Skip to Main Content

Rubber Band Ball.

World's Largest Rubber Band Ball - 1998-2006 (Closed)

Field review by the editors.

Chevy Chase, Maryland

The long reigning "World's Largest Rubber Band Ball" began as an artistic exploration by a bored guy toiling in a law firm's mailroom in Wilmington, Delaware. John Bain worked on his rubber band ball for over five years. As it grew larger, he secured donations of large industrial rubber bands from a company in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He received his first Guinness World Record certificate in 1998, and managed to hold onto the record until 2006. His rubber band ball weighs over 3,120 lbs. and is 15.1 ft in circumference.

John provides helpful advice on recordball.com to aspiring challengers: "Putting something in the middle is cheating! Take one thick rubber band and tie it in a knot. Begin wrapping other bands around it. The ball will look retarded until it reaches the size of a golf ball."

The ball can be viewed in the front window of an auction house in Chevy Chase that purchased the ball for promotional purposes. Bain wrote that "they plan to auction off the ball in the future and give me the profits from the sale."

In November 2006, John's title was lost to a 19-ft circumference Rubber Band Ball created in one intense year of effort by 26-year old Steve Milton in Oregon (the ball had Office Max as its corporate sponsor). And there is still a rival rubber band ball in San Francisco secretly plotting to grab the World's Largest claim.

World's Largest Rubber Band Ball - 1998-2006

Directions:
Hwy 355 - Wisconsin Ave. In the front window of the Sloans and Kenyon auction house.
Hours:
September 2009 - Reported in Storage. (Call to verify)
Phone:
301-634-2330
Admission:
Free.
Status:
Closed

More Quirky Attractions in Maryland

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Maryland.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Maryland Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights