You’ve probably never heard for Virginia Christine. But you might recognize her as Mrs. Olson from Folgers’ retro TV commercials. Christine was a Stanton, Iowa native and in 1971, the southwest Iowa town’s water tower was transformed into a Swedish coffee pot—complete with handle, spout and top knob—in her honor.
The World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Pot stands at 125 feet and holds about 40,000 gallons (or 640,000 cups of coffee).
Nearby you’ll find another symbol of Swedish hospitality: the World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Cup. Erected in 2000, the coffee cup and saucer still stands as a water tower. The 95-foot-tall tower holds 150,000 gallons (or an impressive 2.4 million cups of coffee).
Visit the World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Pot & Cup
In early 2014, Stanton residents rallied in an attempt to save the town’s aging water tower after it was declared a liability. Finally, the town came to a solution. In 2015, the water tower was lowered. Then the World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Pot was relocated to the grounds of the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center.
Today you can see the iconic coffee pot any time on the lawn of the heritage center.
World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Pot, Swedish Heritage & Cultural Center, 410 Hilltop Avenue in Stanton, Iowa
World’s Largest Swedish Coffee Cup, Corner of Hilltop & Highland Avenues in Stanton, Iowa
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