This Wabash Valley Attraction is Kind of a Big Deal: Big Things in Casey, Illinois
What does it take for a small town in the midwest to make a BIG impression? If we’re talking about Casey, Illinois, the answer is 8 world records!
Illinois Road Trip Idea: Visit the Big Things in the Small Town of Casey, Illinois
The “Big Things in a Small Town” have started to attract international attention. Luckily, for our local readers, it’s only about 37 minutes from Terre Haute to Casey, Illinois.
In 2017, CBS news posted a story on the Big Things and included this quote from the dreamer and creator of the big things, Jim Bolin.
It all started with the World’s Largest Wind Chime, erected in 2011 to drive tourists to his wife’s café: “The wind chime, when I first built it, I said, ‘That’s my fishing lure.’ We cast it out to the interstate and try to reel people into our little small town here to see what we got.”
To qualify for a Guinness World Record, there are specific rules about size, materials used and usability.
Usability?
Yes! Functionality is a factor! That means that the rocking chair rocks, the wind chime chimes, and the knitting needles and crochet hook were actually used to knit a 10×10 square to make the record.
And the mailbox? It works too! Buy a stamp, write a postcard, drop your mail in the largest mailbox, and watch the red flag go up to show that there’s mail for the postman to collect.
The most popular item, although it does not hold a record is the birdcage. People (including my own family) enjoy swinging in it.
Given their track record, it’s no surprise that the dreamers and creators have plans to expand and add even more records to Casey’s already impressive collection.
Jim plans on building a teeter-totter that will be placed in Fairview Park that visitors will be able to ride. He anticipates perhaps 4-6 people will need to sit on each end in order to make it teeter (or totter).
Each item takes about 2 years to build, since they do not build them year round. Their main company is a pipeline maintenance company, so it is only when we have slower times that they are able to dedicate employees to help build.
Casey, Illinois is home to 8 certified Guinness World’s Largest attractions and many other super-sized items as well! All are free to visit and visible 24/7.
I love combining a visit to the big things with dinner at Richards Farm!
There are tons of relatively-easy Illinois road trips, but one of my very favorites might be a day trip to see the “big things” in Casey, Illinois! For information, visit the Big Things in a Small Town website or facebook page.
