A field guide to muffler men and other fiberglass giants
How a 1960s advertising fad left 20-foot figures standing in towns across the country.
By Tobias Reyes · September 10, 2026 · 8 min read
In the early 1960s, a California boat-building company began selling a fiberglass lumberjack about 20 feet tall. Businesses bought him as a roadside advertisement. Over the years the same mold turned into cowboys, astronauts, pirates and, most famously, a muffler shop mascot holding an exhaust pipe.
How to spot one
Look at the hands. The original lumberjack held an axe, and the right hand points up while the left points down. Many figures still have that pose even though they now hold a hot dog, a rocket or a golf club.
Where they are now
Collectors and towns have saved dozens of them, often after a local campaign. The Gemini Giant south of Chicago is the best known one on Route 66. Filter the planner's Roadside Oddities category and you'll find more along almost any interstate.
Visiting etiquette
Many of these figures stand in front of businesses that are still open. Buy a coffee, ask before you climb anything, and share your photos. Attention from visitors is often what keeps a giant from being sold off.
