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Gnome Toppled By Bigger Gnome

April 11, 2010

In the world of real, living gnomes, gigantism is a fatal defect. You’d get stuck crawling into your tree. You’d be easily spotted and either eaten by some forest carnivore, or captured and probed by some mad scientist or aspiring P.T. Barnum.

But in the world of roadside attractions, the most famous garden gnome is the biggest, and itty-bitty doesn’t count.

Thus the former World’s Largest Garden Gnome, in Kerhonkson, New York, certified by Guinness World’s Records, is no longer quite as worthy of our collective awe. It’s been bested by a 15-foot-tall gnome that has just been installed in the Reiman Gardens of Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The portly, towering Midwestern gnome is the centerpiece of Reiman’s “Celebration of Garden Ornamentation” theme.

The folks in Ames point out that their gnome is merely the world’s largest concrete gnome, shorter than a 17-footer made of fiberglass somewhere in Poland, and modeled as an exact replica of a concrete lawn ornament, not a real gnome. But these caveats are cold comfort for Kerhonkson, which now must bulk up its gnome a good four feet to recapture its former glory, or settle for the title of World’s Largest Free-to-View Concrete Gnome.

[Thanks to Charles and Shelly for the tip]

Sections: Attraction News, Statues 2 Comments »

2 Responses to “Gnome Toppled By Bigger Gnome”

1. Chuck Says:
   April 23rd, 2010 at 12:48 pm

   If the folks in Kerhonkson want to be impressive, they should do what folks do with their regular garden gnome. Haul that bugger around the country and get a picture of it next to different landmarks!

2. lilly smith Says:
   April 26th, 2010 at 10:43 am

   I LUV YOU!

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