Record-setting roadside attractions around the world
World’s Largest Elephant
Location: Margate City, New Jersey, U.S.
Record: 65.6 feet (20 meters) tall
The wooden structure, named Lucy the elephant, is touted as the first-ever “world’s largest” structure which was constructed in 1881.
World’s Largest Tire
Location: Allen Park, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Record: 86 feet (26.2 meters) tall
The giant Uniroyal Tire sits along the I-94 and is a leftover from the 1964 New York World Fair where it was a Giant Tire Ferris wheel with gondolas.
World’s Largest Axe
Location: Nackawic, Canada
Record: 49 feet (15 meters) tall
The axe was built in 1991 to symbolize the importance of the forestry to the region. The town is aptly nicknamed the Forestry Capital of Canada.
World’s Largest Artichoke
Location: Castroville, California, U.S.
Record: 20 feet (6.1 meters) tall and 12 feet (3.6 meters) wide
This record-setting artichoke was created in 1963 in the self-proclaimed “Artichoke Center of the World.”
World’s Biggest Lobster
Location: New Brunswick, Canada
Record: 35 feet (10.6 meters) long and 16.5 feet (5 meters) high
Built in 1990, it was designed by naturalist sculptor Winston Bronnum, who was famously known as the “Godfather of Canadian Art.”
World’s Largest Banana
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Record: 16.4 feet (5 meters) height and 36 feet (11 meters)
One of the very first of Australia’s “Big Things,” The Big Banana was initially constructed in 1964 to attract visitors to a roadside banana stand. The site has now become a full-fledged water theme park.
World’s Largest Buffalo
Location: Jamestown, North Dakota, US
Record: 26 feet (7.9 meters) tall and 46 feet (14 meters) long
Nicknamed Dakota Thunder, the 1959 creation lends Jamestown the moniker of Buffalo City.
World’s Largest Chest of Drawers
Location: High Point, North Carolina, U.S.
Record: Four-story high
The world’s largest chest of drawers was built in 1926 to draw attention to High Point as the home furnishings capital of the world.
World’s Largest Truckstop
Location: Walcott, Iowa, U.S.
Record: 220-acre (89 hectares) plot of land
Built in 1964, the Iowa 80 truck shop is more than four times larger than an average truck shop.
World’s Biggest Beagles
Location: Cottonwood, Idaho, US
Record: 30 feet (9 meters) tall
The wooden structures, called Sweet Willy and Toby, were made by a local chainsaw artist couple. The larger one, Sweet Willy, is a bed and breakfast named the Dog Bark Park Inn with the entrance at the back, while the smaller sculpture is 12 feet (3.65 meters) tall.
World’s Largest Pistachio
Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico, U.S.
Record: 30 feet (9.1 meters) tall
Made from five yards of concrete and done in about 35 gallons of paint, this roadside attraction, built in 2008, has been blessed by a priest.
World’s Largest Tipi
Location: Medicine Hat, Canada
Record: 215 feet (65.5 meters) tall
The Saamis Teepee was constructed for the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics and was moved to its current location later. It’s a tribute to the country’s native heritage.
World’s Largest Catsup Bottle
Location: Collinsville, Illinois, U.S.
Record: 170 feet (52 meters)
The water tower was built in 1949 in the shape of a catsup bottle for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant.
World’s Largest Sheep
Location: Goulburn, Australia
Record: 49.8 feet (15.2 meters) high
The giant concrete merino ram has been nicknamed Rambo by the locals and is an actual building housing a gift shop, wool display and lookout point where the sheep’s eyes are.
World’s Tallest Thermometer
Location: Baker, California
Record: 134 feet (41 meters) tall
It was built to commemorate the record temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) in the nearby Death Valley in 1913. The landmark is up for sale due to its high running costs.
World’s Largest Disco Ball
Location: Blackpool, U.K.
Record: 4.5 tons with 4,600 mirrors
The largest disco ball measures 33.1 feet (10.3 meters) in diameter and was built in 2014 for Desert Island Disco at the Isle of Wight, U.K.
World’s Largest Coin
Location: Sudbury, Canada
Record: 29.5 feet (9 meters)
The Big Nickel is an exact replica of 1951 Canadian five-cent coin and weighs close to 13 tons (approximately 13,000 kg). It was built in 1964.
World’s Largest Dinosaur
Location: Alberta, Canada
Record: 82 feet (24.4 meters) high
The world’s largest dinosaur, with 15.6 feet (4.6 meters) length, is almost four times the size of a real T-Rex.
World’s Largest Rocking Chair
Location: Cuba, Missouri, U.S.
Record: 42 feet (13 meters) high
The giant rocker initially swayed back and forth but due to safety concerns, it was welded to the ground.
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