Why These 20-Foot Giants Are Among Route 66’s Most Beloved Attractions

Barb Oates 5 minutes ago

American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois — Barb Oates/ReMIND Magazine

What To Know

Route 66’s 100th anniversary has sparked renewed interest in America’s iconic roadside fiberglass giants.
The museum showcases restored giants and highlights the unique stories behind each of the giants.

With Route 66 celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, many Americans are taking to the road to explore the historic pathway that once connected Chicago to Santa Monica. Along the way, they are discovering these long-lost iconic giants.

These iconic roadside behemoths have been beckoning us for over half a century. There are only a few hundred of the original International Fiberglass giants still in existence, including Paul Bunyons, cowboys, Vikings, Texaco Big Friends, Native American chiefs, Uniroyal gals, and others created in the 1960s and ’70s.

Joel Baker, the founder of the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, is dedicated to preserving and saving these iconic American roadside attractions. It’s the Paul Bunyan hot dog giant that actually brought the museum to Illinois, as Baker was visiting the giant when he met his business partner, Lee Woods, who is a collector and runs another roadside stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas, called Giants Garage. Woods purchased American Giants and works with Baker.

While on a recent abbreviated Route 66 road trip with my father and sister to celebrate my dad’s 84th birthday — by chance (and that’s what happens when you travel Route 66, you meet incredible people, hear incredible stories and so much more) — we ran into Baker, who shared the story of some of his beloved giants and how they became housed in the American Giants Museum.

American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois

Outside of the museum sit full-size, 20-foot Muffler Men that International Fiberglass made, including the original 1967 Texaco Big Friend that greets guests upon arrival. This giant is one of only six remaining Texaco Big Friends that still stand today.

The day before Memorial Day, Baker added another giant to his collection — the Indian Brave giant, which previously stood in front of Morell’s Chippewa Trading Post in Bemidji, Minnesota, and had been a landmark to the area for over 50 years, dating back to the 1960s.

“His story is that he was made in Venice, California, by International Fiberglass, and like many early giants, he was shipped to a trade show,” Baker said. A frequent tactic to generate awareness on how to buy these giants and use them for marketing your store or restaurant. “Oftentimes, somebody at the show would actually buy the giant and take it home, and that’s what happened to him. He was purchased by a couple that was running a gift shop and clothing store in Bemidji, Minnesota, and they took him home. Morell’s Chippewa Trading Post had him all the way up until last year, when their daughter was retiring (they had long passed), and it was time to find him a new home. Thankfully, I had stopped in a few years ago and just casually said to her, ‘If you ever need to find a home for your giant, here’s what we do,’ and I showed her the museum, and so she called me up and we went up there and got them.”

Next to the Native American stands Baker’s favorite, The Snerd.

Indian Brave Giant from Bimidgi, Muffler Men

“This guy is dear to my heart because he was my first one ever that I bought,” Baker shares. “It was 2012, and I was getting into these giants, and this guy popped up on eBay, and I told my wife, ‘Isn’t this a great idea? I can buy this guy for $2,500.’ And she let me.”

Today, these giants cost far more. Originally, The Snerd was missing the back of his head and his legs (he had no pants). He originally stood tall in front of an amusement park in Ohio, but ended up with just his upper torso at a bar and restaurant called Wagon Wheel in Madison, Ohio, in the 1980s. Baker restored The Snerd, and he’s now proudly displayed outside the museum.

For the full story of all the giants at the museum, photographer Rodrigo Izuierdo from Reagle Photography and his wife, Desiree Chandler, a broadcast journalist, captured a unique tour of the museum with Baker while I was visiting. You can watch their interview here. [This is another testament to the chance encounters and friendships you make along Route 66 and in small-town America.]

To find out more about these roadside icons or to plan your own visit, go to the American Giants Museum website.