Towns with Smiley Face Water Towers
Smiley Face water towers can be found from Atlantic coast towns clear out to the Great Plains. We're not sure why the phenomenon peters out short of the Rockies. Here is a list of current Smile Face water tower sightings. If you notice something we've missed, or can contribute a photo -- let us know.
| California | Helm | Not a water tower -- probably a storage tank of some type. He appears to have designs on his companion... (Simplot J R Company, between Hanford and Hwy 5. 12688 S Colorado Ave) |
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| Iowa | Adair | Water tower erected in 1979. "Adair -- It'll make you smile!" Intense Smiley atmosphere of the '80s and '90s diminished by loss of Happy Chef restaurant and other grin-related businesses. May have once been the "Happiest Town in America." Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Hillcrest St., Adair, IA Directions: I-80 exit 76, north on Hwy 925, right on Hillcrest St. [Show Map] |
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| Illinois | Aroma Park | A white spherical water tower features the Grinning One. Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: 5th St., Aroma Park, IL Directions: Southeast of Kankakee in Aroma Park, 5th St. and N. Bridge St. [Show Map] |
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| Illinois | Atlanta | Town where the hot
dog muffler man also
resides. Both arrived in 2003, the town's 150th birthday.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: South St., Atlanta, IL Directions: I-55 exit 140. Drive west on Hwy 25 into town, and continue straight on South St. The Tower will be straight ahead. [Show Map] |
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| Illinois | Calumet City | Calumet City boasts of its TWO Smiley Face
water towers -- "Mr. & Mrs.
Smiley." Claims the earliest Smiley WT, in 1973. Bumper stickers say:"Home
of the Smiling Water Towers."
Smiley Face Water Towers: Address: Calumet City, IL Directions: Visible to the north from I-94. Probably near Hwy 83 and Pulaski Rd. [Show Map] |
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| Illinois | Makanda | Tall yellow sphere, emblazoned with a Smiley
Face. Makanda is also home to the Boomer
the Dog monument. Update - Nov. 2004: A repainting project
included adding a bowtie to honor a Makanda native, the late
US Senator Paul Simon.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Wiley Lane, Makanda, IL Directions: On the east side of US Hwy 51, just south of its intersection with Makanda Rd. [Show Map] |
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| Illinois | Thomasboro | Blue-green sphere with a Smiley Face, near Rantoul.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Rantoul, IL Directions: West of town, on the east side of I-57 exit 250. [Show Map] |
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| Illinois | Watseka |
Eerily similar to the big yellow sphere
with a Smiley Face in Thomasboro/Rantoul and "WATSEKA" labeled vertically. Last report verifies they are not the same water tower! Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Lafayette St., Watseka, IL Directions: Greets travelers entering town from the west, on the south side of US Hwy 24/Lafayette St. [Show Map] |
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| Indiana | Ashley | Painted bright yellow and with smiley face,
this water tower also sports a black bow tie.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: W Hobart St., Ashley, IN Directions: I-69 exit 140, then west into town. [Show Map] |
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| Indiana | Markle | Not yellow, but light blue, and not even
round. and it features a black button nose. Not really a Smiley face....?
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: N. Clark St., Markle, IN Directions: At the intersection of N. Clark St./Hwy 3 and W. Logan St./US Hwy 224. [Show Map] |
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| Michigan | Flushing | Water tower painted with smiley face, reported to be nicknamed "Kick-boy-Face."
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Flushing Rd., Flushing, MI [Show Map] |
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| Michigan | Fruitport | Water tower painted yellow with smiley face. Two spotlights for night viewing
added March 2005. Face painted on when tower was first built in 1975. In
2000,
residents voted to keep the smile on the water tower. Town plans to conduct
a naming contest.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: 6435 Airline Hwy, Fruitport, MI Directions: United Building Centers. On the west side of Airline Hwy just north of E. Pontaluna Rd. Smile face is on the north side. Hours: Visible 24/7. [Show Map] |
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| Michigan | Ironwood | Smiley Water Tower, spotted in the fading light behind an industrial park. On the eastern edge of town. Visible from eastbound US 2, at the top of a distant hill. |
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| Michigan | Millington | Smiley Water Tower, with overly large black eyes. Visible on north side of M-15 Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Bishop St., Millington, MI Directions: North side of Hwy 15. Bishop St. and Depot St. [Show Map] |
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| Michigan | Wells | A small town contiguous to Escanaba in the upper peninsula of Michigan on the north shore of Lake Michigan. East and south of the Gardens Of Rest cemetery, about two blocks east of M-35/US-2
(towards the lake). |
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| Michigan | West Branch | "City with a Smile." A classic yellow Smiley water tower, promoted by
local booster Ralph "Mr. Smiley" Steinhauser. Town maintains
an old police prowler, painted yellow and decorated with the Smiley water
tower, to
promote safety.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: 404 Griffin Rd, West Branch, MI Directions: SE of town, Griffin Rd between Refinery Rd and Parkway Dr. [Show Map] |
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| Minnesota | Freeport | A silver cylinder with conical roof, features a Smiley Face in the classic
bracketed grin and close-set eyes.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: 4th Ave. SW, Freeport, MN Directions: I-94 exit 140, northeast side. [Show Map] |
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| Minnesota | Spring Park | A blue sphere with Smiley Faces painted on each side. Currently slated for destruction, replaced by a new water tower labeled with the town's name. More info at www.savethesmile.com. |  |
| Minnesota | Waite Park | Was yellow with close-set Smile button eyes, but now reported repainted white with a small happy face.
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: 15th St. SW, Waite Park, MN Directions: W. 15th St. SW, in the parking lot of a beer distributor. [Show Map] |
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| Nebraska | Axtell | Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: 1044 23 Rd., Axtell, NE Directions: Bethpage Mission, visible from Hwys 6 and 34. Take the main drag a couple blocks north. |
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| Nebraska | Gibbon | Smiley Face water tower reported. | |
| New Jersey | Longport | Not yellow, but light blue, facing Margate's Lucy the Elephant . We've seen this one a million times, but never get any closer than a grainy telephoto view from Lucy's howdah. Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: S. 31st Ave., Longport, NJ Directions: East of Pacific Ave. between S. 30th and S. 31st Aves. [Show Map] |
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| North Dakota | Grand Forks | Silver cylinder with conical roof -- smile face art includes a small black bow tie. The water water tower was built in 1931, and the winking smile face was added in the 1970s. Reported in 2006 to be threatened with demolition, which optimistic townspeople are fighting.... Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: S Washington, Grand Forks, ND Directions: I-29 exit 140 east. Corner of S Washington and Demers, just north of 5th Avenue S.. [Show Map] |
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| South Carolina | Columbia | The City of Columbia's Water Treatment facility has a round blue water tank that has a Smiley painted with white paint. Visible from the I-77/126 bypass. |
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| Texas | Smithville | From US-71 near Smithville, take FM-153 East, the tower is 7 miles from the city limits, right at the fork of FM-2104 and FM-153. |  |
| Wisconsin | Eagle | A yellow water tower with smile face. (Craig
Thom snapped this image with his phone).
Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Hwy 67, Eagle, WI Directions: Northwest side of the intersection of Hwys 67 and 59. [Show Map] |
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| Wisconsin | Oconto Falls | Smiley Face water tower. Last seen by the
Roadside Team in 1991.Reported in June 2006 as painted blue -- but the smile is back! Smiley Face Water Tower: Address: Jackson St., Oconto Falls, WI Directions: Around 25 miles north of Green Bay on US 141, then west five miles on Hwy 22. South of E. Highland Drive, west of Cherry Avenue, at the end of Jackson Street. [Show Map] |
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Smiley Water Towers: The face that launched a thousand sips
