Colossus of Roads

The world's largest prairie chicken, a restaurant shaped like a fish, a massive Paul Bunyan, an enormous ear of corn-roadside sculpture is a uniquely American phenomenon, and these strange and wonderful figures are scattered along highways and standing in small-town squares, particularly in the Midwest.

These odd, oversized attractions have become destinations for travelers. Whether it serves art, commerce, or local pride, the colossus is a stopping place where the everyday rules of reality are suspended and the observer can gain insight into the way these communities imagine themselves.