Only in America (11 Photos vol. 3)

October 22, 2026

By Vidar

From a Wyoming pond to a South Carolina water tower

A troll lies by a pond in Wyoming, a cherry sits in a spoon in Minneapolis and a water tower in South Carolina is a peach. Volume 3 has eleven more works from ten states: roadside giants, park sculptures and one very large lumberjack.

More: Only in America (14 Photos vol. 2)

🧌 Mama Mimi — By Thomas Dambo in Wilson, Wyoming, USA 🇺🇸

She lies on the bank of the pond in Rendezvous Park, near Jackson Hole, with one leg stretched out to a little island. The people in the photo are on it. Danish artist Thomas Dambo finished her in June 2021, his 80th troll, built entirely out of recycled and locally sourced materials. In his own rhyme, she helps “the little people dry, across the river flow.”

💡 Troll Fact: Jackson Hole Public Art maintains her every year. In June 2026, five years on, it told Buckrail she will stay as long as she is safe and sturdy, with a cleaning and a coating this fall.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsMama MimiThomas Dambo · 2021 · Rendezvous Park, Wilson, WyomingDambo’s 80th trollRecycled wood and steelJackson Hole Public Art1Jackson Hole Public Art produced Mama Mimi, Thomas Dambo’s 80th troll, and the Jackson Hole Land Trust hosts her at R Park.Jackson Hole Public Art press release, 15 Jul 20212Her hair is made of driftwood roots Dambo’s crew found on the Snake River’s banks, according to the News&Guide.Jackson Hole News&Guide, 2 Jun 202120212 JunNews&Guide: newly built202115 JulJackson Hole Public Art press release202322 NovCowboy State Daily feature202623 JunFifth birthday, BuckrailRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Jan Blattmann

More: 10 Giant Trolls Hiding in Forests, Lakes and Ruins

🔗 Follow Thomas Dambo on Instagram

🌳 The Green Man — By Mark Acton in Baltimore, Maryland, USA 🇺🇸

The hair, brows and beard are all leaves. Chainsaw sculptor Mark Acton carved the face into a red oak stump by the reservoir in Druid Hill Park in 2012. The Baltimore Sun put his two stumps at more than 12 feet tall and 20 feet around.

💡 Wood Fact: Termite damage was the reason the city had cut the oaks down, and it forced Acton to hollow out both stumps and use shallower cuts. The tough red oak ate up six chains.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe Green ManMark Acton · 2012 · Druid Hill Park, BaltimoreWest end of Druid LakeChainsaw carvingRed oak (Baltimore Sun)1The city cut the red oak down because of termite damage, so Acton had to hollow out the stump, according to the Baltimore Sun.Baltimore Sun2According to Baltimore Fishbowl, Acton was enlisted by the Friends of Druid Hill Park, and his first sculpture was inspired by the Green Man.Baltimore Fishbowl201228 NovBaltimore Fishbowl on the new carvings201220 DecBaltimore Sun, day before dedication201319 OctBlog photo of the fresh carving201610 Jul3D scan published201724 MarBaltimore Heritage photo201726 MarChuck Ditzler’s photosRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Baltimore Heritage / Eli Pousson, Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

More: When Tree Stumps Become Art (10 Photos)

🌱 “UMI” — By Daniel Popper in Lisle, Illinois, USA 🇺🇸

A 20.5-foot mother figure whose body opens into roots, made of steel and glass-fiber reinforced concrete. Popper wrote that UMI means life in Swahili and mother in Arabic. She stood among the magnolias at The Morton Arboretum in his Human+Nature exhibition, which opened on May 28, 2021.

💡 Visitor Fact: The exhibition was planned for about a year and stayed for almost two. The arboretum closed it at the end of February 2023.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsUmiDaniel Popper · 2021 · Hogan Park, Aurora, ColoradoMade for a 2021 showSteel & fiber concrete16,755 lb (developer)1It was made for an Illinois arboretum show, then taken apart, shipped to Colorado and rebuilt with adjusted proportions.Denver72According to the developer, the bark-like look is built on steel and glass fiber reinforced concrete.The Aurora Highlands202120 MayArboretum announces UMI202120 MayOpening announced202222 JulArboretum photo, Lisle202215 DecClosing announced202330 JanWinter photo, Lisle202319 AugUnveiled in Aurora202418 OctDenver Post photo, Aurora202512 NovDenver Gazette visit202612 JunNamed in local news20268 JulConcert at Umi listedRead the full file →

More: “UMI” Sculpture by Daniel Popper in Lisle, Illinois

🔗 Visit Daniel Popper’s website

⭐ Dignity of Earth & Sky — By Dale Lamphere near Chamberlain, South Dakota, USA 🇺🇸

She stands 50 feet tall on a bluff above the Missouri River, next to I-90, holding open a star quilt of 128 stainless steel diamonds. By day the wind moves them and they flash blue in the sun, and at night LEDs light them. The statue was installed in 2016 to honor the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people, a gift from Norm and Eunabel McKie of Rapid City to the people of South Dakota.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsDignity of Earth and SkyDale Claude Lamphere · 2016 · I-90 rest area near Chamberlain, South Dakota50 ft stainless steel12 tonsStar quilt of 128 diamonds1Norm and Eunabel McKie gave the sculpture to the people of South Dakota; it was dedicated on 17 September 2016.SD Hall of Fame2Hyperallergic reports that its face is a composite of three Lakota women aged 14, 29 and 55.Hyperallergic201615 SepSDPB artist interview201617 SepDedicated202115 OctHMDB marker photos202210 OctSouth Dakota Magazine story20222 NovSearchlight photo20237 FebHyperallergic report202427 JanCowboys & Indians feature202418 NovPWNA articleRead the full file →

More: 8 Powerful Public Sculptures That Celebrate Strength, Freedom, and Human Spirit

🔗 Visit Dale Lamphere’s website

🚙 Fremont Troll — By Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead in Seattle, Washington, USA 🇺🇸

He is 18 feet tall, lives under the Aurora Bridge and holds a real Volkswagen Beetle, as if he had just swiped it from the roadway above. The troll won a 1990 Fremont Arts Council competition for the space under the bridge, which had been drawing rodents, old mattresses and beer cans. Steve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead designed and built it together.

💡 Car Fact: The Beetle in his hand has a California license plate, according to the marker at the site.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsFremont TrollSteve Badanes, Will Martin, Donna Walter and Ross Whitehead · 1990 · SeattleReal Volkswagen BeetleChosen by neighborhood voteUnder the Aurora Bridge1Fremont residents chose the troll in a neighborhood vote; it was announced as the winning design on 19 July 1990.Seattle Municipal Archives, 2 Feb 20262The troll’s left hand clutches a real Volkswagen Beetle, whose inside became a time capsule, according to Badanes.The Seattle Times, 30 May 2004199019 JulAnnounced as the winning design199029 SepTroll Day dedication2021JulStreet View: face and hubcap eye202326 SepNew steps to the top2024OctStreet View: arm and back202525 MarAxios: “still draws admirers”Read the full file →

📷 Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, LC-DIG-highsm-50500 (public domain)

🦖 Mr. Rex — By Claude Bell in Cabazon, California, USA 🇺🇸

A concrete Tyrannosaurus taller than the palm trees in Cabazon, west of Palm Springs. Claude Bell, a sculptor and portrait artist at Knott’s Berry Farm, built his dinosaurs to bring customers to his Wheel Inn restaurant. Mr. Rex took him from 1981 to 1986.

💡 Dino Fact: His older neighbor, the 45-foot Dinny, was made from concrete and steel salvaged from a nearby construction site, SPACES Archives notes.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsMr. RexClaude Bell · 1981–1986 · Cabazon Dinosaurs, Cabazon, California65 feet tallSteel and concreteRoadside landmark1Visit California says the park began as a way to get drivers to stop at Bell’s neighbouring Wheel Inn restaurant, which ran from the late 1950s until 2013.Visit California: How to See the Cabazon Dinosaurs2SPACES Archives says Bell, a former sculptor at Knott’s Berry Farm, began Mr. Rex in 1981 and completed him in 1986.SPACES Archives: Cabazon Dinosaurs1975SepPlanned as Bell’s next project1981Begun, according to SPACES1986Completed, according to SPACES1996Photographed by Robert Foster2013Photo by Carol M. Highsmith2026FebStreet ViewRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, LC-DIG-highsm-24447 (public domain)

🍑 The Peachoid — Gaffney, South Carolina, USA 🇺🇸

A 135-foot water tower that holds one million gallons and looks like a peach. The Chicago Bridge and Iron Company built it in 1981 for the Gaffney Board of Public Works, and artist Peter Freudenberg painted it to look like the real fruit, a nod to the area’s peach orchards. It stands beside Interstate 85 and can be seen for miles. The leaf alone is 60 feet long and weighs seven tons, according to SPACES Archives.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe PeachoidChicago Bridge and Iron Company · 1981 · Gaffney, South Carolina135 feet tallOne million gallonsBuilt in 19811The peach-shaped tank on a 135-foot tower holds one million gallons of water.SPACES Archives2According to SPACES Archives, its leaf is 60 feet long and weighs seven tons.SPACES Archives1981Finished, per WFAE201530 AprRepainting under way201728 OctPhoto by Carol M. Highsmith201818 FebFence after vandalism (AP)2025FebStreet ViewRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, LC-DIG-highsm-46659 (public domain)

🪓 Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox — Trees of Mystery, Klamath, California, USA 🇺🇸

Paul is 49 feet tall and Babe 35, both built largely of wooden beams, chicken wire and stucco, at the edge of the redwoods at Trees of Mystery. The first Paul went up in 1946 and was destroyed by rain that winter; this one dates from 1961, Babe from 1950.

💡 Rain Fact: The rain came back for Babe in late 2007, when the ox’s half-ton, 9-foot-wide head fell to the ground. It was repaired in time for the summer season.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsPaul Bunyan and Babe the Blue OxTrees of Mystery · Paul 1961 · Klamath, California49 ft 2 in tallBabe: 35 ft to horn tips30,000 lb each1In November 2007 Babe’s nearly 1,000-pound, 9-foot-wide head fell off and landed snout first; the manager blamed a leak that rotted a beam.Times-Standard, 24 Nov 20072According to Roadside America, the first Paul, papier-mâché and built in 1946, lasted only a year before winter rain melted his head.Roadside America1946First Paul built; rain wrecked him2007AugStreet View200724 NovTimes-Standard reports Babe’s head fell off2026JunStreet View from US 101202622 OctTrees of Mystery pageRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, LC-DIG-highsm-15459 (public domain)

👨‍🌾 The Tin Family — By Gary Greff near Regent, North Dakota, USA 🇺🇸

A farmer, his wife and their son, made of scrap metal and old telephone poles. Mom is 44 feet tall, with barbed-wire hair. Gary Greff started the family in 1989 and finished it in 1991, the first of his giants on the Enchanted Highway, and wanted it to reflect the region’s farming heritage.

💡 Road Fact: The Enchanted Highway is a 32-mile stretch of county road from Gladstone to Regent, Highsmith notes, lined with more of Greff’s scrap-metal sculptures. The Tin Family stands near the Regent end.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsThe Tin FamilyGary Greff · 1991 · Enchanted Highway, north of Regent, North DakotaDad 45 ft, Mom 44 ftScrap metal32-mile art road1SPACES Archives calls the Tin Family “the first piece realized” on Gary Greff’s Enchanted Highway.SPACES Archives: Enchanted Highway2The official page gives 1991 as the year it was erected and lists farm tanks, telephone poles, barbed wire and augers as the scrap metal used.Enchanted Highway: Tin Family1991Erected, the route’s first sculpture group200530 SepPhoto by Carol M. Highsmith (camera date)2013SPACES survey lists the site as extant20243 MayNorth Dakota Living feature2026AugStreet ViewRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, “The Tin Family,” Enchanted Highway, Regent, North Dakota, LC-DIG-highsm-04904 (public domain)

🍒 Spoonbridge and Cherry — By Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA 🇺🇸

A spoon long enough to bridge a pond, and a cherry to match. Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen made it from aluminum, stainless steel and paint between 1985 and 1988, and the Walker Art Center gives its length as 618 inches, just over 51 feet. It is the centerpiece of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and has become one of the city’s trademarks.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsSpoonbridge and CherryClaes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen · 1985–1988 · Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, MinneapolisFountain-sculpture1,200-pound cherryWalker Art Center1The Walker Art Center dates it 1985–1988 and gives its size as 354 × 618 × 162 inches, made of aluminum, stainless steel and paint.Walker Art Center: collection record2It was the first work commissioned for the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and debuted there in 1988, when the garden opened.KSTP, 6 May 20251988Debuted as the garden opened200917 FebCherry off for an overhaul2012OctStreet View202218 FebCherry bolted back on20256 MaySpoon repaint begins202524 MaySpoon repainted in placeRead the full file →

📷 Photo: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith, LC-DIG-highsm-12674 (public domain)

🚗 Carhenge — By Jim Reinders near Alliance, Nebraska, USA 🇺🇸

Stonehenge, rebuilt with 39 old American cars. Some stand trunk-down in pits five feet deep. Jim Reinders built it in 1987 with about 35 family members, as a memorial to his father, who once lived on this farm north of Alliance, and dedicated it at the summer solstice.

💡 Town Fact: According to Highsmith’s caption, the city first lobbied to tear it down, then put a fence around it, and finally embraced it, calling Alliance the “Home of Carhenge.” In 2013 the Friends of Carhenge gave the land to the city.

📂 Artwork File · Sourced factsCarhengeJim Reinders · 1987 · near Alliance, NebraskaCar sculptureFamily-builtNebraska prairie1Jim Reinders built it with his family in June 1987 as a memorial to his father, Herman, and they dedicated it at that year’s summer solstice.Carhenge: official history2Some cars stand upright, trunk end down, wedged into dirt pits; the cars laid across them to form the arches are welded in place.SPACES Archives: Carhenge (2014)1987Dedicated at the summer solstice200723 JunNPR: Carhenge turns 2020131 OctGiven to the City of Alliance20179 AugNPR: ready for eclipse crowds2025SepStreet View202620 JunWOWT: open year-roundRead the full file →