The Idea
I first discovered my love for roadside oddities when I was 22. It was early spring and a group of my friends had decided to embark upon the 23-hour drive from Des Moines to San Francisco. We were less than two hours into our trek when I forced a detour in the suburb of Boys Town, Nebraska, to see the World’s Largest Ball of Stamps. Weighing in at 600 pounds, that quirky mess of stamps instantly stole my heart. It was my first world’s largest thing, and it certainly wouldn’t be my last.
The summer before I turned 25 I was itching for a new challenge. In the past year, I’d driven everywhere from Connecticut to Texas and written about all sorts of unique attractions on my blog, Olio in Iowa. But I wanted something more. So I concocted a plan to spend the next five years having one of my biggest (I suppose you could say, my world’s largest) adventure yet.
The Goal
Visit at least one World’s Largest thing in every U.S. state
Naturally, a simple visit isn’t enough to satisfy my journalistic tendencies. So along the way I’ll also be sharing the stories of how these world’s largest things came to be, the people who take care of them and the other adventurers who make these scenic stops their passion. When it comes to the specifics of what that’ll look like, you can expect a combination of photo essays, long-form written pieces, hand-drawn illustrations and maybe even a podcast.
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Recently a friend of mine mentioned that she was surprised I’d never seen one of Iowa’s most well-known world’s largest seen: the wooden nickel. I’ve been to Iowa City enough times for work or to visit friends but I never tracked down the 18-foot diameter wooden nickel, located outside of Iowa City along NE Dubuque Street, just north of the Iowa River…
A few weekends ago a friend and I embarked on another Iowa adventure and headed northwest to the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa. This small town is home to the world’s largest man-made grotto, a feat that took more than 40 years to complete…
Anytime someone finds out that I love “world’s largest” things, one of their first questions is always, “Have you been to Casey, Illinois?” Now that I have, I can see why so many travelers from…
I’m always up for visiting a new world’s largest thing. Even if it happens to be a prairie chicken. A booming prairie chicken, to be precise. Located in Rothsay, Minnesota, the World’s Largest Booming Prairie…
The world’s largest thing that began my obsession may have called neighboring Nebraska home. But Albert the World’s Largest Bull in Audubon, Iowa will always have a special place in my heart.
I’m a frequent visitor of the World’s Largest Truckstop. Maybe you are too. For our household, this stop is a convenient halfway point when we travel along Interstate 80 from Des Moines to Chicago to…
This past weekend I spent some time up north (near Dent, Minnesota) with some friends. Naturally once I heard that we were within miles of the Vergas—home of the World’s Largest Loon—we planned a quick stop on our way back to Minneapolis…
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 honor of Stanton’s famous daughter…
Roadside attractions and world’s largest things are my true travel loves. If you feel similarly, North Dakota’s Enchanted Highway is sure to make your heart skip a beat (or two).
City Museum is arguably one of the most offbeat attractions in St. Louis, Missouri. But inside this mecca of the weird and wacky you’ll find another unusual oddity: the World’s Largest Underwear.
When it comes to roadside advertising, the gas station mentality seems to be that bigger is better. At least that’s true for the St. Louis, Missouri station attached to the World’s Largest Amoco Sign (not…
Checkmate! You’re sure to have a winning streak after visiting the World’s Largest Chess Piece in St. Louis, Missouri.
It’s been a long time coming, but last weekend I ventured up to Ames to explore Reiman Gardens. But more than anything, I was excited to meet Elwood the World’s Largest Concrete Garden Gnome.
One of my favorite things about Minnesota is its large number of, well, large attractions. Lucky for me, one of Iowa’s neighboring states is home to dozens of “world’s largest” things just waiting to be…
One of the things I love most about the Midwest is its number of offbeat attractions. You’ll find wacky stops in North Dakota and big things across Kansas. And the Hawkeye State is no different….
While it’s a little tricky to see through the glare of the window, this tiny shed in Sac City, Iowa houses the world’s largest ball of popcorn. Fun fact: this 2,175-population town is home to the Noble Popcorn Farms, “one of the finest popcorn growing areas in the world” according to the company’s website…
The days of travel by prairie schooner may be long gone. But the World’s Largest Covered Wagon is still a great stop on any road trip through Illinois.
It’s no secret that I love world’s largest things. So it should come as no surprise that North Dakota quickly stole my heart with all of its quirky attractions.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…the southern town of Metropolis, Illinois! Home to none other than Superman himself, the small town of Metropolis (population 6,400) has fully dedicated itself to anything and everything relating to the Man of Steel.
I’ve never met a strange, niche museum I didn’t like and the National Mustard Museum just outside of Madison is no exception. With more than 5,500 varieties of mustard and a fantastic sense of humor, the museum is the world’s largest collection of prepared mustards…
It’s been awhile since I first visited the World’s Largest Ball of Stamps in Boys Town, Nebraska, but that doesn’t make it any less cool. Tucked away in the Village of Boys Town Visitors Center, you’ll find a roadside attraction with more than Nebraska’s stamp of approval…