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Join us on an exhilarating journey as we delve into the unexplored and unconventional locations using the Atlas Obscura app. Our video showcases the essence of these hidden gems, so sit back,, and enjoy the adventure of discovery with us.
Episode 1 - Mentryville
IN 1876, OIL WAS DISCOVERED in Pico Canyon making it the first successful oil strike in California. Charles Alexander Mentry discovered the well and became the superintendent of an oil company that would later become Chevron. A town was constructed around the well and took on the name Mentryville, named after Charles. The well itself was dubbed Pico No. 4.
With expert drillers arriving from Pennsylvania to work on the well, the population of the town exploded and so did the number of structures. The town grew to include bunkhouses, barns, machine shops, houses, a dance hall, and a schoolhouse. Around 100 families called Mentryville home, including Mentry himself, who maintained a 13-room mansion in town.
As oil production slowed during the 1920s, many of the town’s residents left the following decade. However, caretakers continued to live onsite until the 1990s. This made Pico No. 4 the longest continually producing oil well in the world.
Today, Mentryville is located in a conservancy area, with trails and several structures still standing including Mentry’s mansion, the schoolhouse, and a barn. There is also a camp and recreation area further up the canyon.
Exploring the area gives visitors an opportunity to discover the remnants of a once-thriving town and take a journey into the past. Mentryville has also been used over the years for scenes in various movies and television shows.
With expert drillers arriving from Pennsylvania to work on the well, the population of the town exploded and so did the number of structures. The town grew to include bunkhouses, barns, machine shops, houses, a dance hall, and a schoolhouse. Around 100 families called Mentryville home, including Mentry himself, who maintained a 13-room mansion in town.
As oil production slowed during the 1920s, many of the town’s residents left the following decade. However, caretakers continued to live onsite until the 1990s. This made Pico No. 4 the longest continually producing oil well in the world.
Today, Mentryville is located in a conservancy area, with trails and several structures still standing including Mentry’s mansion, the schoolhouse, and a barn. There is also a camp and recreation area further up the canyon.
Exploring the area gives visitors an opportunity to discover the remnants of a once-thriving town and take a journey into the past. Mentryville has also been used over the years for scenes in various movies and television shows.
Episode 2 - Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
WALKING ALONG THE EIGHT MILES of trails in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, you might feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz with the carpet of poppy flowers stretching out before you.
The high desert landscape in the Mojave Desert is protected by the California Department of Parks and Recreation for its floral beauty. Poppies are the California state flower, but nowhere else in the state are the blooms so stunning and vibrant. The flowers usually return in mid-February and last to mid-May, although it depends heavily on the rainfall.
While the reserve is known for its poppies there is also an abundance of yellow flowers called Gold Fields. These little flowers are source of the wide swaths of yellow seen on some of the hills.
Since the 1970s, grazing animals have been kept away and people visitors are prohibited from taking any souvenirs, but aside from that the poppies are left completely to their natural splendor.
The high desert landscape in the Mojave Desert is protected by the California Department of Parks and Recreation for its floral beauty. Poppies are the California state flower, but nowhere else in the state are the blooms so stunning and vibrant. The flowers usually return in mid-February and last to mid-May, although it depends heavily on the rainfall.
While the reserve is known for its poppies there is also an abundance of yellow flowers called Gold Fields. These little flowers are source of the wide swaths of yellow seen on some of the hills.
Since the 1970s, grazing animals have been kept away and people visitors are prohibited from taking any souvenirs, but aside from that the poppies are left completely to their natural splendor.
Episode 3 - Music Road
ORIGINALLY CREATED FOR A HONDA commercial in September 2008, the Civic Musical Road consists of strategically placed grooves that, when driven over, produce the musical notes to the finale of Rossini’s “William Tell Overture.”
Located in Lancaster, California, the original road was constructed on Avenue K, but city officials paved over it 18 days later due to noise complaints from the nearby neighbors. It was reported that the neighbors were also sick of the “crazy behavior” of some of the drivers.
The road was rebuilt on Avenue G in October 2008 and remains there to this day. The new location is two miles away from any residential areas, therefore presenting less problems for the locals. Visitors who wish to hear the musical piece must stay in the far left lane of the three-lane road. Though many drivers have tried the road at multiple speeds, it is said that driving at 55mph provides the optimal sound quality. Incidentally, 55pmh is also the posted speed limit.
Located in Lancaster, California, the original road was constructed on Avenue K, but city officials paved over it 18 days later due to noise complaints from the nearby neighbors. It was reported that the neighbors were also sick of the “crazy behavior” of some of the drivers.
The road was rebuilt on Avenue G in October 2008 and remains there to this day. The new location is two miles away from any residential areas, therefore presenting less problems for the locals. Visitors who wish to hear the musical piece must stay in the far left lane of the three-lane road. Though many drivers have tried the road at multiple speeds, it is said that driving at 55mph provides the optimal sound quality. Incidentally, 55pmh is also the posted speed limit.
Episode 4 - Robolights
Robolights is an art installation in Palm Springs, California. It consists of sculptures that were made by Kenny Irwin starting in 1986 and surround his house at 1077 E Granvia Valmonte. All the sculptures are made from recycled materials. It is a popular attraction during the holiday season in the winter,[2] with around 60,000 visitors in 2018.[3][4] It is the largest residential, private, Christmas lights display in the United States.[5]
Kenny Irwin Jr., the creator of the sculptures, created his first robot, a 10 ft (3.0 m)-tall wooden robot, at age 9. He developed a signature style — large, lit-up, and multicolored robots. His father, Ken Irwin Sr., who is also an artist, allowed him to use the family home as a "canvas" and Irwin continued to build robots since. The installation began in 1986, when Irwin was only 12.[1] He continues to build robots 350 days a year and 10–12 hours a day.[2][5]
A vandal stole many Christmas lights and some sculptures were stolen in 2009. In 2012, the cost of running of the installation became too great and Irwin had to ask for donations online.[1]
The city of Palm Springs sued Irwin in 2016 for violating the building code, as visitors were frequently annoying residents of nearby houses, generating noise, traffic, and trash. In that same year, an electrical fire broke out on the property due to a malfunctioning electric component of the pool. After the fire, the area was subject to inspections, and the city found that some statues on the roof were unauthorized. These statues could provide a potential danger if the wind blew them off. Because of this, the city ordered Irwin to close the property to the public. However, he did not comply, and he was brought to court. The case was eventually settled in 2017, with Irwin having to require a permit and pay for a program that would reduce trash and traffic. In 2018, Irwin agreed with the city to move his art to a more commercial location, with the city providing $125,000 to cover expenses.[3] As of the 2023 season, the move has not occurred.[1][6] *From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenny Irwin Jr., the creator of the sculptures, created his first robot, a 10 ft (3.0 m)-tall wooden robot, at age 9. He developed a signature style — large, lit-up, and multicolored robots. His father, Ken Irwin Sr., who is also an artist, allowed him to use the family home as a "canvas" and Irwin continued to build robots since. The installation began in 1986, when Irwin was only 12.[1] He continues to build robots 350 days a year and 10–12 hours a day.[2][5]
A vandal stole many Christmas lights and some sculptures were stolen in 2009. In 2012, the cost of running of the installation became too great and Irwin had to ask for donations online.[1]
The city of Palm Springs sued Irwin in 2016 for violating the building code, as visitors were frequently annoying residents of nearby houses, generating noise, traffic, and trash. In that same year, an electrical fire broke out on the property due to a malfunctioning electric component of the pool. After the fire, the area was subject to inspections, and the city found that some statues on the roof were unauthorized. These statues could provide a potential danger if the wind blew them off. Because of this, the city ordered Irwin to close the property to the public. However, he did not comply, and he was brought to court. The case was eventually settled in 2017, with Irwin having to require a permit and pay for a program that would reduce trash and traffic. In 2018, Irwin agreed with the city to move his art to a more commercial location, with the city providing $125,000 to cover expenses.[3] As of the 2023 season, the move has not occurred.[1][6] *From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Episode 5 - World's largest paper cup
A TRUE AMERICANA TRIBUTE TO the paper cup, this 68-foot-tall concrete statue of a paper cup is the largest in the world. Its location feels somewhat random as it currently sits at the entrance of a manufacturing warehouse business park in Riverside, California. However, this once was the location of the former Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation.
The Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation dates back to 1911, when it first started operating in New York. In 1951, the company moved its manufacturing to Springfield, Missouri, and built another large cup statue in front of its headquarters. The Riverside location opened in 1958.
After several company mergers and plant facility expansions and closures, this location finally shut down in 1997. but the mighty paper cup still stands, refusing to be disposed of like countless smaller cups that were created in the nearby factory. The big gulp of a cup statue is a fan favorite for those who pull off the 215 freeway to snap photos of a disposable cup that simply won’t be thrown away. - Information found on Atlas Obscura
The Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation dates back to 1911, when it first started operating in New York. In 1951, the company moved its manufacturing to Springfield, Missouri, and built another large cup statue in front of its headquarters. The Riverside location opened in 1958.
After several company mergers and plant facility expansions and closures, this location finally shut down in 1997. but the mighty paper cup still stands, refusing to be disposed of like countless smaller cups that were created in the nearby factory. The big gulp of a cup statue is a fan favorite for those who pull off the 215 freeway to snap photos of a disposable cup that simply won’t be thrown away. - Information found on Atlas Obscura
Episode 6 - Mr. Ed's Home
IF YOU’VE EVER WONDERED WHERE talking horses are found, this iconic red barn on Harvester farms (named after Mr. Ed’s father) is the answer.
Quintessentially red and offset beautifully by green foliage in the foreground, is where Mr. Ed the Talking Horse (real name, Bamboo Harvester) lived after he came into this world in Reseda in 1949. Bamboo Harvester was named after his father, Harvester, as is tradition in equine breeding.
The barn is special not only because of its role in Mr. Ed’s life, but because architecturally, it is one of few original redwood barns of its kind remaining in all of the Los Angeles area. It was built around the turn of the century and operated as a poultry farm, its many acres also housing cattle and horses. In the 1950s, the place became the Palomino Horse Association headquarters and Mr. Ed’s father was used as a stud to create the pedigree. The current owner has been living in the neighboring house and maintaining the barn since the ’80s. The barn is also being considered as a state landmark due to its historical significance. It is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 645, designated in 1997. - Information found on Atlas Obscura
Quintessentially red and offset beautifully by green foliage in the foreground, is where Mr. Ed the Talking Horse (real name, Bamboo Harvester) lived after he came into this world in Reseda in 1949. Bamboo Harvester was named after his father, Harvester, as is tradition in equine breeding.
The barn is special not only because of its role in Mr. Ed’s life, but because architecturally, it is one of few original redwood barns of its kind remaining in all of the Los Angeles area. It was built around the turn of the century and operated as a poultry farm, its many acres also housing cattle and horses. In the 1950s, the place became the Palomino Horse Association headquarters and Mr. Ed’s father was used as a stud to create the pedigree. The current owner has been living in the neighboring house and maintaining the barn since the ’80s. The barn is also being considered as a state landmark due to its historical significance. It is Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 645, designated in 1997. - Information found on Atlas Obscura
Episode 7 - Volkswagen Spider
LOCATED ON THE SITE OF a former auto repair shop stands a giant metal spider, the body of which is a Volkswagen Beetle. Although the warehouse it seems to guard is private property, the large work of art is visible from the street and tall enough to be seen from the other side of a fence.
The property itself is known as “Hole In The Wall” (formerly Hole In The Wall Welding Shop) and has an overall atmosphere of desert eccentricity, adorned with cacti, metal spider webs, and a gate decorated with the local horizon.
The 28-foot-tall sculpture was built by Palm Springs local Robert Miner. Miner ran his auto repair shop from the early 1970s through the 1990s. Afterwards, his family moved onto the property. Miner passed away in 2008, but his eye-catching art lives on.
The property itself is known as “Hole In The Wall” (formerly Hole In The Wall Welding Shop) and has an overall atmosphere of desert eccentricity, adorned with cacti, metal spider webs, and a gate decorated with the local horizon.
The 28-foot-tall sculpture was built by Palm Springs local Robert Miner. Miner ran his auto repair shop from the early 1970s through the 1990s. Afterwards, his family moved onto the property. Miner passed away in 2008, but his eye-catching art lives on.
Episode 8 - Vasquez Rocks
JUTTING OUT OF THE EARTH near the San Andreas Fault, and visible from the highway, the Vasquez Rocks are a group of sandstone formations located just 45 minutes outside of downtown Los Angeles.
Formerly the home of the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples, the 932-acre site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and is maintained today by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.
Over the years, these rocks have been a favorite film site for Hollywood, appearing in numerous films and TV shows such as Planet of the Dinosaurs, Star Trek, and The Flintstones. They were named after the bandit Tiburcio Vasquez.
Formerly the home of the Shoshone and Tataviam peoples, the 932-acre site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and is maintained today by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.
Over the years, these rocks have been a favorite film site for Hollywood, appearing in numerous films and TV shows such as Planet of the Dinosaurs, Star Trek, and The Flintstones. They were named after the bandit Tiburcio Vasquez.
Episode 9 - Big Metal Roadrunner
LARGER THAN LIFE MUSIC-LOVING bird has found a nest in La Quinta, California. The giant roadrunner that made its debut at the Coachella Music Festival has flown a few miles west and landed in the middle of a traffic circle.
La Quinta’s big metal roadrunner started life not as a piece of public art, but as an installation at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Sculpted by New Mexico-based artist Don Kennell, the roadrunner held a porch swing and invited visitors to rock and roll from its oversized beak. La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans, seemingly a regular Coachella attendee, saw the bird and was immediately attracted to the piece.
When Goldenvoice (the concert promoter behind Coachella) approached La Quinta about a four-year loan of one of the festival’s art pieces, Mayor Evans got behind the idea immediately. A year later, the giant metal bird landed at its new residence in the center of a rotary at Jefferson Street and Avenue 52 (but without the swing). Mayor Evans and La Quinta hope the sculpture stands as a testament to the partnership between the city and the ever-expanding festival, which has been a financial boon for the region.
La Quinta’s big metal roadrunner started life not as a piece of public art, but as an installation at the 2014 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Sculpted by New Mexico-based artist Don Kennell, the roadrunner held a porch swing and invited visitors to rock and roll from its oversized beak. La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans, seemingly a regular Coachella attendee, saw the bird and was immediately attracted to the piece.
When Goldenvoice (the concert promoter behind Coachella) approached La Quinta about a four-year loan of one of the festival’s art pieces, Mayor Evans got behind the idea immediately. A year later, the giant metal bird landed at its new residence in the center of a rotary at Jefferson Street and Avenue 52 (but without the swing). Mayor Evans and La Quinta hope the sculpture stands as a testament to the partnership between the city and the ever-expanding festival, which has been a financial boon for the region.
Episode 10 - Shields Date Garden
A MAMMOTH KNIGHT IN ARMOR points the way to Shields, just off U.S. Highway 111 in Riverside County, California. From the dusty heat of the Colorado Desert, follow the knight’s guidance into the calm and splendor of Shields Date Garden, overlooking the majestic Santa Rosa Mountains.
When Floyd and Bess Shields opened the Shields Date Garden on Christmas Day in 1924, they knew competition would be strong in the rapidly-growing Coachella Valley date industry. To distinguish his date farm from all others in the valley, Floyd began offering lectures to visitors on the lawns of the garden. In the 1950s, he did one better: a slide show with a recorded soundtrack, cheekily named “The Romance and Sex Life of the Date.” Today, garden visitors can enjoy the slideshow, which has since been turned into a film that plays on a loop in the garden’s own “Romance Theatre.”
But the main attraction of Shields is, without question, not the suggestively titled cinematic experience, but the actual grounds: 17 acres of date groves, with a little pond at its center and Jesus in its heart. For here, amidst the beauty of winding pathways and date palms lush with fruit, are 23 biblical sculptures depicting Christ’s life, from birth to resurrection. They were donated in 2011 by a Canadian couple who were regular Shields Garden visitors, and are dispersed amid the date palms, olive trees, aloe plants, and citrus trees that populate the garden.
When Floyd and Bess Shields opened the Shields Date Garden on Christmas Day in 1924, they knew competition would be strong in the rapidly-growing Coachella Valley date industry. To distinguish his date farm from all others in the valley, Floyd began offering lectures to visitors on the lawns of the garden. In the 1950s, he did one better: a slide show with a recorded soundtrack, cheekily named “The Romance and Sex Life of the Date.” Today, garden visitors can enjoy the slideshow, which has since been turned into a film that plays on a loop in the garden’s own “Romance Theatre.”
But the main attraction of Shields is, without question, not the suggestively titled cinematic experience, but the actual grounds: 17 acres of date groves, with a little pond at its center and Jesus in its heart. For here, amidst the beauty of winding pathways and date palms lush with fruit, are 23 biblical sculptures depicting Christ’s life, from birth to resurrection. They were donated in 2011 by a Canadian couple who were regular Shields Garden visitors, and are dispersed amid the date palms, olive trees, aloe plants, and citrus trees that populate the garden.
Episode 11 - Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve
CLUSTERS OF PALM TREES TUCKED into the Indio Hills? This is no mirage.
The San Andreas fault slashes across the valley, and the groundwater that it pushes toward the surface makes this place ideal for thirsty Washingtonia filifera, or California fan palms—the only variety native to the state.
That’s refreshing news for anyone who wants to seek solace and shade beneath their drooping green fronds. The Coachella Valley Preserve offers plenty of chances to do just that.
At the free Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve, visitors can hike more than 25 miles of trails that wind through various desert ecosystems. You can clamber over canyons, stroll through a desert wash and dunes, or—if the season and rain conditions are right—survey a seemingly endless carpet of buttery yellow blooms.
You could spend a whole afternoon at McCallum Pond, which is ringed by tall palms that may be as many as 150 years old. Find a spot on one of the benches. Allow your eyes to roam between the canopy and the hills in the distance, and you might find that you can’t tear yourself away.
The San Andreas fault slashes across the valley, and the groundwater that it pushes toward the surface makes this place ideal for thirsty Washingtonia filifera, or California fan palms—the only variety native to the state.
That’s refreshing news for anyone who wants to seek solace and shade beneath their drooping green fronds. The Coachella Valley Preserve offers plenty of chances to do just that.
At the free Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve, visitors can hike more than 25 miles of trails that wind through various desert ecosystems. You can clamber over canyons, stroll through a desert wash and dunes, or—if the season and rain conditions are right—survey a seemingly endless carpet of buttery yellow blooms.
You could spend a whole afternoon at McCallum Pond, which is ringed by tall palms that may be as many as 150 years old. Find a spot on one of the benches. Allow your eyes to roam between the canopy and the hills in the distance, and you might find that you can’t tear yourself away.
Episode 12 - Pioneertown
ROUGHLY TWO HOURS OUTSIDE OF Los Angeles, there is a tiny little desert town that looks frozen in the 19th century.
Dusty slatted cabins are adorned with cow skulls and cactus gardens. Old fashioned barrels and rocking chairs sit on every porch. There are actual tumbleweeds tumbling down the streets. This isn’t an abandoned ghost town—far from it—rather, this town was originally a 1940s movie set.
The population’s average age is around 30, and in the past year a restaurant, a recording studio, and a vintage store opened up in Airstream trailers and the old slatted buildings. Paul McCartney recently played a set at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace Saloon.
As a New York Times piece described it, “Pioneertown wants to be the new Old West,” but it wasn’t ever the real Old West, to begin with. Pioneertown was originally designed to accommodate actors during the filming of old Western movies.
The saloons, trading posts, and other frontier storefronts were used as backdrops in a number of early Western serials from The Cisco Kid to Judge Roy Bean. Given the swift and prolific production schedules of the televised adventures, the set was soon expanded to accommodate real residences where the actors could live. The construction of the town was funded and overseen by such Western greats as actors Roy Rodgers and Russell Hayden
Dusty slatted cabins are adorned with cow skulls and cactus gardens. Old fashioned barrels and rocking chairs sit on every porch. There are actual tumbleweeds tumbling down the streets. This isn’t an abandoned ghost town—far from it—rather, this town was originally a 1940s movie set.
The population’s average age is around 30, and in the past year a restaurant, a recording studio, and a vintage store opened up in Airstream trailers and the old slatted buildings. Paul McCartney recently played a set at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace Saloon.
As a New York Times piece described it, “Pioneertown wants to be the new Old West,” but it wasn’t ever the real Old West, to begin with. Pioneertown was originally designed to accommodate actors during the filming of old Western movies.
The saloons, trading posts, and other frontier storefronts were used as backdrops in a number of early Western serials from The Cisco Kid to Judge Roy Bean. Given the swift and prolific production schedules of the televised adventures, the set was soon expanded to accommodate real residences where the actors could live. The construction of the town was funded and overseen by such Western greats as actors Roy Rodgers and Russell Hayden
Episode 14 - World Famous Crochet Museum
THE INCREDIBLY APPROPRIATELY NAMED SHARI Elf was not even thinking of her crochet obsession when she purchased the disused photo-processing booth in Joshua Tree, California, that now houses the self-titled World Famous Crochet Museum.
Elf had been collecting crochet items since the early 1990s, years before she decided to purchase the roadside hut that now houses her collection. After just happening on the stand, she purchased it without a real idea of what she would do with it. She later moved it to its current Joshua Tree home and covered it in a layer of lime-green paint. Her collection of crocheted items had been placed in storage, but she carted it out and arranged it along the new shelves she built inside.
Among the eclectic collection you’ll find just about every conceivable type of item, represented in crochet form. There are animals like poodles, bears, and unicorns. There are also more abstract designs, like smiley faces and lumpy little creations that are less identifiable.
The upbeat collection celebrates the eclectic tastes of its owner as much as it does the art of crochet. With few other contenders to for the title, this little roadside oddity may just be as famous as its sign claims.
Elf had been collecting crochet items since the early 1990s, years before she decided to purchase the roadside hut that now houses her collection. After just happening on the stand, she purchased it without a real idea of what she would do with it. She later moved it to its current Joshua Tree home and covered it in a layer of lime-green paint. Her collection of crocheted items had been placed in storage, but she carted it out and arranged it along the new shelves she built inside.
Among the eclectic collection you’ll find just about every conceivable type of item, represented in crochet form. There are animals like poodles, bears, and unicorns. There are also more abstract designs, like smiley faces and lumpy little creations that are less identifiable.
The upbeat collection celebrates the eclectic tastes of its owner as much as it does the art of crochet. With few other contenders to for the title, this little roadside oddity may just be as famous as its sign claims.
Episode 15 - Felicity, California: Center of the World
ACCORDING TO THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT and California’s Imperial County, the official center of the world lies in the town of Felicity in California’s Sonora Desert. There is no scientific or political reason for the designation, but only the effort of Jacques-André Istel and his wife Felicity Lee (the town’s namesake), who founded the town in 1986.
Jacques-André made his name and fortune as a famous French-American parachutist and co-founder of Parachutes, Inc., which produced parachuting equipment and opened the first parachuting school in the United States. He is credited as a key figure in popularizing parachuting in America and has been referred to as the “father of American skydiving.” In 1985 he wrote the children’s book “Coe: The Good Dragon at the Center of the World” about a dragon that lived at the center of the world, which served as the inspiration behind the town’s creation.
After Istel was unanimously voted mayor, in a 3-0 vote, he erected a pyramid to mark the exact spot of the world’s “center.” Over the last 25-years, Istel added many sights to his town, including a beautiful traditional-style church on a man-made hillside (modeled after a church in Brittany), a lone outdoor 25-foot staircase that was formerly part of the Eiffel Tower, a checkered field of flowers, and a 15-foot bronze sundial that incorporates Michelangelo’s Arm of God. The most ambitious of his additions is the Museum of History in Granite, World Heritage Site candidate (“Design worth the trip” TIME magazine), which currently consists of 18 one-hundred foot triangle-shaped granite monuments, meant to “engrave in granite highlights of the collective memory of humanity.” The completed subjects so far include “The History of Arizona”, “The History of California”, “The History of the United States”, “The United States Marine Corps Korean War Memorial” (in which Istel served), “The History of French Aviation”, and “The History of the French Foreign Legion”. The eight monument “History of Humanity” is built but only 30% engraved to date. Two new monuments will have “Animals of the World”.
Visitors to the site between Thanksgiving and Easter will receive a 15 minute tour and signed certificate declaring that they have been to “the center of the world.”
Jacques-André made his name and fortune as a famous French-American parachutist and co-founder of Parachutes, Inc., which produced parachuting equipment and opened the first parachuting school in the United States. He is credited as a key figure in popularizing parachuting in America and has been referred to as the “father of American skydiving.” In 1985 he wrote the children’s book “Coe: The Good Dragon at the Center of the World” about a dragon that lived at the center of the world, which served as the inspiration behind the town’s creation.
After Istel was unanimously voted mayor, in a 3-0 vote, he erected a pyramid to mark the exact spot of the world’s “center.” Over the last 25-years, Istel added many sights to his town, including a beautiful traditional-style church on a man-made hillside (modeled after a church in Brittany), a lone outdoor 25-foot staircase that was formerly part of the Eiffel Tower, a checkered field of flowers, and a 15-foot bronze sundial that incorporates Michelangelo’s Arm of God. The most ambitious of his additions is the Museum of History in Granite, World Heritage Site candidate (“Design worth the trip” TIME magazine), which currently consists of 18 one-hundred foot triangle-shaped granite monuments, meant to “engrave in granite highlights of the collective memory of humanity.” The completed subjects so far include “The History of Arizona”, “The History of California”, “The History of the United States”, “The United States Marine Corps Korean War Memorial” (in which Istel served), “The History of French Aviation”, and “The History of the French Foreign Legion”. The eight monument “History of Humanity” is built but only 30% engraved to date. Two new monuments will have “Animals of the World”.
Visitors to the site between Thanksgiving and Easter will receive a 15 minute tour and signed certificate declaring that they have been to “the center of the world.”
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