More Giants coming to the Atlanta
American Giants Museum in time for grand opening weekend
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[May 28, 2024]
Friday, May 24 kicked off the beginning of the grand
opening weekend for the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois.
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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.
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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.
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Other exhibits include several different giant heads
suspended from the ceiling and the 7-foot Esso tiger perched on a
ledge.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
![](../images/052524PIX/photo%20S005%20rest%20stop%20marker_small.jpg)
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 |