Springfield Illinois is an incredible treasure trove of roadside Americana - vintage signs, neon, gas stations, diners, and of course, muffler men! The Lauterbach Giant is a Paul Bunyon style muffler man. Today he is missing his axe, but on special occasions he holds an American flag instead. The Lauterbach Giant has been on a few road trips of his own. In 1961 he made his first stop at Midtown Tires in Springfield. That business only lasted a year, so in 1962 the muffler m

Atlanta Illinois must be the Muffler Man capitol of the world, with Muffler Men on just about every corner. and home to the American Giants Muffler Man museum. One of our favorites is the giant hot dog man - yes, it’s a Muffler Man holding a giant hot dog! Happy days. Before moving to Atlanta giant hot dog man lived at Bunyon's Drive Through hot dog stand in Cicero Illinois. He was erected there in the mid-sixties and lived there for 40 years until Bunyons closed in 2003.

We do have a soft spot for Muffler Men, and the 30 feet tall Gemini Giant is one of the greatest muffler men in existence (even though his “space helmet” does rather resemble a muffler man welding mask). Like most Muffler Men, he currently does not stand in his original location, having enjoyed a few different locations around his hometown of Wilmington Illinois, along Route 66. When we visited him, he was living his last few days beside The Launching Pad diner, where he

Yes, he is holding a giant chicken wing …. yes, he is also holding a bottle of hot sauce … yes, he’s smoking a cigar…. yes, he has a giant Herman Munster scar across his forehead and on his wrists … no, I don’t know why he has any of these things. He is also sitting on top of a building, which houses a local restaurant, kind of hiding in plain sight. The restaurant is called Cigars and Stripes BBQ Lounge, and The Berwyn Muffler Man is also known as The Cigars and Stripes

We absolutely LOVE people with eclectic collections of vintage everything in their private yards, and this is one of the best. (yes, it is private property, but you can see a LOT from the street) In addition to the muffler man, there is a myriad of hubcaps, outboard motors, an airplane, a phone box, a big chicken, and wait … is that the statue of liberty!??? (no, it’s just her head) But we came to see the muffler man, and he is a good one. Dressed in the typical Paul Buny

Flagstaff Arizona is muffler man crazy!!! Not one, but TWO muffler men reside there, plus a mini muffler man! This 20-foot-tall Lumberjack muffler man resides outside the Northern Arizona University Skydome and carries an axe and wears a red beanie. He goes by the name of Louie. He was donated to the university in the 70’s after The Lumberjack Restaurant, his former home, closed its doors. He now is the number one fan for The Lumberjacks basketball team, who play here in

We LOVE Escondido for boasting more than its fair share of quirky roadside attractions and the giant 25-foot-tall fiberglass Joor Muffler Man is at the top of the list. The Joor Muffler Man's giant feet in shiny black shoes have proudly stood on the corner of East Valley Parkway and Juniper Street for more than 50 years. There he stands, legs slightly apart, offering his giant muffler to the world for well-deserved admiration. Rumour has it that this Muffler Man sometimes don

Little Louie the Lumberjack is a 10-foot-tall lumberjack who stands randomly in a car park in Flagstaff Arizona. The location was once the home of The Lumberjack Cafe, but the business was sold in the 1970’s. Flagstaff originally had 3 giant lumberjacks. two 20-foot-tall fiberglass lumberjacks, and this 10-foot-tall wooden version, all standing together in the cafe’s car park. The other two were donated to the local sports arena. -the home team are called The Lumberjacks, and

Chicken Boy started his life in the 1960’s, as a 22-foot-tall fiberglass muffler man. He underwent some cosmetic surgery when he was purchased by Chicken Boy Fried Chicken, including being given a chicken head, and new arms that could hold a giant chicken bucket. Chicken boy lived happily in Downtown Los Angeles, with all the other show biz types, on Broadway, near the Grand Central Market. He remained there until 1984, when the owner of Chicken Boy Fried Chicken died. (This

The Giant Cowboy started his life in 1965 as The Mecca Cowboy and stood outside Poor Richard’s Pawn Shop and Mini Mart in Mecca, near The Salton Sea. Fast forward to 2017, the happy day Glen Steigelman and Steve Halterman found The Mecca Cowboy at The Yucca Valley Swap Meet. He was in bad shape, decapitated, with his head lying by his side (ouch) The Mecca Cowboy was restored, given a new home at The Station, and a new name, Big Josh. (The Station is a restored former Richfie

All your giant genie in turban wishes are about to come true. The giant genie has a face on the front and on the back, which is slightly disturbing. He was originally the Carpeteria genie, built in 1960, but in more recent times, he has granted the wishes of Superior Tiles, and now loyally holds their sign above his head for all to see. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern California #36 - last visited 23rd April 202