The town of Frazee, Minnesota — known as the Turkey Capital of the World — hosts a 20 feet tall turkey statue (”Big Tom”) which is known as a popular roadside attraction and sets the world record for the Largest monument to the Turkey.This Big Tom stands over 20 feet (6.1 m) tall and is 17 feet (5.2 m) wide.
It weighs over 5,000 pounds, having 1,000 pounds of steel reinforcement.
The legs were made a little shorter and stouter than a normal turkey to better handle the weight.
The Largest monument to the Turkey is estimated to have 3,000 to 4,000 separate fiberglass feathers, which took the D.W.O. Fiberglass Company over 2,000 hours to make.
The original Largest monument to the Turkey was built on a metal frame and covered in cement, fiberglass, cardboard, and insulation. When it was finished in 1986, it stood 22 feet (6.7 m) tall and cost $20,000 to build, earning Frazee the title of “Home of the world’s largest turkey.”
Because of Big Tom’s physical makeup, it needed frequent repairs. There were also complaints that Big Tom was not proportioned like a real turkey.
The area committee decided that they needed a new Big Tom and commissioned artist Dave Oswald (D.W.O.) of Sparta Wisconsin whose work includes the giant 40 foot Holstien cow in New Salem, North Dakota and a 180 foot Northern Pike in Hayward, WI.
When removing the old Largest monument to the Turkey in July 1998, a cutting torch was used to remove the wings. As soon as the torch touched the bird, Big Tom caught fire, completely destroying the statue.
The new Largest monument to the Turkey arrived in Frazee in August 1998. Coming in three separate pieces on a flatbed trailer, it took eight hours to assemble.
World’s Largest Turkey
Address: Route 10, Frazee, MN
Directions: Hwy 29 to Rt 10. On a hilltop, southwest side of town, in Lions Park.