Let’s face it, roadside attractions are a quirky way to enhance a family road trip. The 1980′s film National Lampoon’s Vacation is a perfect example. You may remember the line Chevy Chase’s character Clark Griswold says: “Hey, hey, easy kids. Everybody in the car. Boat leaves in two minutes … or perhaps you don’t want to see the second largest ball of twine on the face of the earth, which is only four short hours away?” Sure, this movie exaggerates the humor of the Great American Road Trip but the truth is there are a number of silly, interesting and kooky roadside attractions across the U.S., from the Standing on the Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona to, yes, the World’s Largest Ball of Twine (actually there are several claiming the title).
My family recently took a day trip to Darwin, Minnesota where the “World’s Largest Twine Ball Rolled By One Man” (key phrase: “one man”) is found. Rival “biggest twine balls” are found in Wisconsin, Missouri and Kansas. The twine ball in Minnesota was created by Francis A. Johnson. He started in 1950 and apparently wrapped the twine for four hours a day. Fast forward to today, and the final product is on display 24-hours a day in an enclosed gazebo. It’s challenging to get a good photo of the ball due to the reflective pexiglass. But we were lucky – during our visit a nice man offered to open the door so we could touch it can take photos. He even dared the kids to try and move it. When you visit be sure to look for the large mailbox which holds the guest book.
Tip: Be sure to pack a lunch because a nice park and picnic area is located right across the street as you can see in the video.
Location: Darwin Twine Ball Museum is located just two blocks south of Hwy 12 in downtown Darwin, MN which is about 60 miles west of Minneapolis.
Some fun facts about the ball o’ twine from the Darwin Twine Ball Museum website:
- Measures 13 ft in diameter
- 40 ft in circumference
- Weighs 17,400 pounds
- After Francis died in 1989 the city moved the twine ball from his farm to where it is today.
I’ve heard about those – too wild!!
One site you might like is Roadside America – http://www.roadsideamerica.com/ All the odd attractions in the USA.
I’m planning to visit the “Largest Ball of Twine NOT Rolled by One Man” later this summer.
Ha Ha! You crack me up:)
I can’t believe all these places you’re going that I’ve never been to in 43 years of living in this are! Fun to see you on video. I always wonder what people sound like.
Debbie
Due to a strange compulsion for quirky roadside attractions, I drag my unfortunate family on a lot of trips to see the world’s largest…whatever. I blog about it at: http://GoBIGorGoHomeblog.com. We just took a day trip to see the World’s Largest Lightbulb in Edison, NJ!
I thought for sure we might head to the ball of twine or the SPAM museum today — no dice!
Diane – Thanks for the site! There were quite a few spots I hadn’t heard of before now.
Jody – Can’t wait to see your recap of that twine ball.
Debbie – I hear ya! I lived in Dallas and never went to the 6th Floor Museum until I returned for a visit.
Traci – Hilarious! Maybe we’ll run into each other at one of these funny attractions one day.
Kara – Me too!