If a flying saucer full of curious space creatures descended upon the small town of Casey, Illinois—they would most likely think that the town was inhabited by giants. A 55-foot tall wind chime, a 56-foot tall rocking chair, and a gargantuan pitchfork are just a few of the oversized items that line Casey’s quaint streets. Despite all of the enormous accoutrements, Casey, Illinois is not home to a single giant.
An averaged-sized human named Jim Bolin decided that Casey needed a little something to distinguish it from other small Midwestern towns. Jim Bolin started building large items in quick succession. Before Bolin knew it, Casey’s oversized sculptures had set several “World’s Largest” records. Bolin’s enormous wooden shoes—which are inscribed with Bible verses—are one of Casey’s most popular attractions.
In addition to sculptures that are so large that they appear in the Guinness Book of World Records, Casey is also home to several charming “big” objects—such as a pencil and mousetrap. Essentially everywhere you look in the town of Casey, there is an oversized sculpture of a bird cage, mailbox, or spinning top to catch your eye.
Photo by Brandon Bartoszek/Flickr
Casey’s enormous teeter-totter has been the talk of the town in recent years. It is actually possible to make the teeter-totter move back and forth if you walk from one side to the other. Thankfully, the gigantic teeter-totter has gates and handrails so that visitors won’t going flying every time it moves.
Photo by Alan C/Flickr
Several of Casey’s sculptures are interactive. You can play the wind chime, sit in the bird cage, and climb inside of the mailbox. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be shrunk by a shrink ray, a trip to Casey is the ideal way to find out. Having your picture taken atop a giant rocking horse is worth the trip.