Atlanta

Maybe someday.

But one of my favorites is in Atlanta, Illinois.

And it is the world's largest collection of muffler men.

So those are those like giant roadside guys who are holding a muffler or a tire that used to be advertisements in the 1960s.

His name is Joel Baker.

And he there's a few different collectors around the country that he works with.

So he brought the collection to Atlanta, which is really fun.

Wow.

I'm doing okay.

Talking to you from Atlanta.

Atlanta, Illinois.

Atlanta, Illinois?

Oh.

The land of Paul Bunyan.

I'm going to...

YMCA statewide conference in Bloomington today, and so I just pulled over at Atlanta.

I'm Brian Mackey.

We are continuing our journey on Route 66, and today we begin in Atlanta, Illinois, at the American Giants Museum.

As the name suggests, its collection features giant statues of brand icons that were once a staple of Route 66, serving as attractions for passersby.

But like many things associated with the Mother Road, they have faded into memories, both metaphorically and also physically.

I discovered them in 2011 and started doing a bunch of research and was just fascinated by their history.

And that has led to restorations years later.

And now here we are with a museum dedicated to these giants and their history, which is in Atlanta, Illinois.

And the history of the Muffler Man is obviously fascinating and, you know, kind of how it ties into Route 66 and stuff like that.