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 On Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November, the
American Giants Museum was opened for the final weekend of the 2024
season. It gave people a chance to check out the Big Boy and other
artifacts inside the museum for the last time in 2024.
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 was 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 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.
The Big Boy joins several other artifacts that were installed in the
museum in May and June 2023. These artifacts include 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 Uniroyal Tire
Gal Leg and Foot and Indian Muffler Man Tomahawk.
This winter, these artifacts will still be visible
through the windows of the museum. Snerd and the Texaco Big Friend,
the giants on each of the museum stand guard throughout the year.
The Big Boy artifact is an iconic part of American
culture. For years, the Big Boy figures could be found outside Bob’s
Big Boy and Shoney’s Big Boy restaurants around the United States.
Joel Baker, founder, owner and manager of the
American Giants Restoration Company, said many people have asked him
about Bob’s Big Boy over the years.
Recently, Baker found one of the Big Boys in Oregon, but he said it
needed quite a bit of work done. Baker then saw a Big Boy for sale
on Facebook Marketplace.
The Big Boy that was for sale was in Charleston,
South Carolina and Baker said it was in good shape. For example, the
hamburger and bun Big Boy holds in his right hand, still has
fiberglass lettuce in it. Eventually, Baker said the paint on the
figure may need to be touched up.
Though the Big Boy was not likely made by the Internation Fiberglass
Company, Baker said some of them were made at the company. Their
molds were also stored there.
As for the Big Boy Baker bought in South Carolina, he said it was
likely made either in Wisconsin or somewhere in the south.
This week, Baker loaded Bob’s Big Boy in his truck and drove him all
the way from Charleston, South Carolina to Atlanta, Illinois.
Also on site over the weekend was Mike Taylor, owner
of When Dinosaurs Attack. Taylor makes miniature 3D printed Muffler
Men like the ones found in Atlanta and other places on Route 66. He
brought several miniatures with him, and they were available for
sale for $10.
Since Snerd, Texaco Big Friend and Paul Bunyan statue often known as
the hot dog guy are all in Atlanta, Taylor had these figures
displayed on a case in the museum and several people purchased them.
Another miniature Taylor brought was the Gemini Giant, the famous
Route 66 spaceman currently being restored. On Saturday, November
30, The newly restored Gemini Giant will be installed at Wilmington,
Illinois South Island Park.
Muffler Man photographer Mike Curtis was also at the
museum this weekend. Curtis said he has photos of 240 Muffler Men.
In addition, Curtis has a YouTube channel called 2lanetraveller,
which is about Muffler Men, vintage diners and roads like Route 66.
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Curtis and Baker search together for different
Muffler Men and share information about them. Curtis said Baker has
helped him find a few Muffler Men. Curtis said he and Baker has
probably taken photos of more Muffler Men than any else has.
Later in the afternoon, Jessica Anderson, who was
recently crowned National Route 66 Supreme Queen in Barstow,
California, stopped by. Anderson currently lives in Pekin. In her
role, Anderson will travel around Route 66 and be part of grand
openings at various places along the route.
Photo by Mike Taylor
Many people stopped by the American Giants Museum
over the weekend to see the new attraction on the final weekend the
museum is open for the year.
The American Giants Museum will reopen for tours in Spring 2025. In
addition, Baker said two more giants will be installed in 2025. One
is the Viking and another the Phillips 66 guy.
During the 2025 season, the Big Boy figure will be on
display inside the American Giants Museum.
[Angela Reiners]
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