Precious Metal: Goldie 1971 – The Fallen Robot, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
When Birmingham, Alabama‘s Sloss blast furnaces closed for good in 1971, it brought to an end the area’s nine decades, as one of the South’s largest pig iron manufacturers.
In 2009, University of Alabama alumnus Joe McCreary, secured scrap iron from long abandoned furnaces. He used it to build Goldie 1971; a striking rust colored robot sculpture. This way, he payed tribute to the area’s iron industry.
Goldie 1971 was named after a signature that was welded into Sloss’ No.1 furnace, during a repair. Its face is resembling Frankenstein’s monster and weights three tons. The 23 foot long sculpture lies on its side, as though the having fallen, at the university’s Woods Quad sculpture garden.
Woods Quad is open year-round and visitors wishing to see the sculpture can expect to pay $5 for campus parking. It offers an irresistible photo opportunity for delighted passers-by.
However, it’s what this fallen giant represents that makes it so arresting: the decline of the American iron industry and an era gone by.
Address:
301 7th Ave
7th Ave & Capstone Drive
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35401
United States
Coordinates: 33.2130, -87.5456
UnusualPlaces Field Notes
- Location
- Goldie 1971 sculpture, northeast corner of Woods Quad Sculpture Garden in front of Woods Hall, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
- Coordinates
- 33.21301, -87.54556
- Access
- Goldie is an outdoor sculpture in the University of Alabama’s Woods Quad Sculpture Garden. Use campus paths and obey event signs and temporary restrictions. The University’s visitor guide marks Woods Quad free to visit; parking is separate and subject to posted visitor-deck rates.
- Admission
- Viewing Woods Quad is free in the University’s 2025–26 visitor guide. Parking is separate; the University currently lists visitor-deck rates of $1.50 for the first hour and $2.50 for each following hour, with a $15 daily cap on weekdays 7 a.m.–6 p.m.; check the parking office for reduced evening/weekend rates and current terms.
- Time needed
- The University does not publish a separate visit duration for Goldie. It is one outdoor sculpture in Woods Quad; the campus tour covers several other sites and is not a Goldie-specific duration.
- Best season
- The University does not publish a preferred season for Goldie. The permanent outdoor sculpture is not described as seasonal. A non-game weekday may be quieter; fall football Saturdays bring larger crowds. This is planning guidance, not an official recommendation.
- Opening hours
- No current University schedule for Woods Quad was found. Atlas Obscura’s older listing says it is open 24/7, but the University visitor materials do not confirm around-the-clock access; follow current campus notices and event restrictions.
- Location checked
- 2026-10-13
- Facts checked
- 2026-10-13
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