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) |  |
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." |  |
Illinois | ||
| Aroma Park | A white spherical water tower features the Grinning One. | |
| Atlanta | Town where the hot dog muffler man also resides. Both arrived in 2003, the town's 150th birthday. |  |
| 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." |  |
| 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. |  |
| Thomasboro | Blue-green sphere with a Smiley Face, near Rantoul. |  |
| 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! |  |
Indiana | ||
| Ashley | Painted bright yellow and with smiley face, this water tower also sports a black bow tie. |  |
| Markle | Not yellow, but light blue, and not even round. and it features a black button nose. Not really a Smiley face....? |  |
Michigan | ||
| Flushing | Water tower painted with smiley face, reported to be nicknamed "Kick-boy-Face." |  |
| 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. |  |
| 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. |  |
| Millington | Smiley Water Tower, with overly large black eyes. Visible on north side of M-15 |  |
| 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). |  |
| 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. |  |
Minnesota | ||
| Freeport | A silver cylinder with conical roof, features a Smiley Face in the classic bracketed grin and close-set eyes. |  |
| Spring Park | A blue sphere with Smiley Faces painted on each side. Slated for destruction, replaced by a new water tower labeled with the town's name. |  |
| Waite Park | Was yellow with close-set Smile button eyes, but now reported repainted white with a small happy face. |  |
Nebraska | ||
| Axtell | A Face Water Tower in Axtell may be long gone, but fondly recalled. | |
| 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. |  |
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.... |  |
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. | |
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). |  |
| 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! |  |
