Skip to Main Content

Rocky Taconite.

Rocky Taconite

Field review by the editors.

Silver Bay, Minnesota

In Silver Bay, the bulbous metalloid face of Rocky Taconite brightens the day of travelers on Highway 5. A Reddy Kilowatt kind of anthropomorph, Rocky is made of quarter-inch-thick iron hammered into spheres (up close you can see the texture from the hammering), holds a pick in his gloved hand, and wears a miner's hat. He stands on a boulder of taconite, the ore that saved America's steel industry when we learned to extract iron from it after the pure ores in the Mesabi Range were exhausted.

Rocky was completed in 1962 and assumed his perch in 1964, when he was given his name in a contest (The second-place finisher was "Petey Pellet"). A plaque on the boulder notes that Rocky commemorates "the transition of taconite to steel" and honors the "genius" of those who figured out how to change "a useless rock into a valuable product."

Rocky Taconite

Address:
Adams Blvd, Silver Bay, MN
Directions:
On the northwest corner of Hwy 5/Outer Drive and Adams Blvd, just west of Hwy 61.
RA Rates:
Major Fun
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Tree Trunk St. UrhoTree Trunk St. Urho, Finland, MN - 9 mi.
Sleep in a BoxcarSleep in a Boxcar, Two Harbors, MN - 24 mi.
Father Baraga's Boat MiracleFather Baraga's Boat Miracle, Schroeder, MN - 24 mi.
In the region:
Sandpaper Museum, Two Harbors, MN - 27 mi.

More Quirky Attractions in Minnesota

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

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

Map and Plan Your Own Roadside Adventure ...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

Minnesota 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