Earlier this year we made a trip to Elkhart, Indiana, to get some major repairs done on our RV. Our starting point was in southern Utah, in early spring, so we chose to take a more southerly route and head north somewhere in Oklahoma. Towards the end of our route, we were driving through Illinois on Interstate 70 when we kept seeing signs for the “World’s Largest Rocking Chair.”
We thought we had seen the largest rocking chair in Missouri on Route 66 a few years ago but decided to take a lunch break and check it out. What we found was not just a rocking chair, but evidence of a very small town of about 2,700 people making a very big effort to attract people from the freeway a few miles away.
Casey, Illinois, is the official home to 12 World’s Largest Attractions, and we had to see them all!
It’s home to the…
- World’s Largest Windchime
To put things into perspective - World’s Largest Golf Tee
- World’s Largest Rocking Chair
- World’s Largest Wooden Shoes
- World’s Largest Pitchfork
- World’s Largest Mailbox
- World’s Largest Key
- World’s Largest Gavel
- World’s Largest Twizzle Spoon
- World’s Largest Golf Driver
- World’s Largest Barber Shop Pole
- World’s Largest Teeter Totter
Besides that, they have other big things, like a birdcage, bat, and horseshoe.
I took the liberty of sitting in the birdcage swing and walking on the world’s largest teeter-totter. You could climb up to the inside of the largest mailbox and get a view of the entire town.
Old Americana
The town itself is a grand example of small town America that seems to have survived the tough past couple of decades that boarded up many small town shops around the U.S.
A local business owner, Jim Bolin, came up with the idea of Big Things Small Town. He was born and raised in Casey and felt he wanted to give back to a community that gave so much to him. Jim also built all but two of the items on display.
Most materials used to build the larger-than-life items were recycled. Wood came from old telephone poles, and the metal was damaged pipe from used oil tanks. If you ever lived in a rural farming community, you know that you never throw anything out.
You can easily walk to many of the attractions, starting from the single stoplight in the middle of town.
Casey proves how big of a heart a small town can have. If you are near there this weekend, they are having their annual Candy Canes on Main event to promote shopping locally. If you miss that, you could take a walk through the Christmas at Fairview Park light displays.
##RVT1029
Very cool! Thank you!
We camped at Fairview City Park. Everybody we met in the town was friendly. We enjoyed our time in Casey.
Largest windchimes? Now I know I’m not going. Can’t stand the constant noise.
Agreed!! Can’t stand them!