. The Prince Restaurant attracts passing motorists with its 40' tall replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It started in 1961 as a small drive-in restaurant known as the Prince Spashetti House. There were other locations in Quincy and Somerville which are both gone. Today, after several expansions, the seating is all indoors and the building also houses the Giggles Comedy Club. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. Frankie Tomatto's is another Italian restaurant with a simulated Tower of Pisa. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| Yogurt Mill El Cajon, CA |
Eiffel Tower Fayetteville, NC |
Eiffel Tower Paris, TX |
Space Needle Renton, WA |
Space Needle Woodinville, WA |
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The Yogurt Mill originally opened in the early 1970s as the Leaning Tower of Pisa Pizza. The building later housed a couple Italian restaurants, "Little Italy" and "Giuseppe's". It became the Yogurt Mill in 1977. The building is 50' tall and 28' in diameter. The upper structure once had four levels of Doric columns - now filled in.
The Fayetteville Eiffel Tower is located at the Bordeaux Center shopping center. It is 150' tall. The shopping center was built in 1963 and I believe this Eiffel Tower replica is from then as well. The Paris Eiffel Tower was built in 1993 and is 65' tall. The cowboy hat was added in 1998. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. Seattle's Space Needle was built for the 1962 World's Fair. It inspired many other similarly large structures and pint-sized replicas. The mini Renton Space Needle is actually about 60' tall. It has been here since at least the 1970s. It was originally built for a Dodge dealership. The structure now advertises for a U-Haul outlet. It originally revolved but stopped in the 1980s. It was completely restored in 2002 but it wasn't spinning when I saw it in 2008. The mini Woodinville Space Needle is located at the Gold Creek Tennis & Sports Club. It was built in the 1960s. There used to be a replica of Seattle's Kingdome here as well. |
| Tree of Life Aptos, CA |
Bear Tree Anaheim, CA |
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The Tree of Life was built to resemble a giant redwood stump. It is used as a medical office. I'd love to know when it was built and what it was originally used for. [photo thanks Mark Comstock]
The Bear Tree was built from 1982-1983 as part of Hobby City. The 38' tall tree stump once housed a teddy bear collection and shop. It also produced the sound effects of forest noises and singing birds. There were other structures on the property devoted to different hobbies, including a gem shop, a candle shop and a puppet center. A half-scale White House still stands but is not used for anything now. There are still about six stores still operating on the property including a hobby shop, a train store, a magic store, etc. In 1994, "Adventure City" was built on the property, offering rides, a petting zoo and a theatre. The tree stump is now rented out for parties. |
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Other Giant Stuff page 1 |
Other Giant Stuff page 2 |
Other Giant Stuff page 3 |
Other Giant Stuff page 5 |
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