More Giants coming to the Atlanta American Giants Museum in time for grand opening weekend

 

[May 28, 2024] 

Friday, May 24 kicked off the beginning of the grand opening weekend for the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois.

The American Giants Museum, located on Vine Street in Atlanta, is designed to tell the story of the International Fiberglass Company. In the early 1960’s, this company produced the now iconic Muffler Man and Paul Bunyan giant statues found across Route 66.

The AGM building has been designed to look like a 1960s Texaco Gas Station. The design was chosen because the AGM collection includes a rare 24 foot tall Texaco Big Friends statue. Three hundred of the Texaco Big Friend giants were fabricated in the 1960s as part of a marketing campaign, but today, only six remain.

On the walls of the museum, photographs and text tell the story of the Texaco Big Friend’s disastrous marketing campaign. Various artifacts, documents, photos and giant fiberglass body parts inside the museum share the story of the American giants.

Artifacts installed in the museum last June included an 11-foot Gas Station Waving Guy statue, a five-foot by three-foot by one-and-half-foot A & W Root Beer Mama Burger and a three-foot by two-foot by four-foot A & W Root Beer Baby Burger. A few weeks before that, a Uniroyal Tire Gal Leg and Foot and Indian Muffler Man Tomahawk had been placed in the museum.

Other exhibits include several different giant heads suspended from the ceiling and the 7-foot Esso tiger perched on a ledge.

Outside the museum stands Snerd. The Snerd, also known as the half-wit giant, is 19 feet tall and looks like Alfred E. Neuman of Mad Magazine.

Eventually, the museum grounds will include up to six American Giant statues, and will be the largest collection of American Giant statues anywhere along all of Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Joel Baker, founder, owner and manager of the American Giants Restoration Company is part of the crew responsible for preparing the giants at a restoration shop.

In Baker’s online journal of his Muffler Men travels, Baker said his interest in finding Muffler Man statues began in early 2011. What started out as a bit of fun grew into a real passion for tracking down and finding muffler men and sharing their stories.

Baker first met Atlanta’s Bill Thomas in 2012. Around five or more years ago, Baker and Thomas began talking about establishing a museum in Atlanta.

In 2023, their dream of opening a museum finally came to fruition. Funding for AGM came through the Atlanta Betterment Fund, a 501 (c)(3) organization, established in 2008 through private donations and administered by a board of directors.

Another person who has played a key role in the museum is Scott McCoy, who became Atlanta’s tourism director in May 2023.

From 2005 to 2009, McCoy served as mayor of Pontiac and became very involved in the development of their Route 66 tourism. He now lives in Bloomington, so Atlanta is just 20 minutes from him.

In a June 3, 2023, Lincoln Daily News article, McCoy said “Route 66 tourism is unlike any other type of tourism. There is regional tourism and there is outside tourism. When people are visiting Atlanta, they are also spending money here, and that's the ultimate goal of tourism. Route 66 is a unique tourist area, almost like walking into Walt Disney World. People have cash in their pockets to spend during their trip and they want to spend it.”

The Texaco Big Friend was initially supposed to be installed on Friday, but due to rainy weather and problems with the torso his arrival was delayed.

Baker said from 1966-1967, the Texaco Big Friend was part of a big promotion that included sweepstakes. By 1967, Baker said the promotion was done.

Though the Texaco Big Friend has been in restoration for the past year, Baker said much of the work has been done in the past month. Currently the restoration company is putting the finishing touches on the giant.

By Sunday afternoon’s grand opening of the American Giants Museum, Baker said the Texaco Big Friend will be installed. When the Texaco Big Friend is in place on the west side of the museum, it will be 7’ taller than the museum building and 4’ taller than the Paul Bunyan Giant [aka Hot Dog guy] on the next block.

On Friday, a Chicago area Waving Giant was brought in to be installed temporarily.

The American Giants crew is still trying the discover the full history of the Waving Giant, but from what they have been able to piece together, Adventures in Addison ordered the Waving Giant and two other Muffler Men.

Later, the Waving Giant was sold and moved to Bartlett, Illinois where he stood at Big Ben’s Tire Barn, which was an actual barn used as an office.

By the late 90’s, the City of Bartlett decided the Waving Giant either needed to be restored or taken down. In 2000, the giant was taken down and stored in the attic of the barn.

In 2012, Joel Baker tracked the Waving Giant down and found him in the barn.

Just recently, Baker called the giant’s owner to see if he wanted to sell it. It turns out Baker’s timing was great since the business is being sold.

Thursday, May 23, the Waving Giant was removed with the help of Lee Woods and his truck and trailer and arrived in Atlanta the following day.

The Waving Giant will be on display all weekend at the American Giants Museum and will soon be restored at the ReGiant Restoration Shop.

Also on hand for the grand opening weekend will be the Gemini Giant, a famous Route 66 spaceman, who will be making a pit en route to the Restoration Shop. The Joliet Historical Museum and City of Wilmington recently purchased the Gemini Giant. Baker and his crew are thankful to them for allowing the Gemini Giant to make this stop before going into restoration.

Later this summer, the restoration crew hopes to install the Viking Carpet Giant on a concrete pad on the east side of the museum in the Land of the Giants Route 66 Rest Stop Area. Times will be announced the week before the planned installation.

The American Giants Museum will be open Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, May 26 a grand opening ribbon cutting will take place at the American Giants Museum.

The public is invited to make it an afternoon event, as food will be available in Atlanta’s Xenia Park just across the street starting at noon. Options available include a BBQ food truck, grilled ribeye, pork chop and/or brat sandwiches from a sidewalk vendor. The nearby Country Aire Restaurant and Chubby’s Bar and Grill will also be open. Missy’s Sweet Shop at the Palms Grill Cafe will feature specials made just for the occasion.

At 12:30 p.m., Sunday, Joel Baker, of American Giants, LLC will be present for a Question and Answer Session and will also sign autographs. Several American Giant Museum related souvenirs will be available for purchase.

Throughout the weekend, visitors are welcome to check out Atlanta’s other attractions including the J.H. Hawes Grain Elevator Museum, the Atlanta Coal Mining Company Historical Mine, the Atlanta Museum, the Atlanta Route 66 Construction Exhibit, and shops.

Additional details may be found on the American Giants Museum website: https://www.americangiantsmuseum.com/ and the American Giants Facebook page.

[Angela Reiners]

Related Link:
June 3, 2023. City of Atlanta making a "giant" impact on route 66 tourism. Lincoln Daily News