Pit Stop to See the Green Giant
As you know, pit stops during the last leg of a long journey tend to be short, boring, and uneventful. That is unless you plan to see touristy kitsch during your travels.
Using a travel website, we found the Jolly Green Giant TV icon was not only on our path home, it was in the perfect place for a pit stop.
What did we find during our stop?
Location:
1126 Green Giant Lane
Blue Earth, MN 56013
Hours:
Green Giant Statue Park is open 24 hours daily.
Contact:
Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce
First time in Minnesota, we decided to make a quick pit stop to see the Jolly Green Giant statue.
The Big, Green Giant TV Icon
We found the big green guy about a mile off the interstate. He was standing 55’ tall on an 8’ base located in a comfortable, little park. Weighing in at 8,000 pounds, can you guess his shoe size? Word has it he wears a size 78.
The park was a perfect place to stretch our legs. It has picnic tables, places for kids to play and run around, and a few other surprises. If you have a little more time and love history, there’s also a museum just across the parking lot.
Wind chimes were a sweet surprise!
Not much music made.....but we sure had fun trying.
Relax and Play the Chimes
To the left of the Jolly Green Giant we found a musician’s delight. There were four different chime stations in varying sizes and shapes along with drum pillars to play created by Footnotes Harmony Park.
For those of us not so musically inclined, it was just fun and relaxing to hear the tinkling of chimes. We only took a few photos. Besides this being a quick pit stop, we were too busy playing to snap pics!
Found Sprout outside a local restaurant.
Tractor with whirly-gig wheels caught our eye.
More Roadside Silliness
In addition to seeing the Green Giant, we found a couple more little niblets (pun intended!) during our pit stop. Each one in turn gave us a flavor for the town’s personality.
Sign at a local gas station gave us a good laugh.
Wondering Why the Statue was Placed Here?
The Green Giant statue was the brainchildren of a Blue Earth radio station owner, Paul Hedberg. When he learned I-90 would bypass the town, Paul went into action.
He knew interstate highways were great for moving travelers across country but not so great for small town economy. Luring travelers into Blue Earth with the Green Giant statue was his way of making lemonade out of lemons, giving tourists an extra reason to stop in Blue Earth.
So, if you love cheesy, roadside attractions or just want a cool place to relax, find the Green Giant Park when traveling across southern Minnesota. It’s worth the stop.
Stairs behind the statue allow tourists to easily climb the base for a photo-op between the Giant’s legs.
About Blue Earth, Minnesota
Blue Earth is a small town on the southern border of Minnesota, found where the east and west branches of the Blue Earth River meet. Its name is translated from Mahkato (a Dakota Indian word) meaning “greenish blue earth.”
The town tagline is “Small City, Giant Living” and it has a population just over 3,100.
Wanting more ideas on relaxing, playing or learning?
Check out our "Things to Do" page for other Worthy Detour stops.
Those musical elements look really fun!
They were! Those who can play music would have had a blast. We just enjoyed hearing the sounds from each of the five different “instruments” there.