Skip to Main Content

Burbank, Illinois: Frankenmufflerman

RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report

Haunted Trails

Address:
7759 S. Harlem Ave., Burbank, IL
Directions:
Haunted Trails. North side of town, on the east side of Hwy 43/S. Harlem Ave. just north of W. 79th St.
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
Save to My Sights

Frankenmufflerman.

Frankenmufflerman

Frankenstein's Monster resembles a former Muffler Man, 20 feet tall, reworked into a smartly-dressed creature. Nonetheless he stretches our powers of creative categorization.

Roadsideamerica.com Report...

American Giants 6.

Burbank, Illinois - Muffler Men: American Giants Ep. 8
Frankenmuffler Man:

Two Chicago area Muffler Men get their American Giants road trip close-ups, including the mutant Frankenstein Muffler Man at Haunted Trails.

Watch Video.

Visitor Tips and News About Frankenmufflerman

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.

Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Haunted Trails

There's more to see than just the Frankenstein Muffler Man. A Creature from the Black Lagoon. A Dracula!

[Missy, 10/25/2022]

Agreed, but the other statuary at this mini-golf pales (like a ghost) in comparison to its unique FrankenMufflerman.

Frankenmuffler.

Frankenmufflerman

The big Frankenstein is still up in Bridgeview at Haunted Trails, brandishing his enormous bloody ax. He's been around for a long time.

[Ben Perdue, 01/26/2016]
Frankenmufflerman

I lived in the area since the 1960s -- back then it was called the Fun Fair and was owned by a guy named Al. The sign featured a clown's face, collar and hands. The Haunted Trails logo is still based on the original Fun Fair sign.

The Fun Fair was then taken over by Rich Oltmann, who named the new place Haunted Trails. Signs were/are expensive, especially when you are a small business, so the basic, large light up sign was kept. The orange paint on the metal parts of the sign were painted black, some new sign panels were created, replacing the white faced, red haired clown face with the green faced, white haired ghoul face, adding some red stains on the collar (now I noticed the logo has a red bat bow tie) and keeping the hands.

When going past the area a few years ago, I noticed the old light up sign has been completely removed.

As a teen, I worked at Haunted Trails starting in the spring of 1977. I remember seeing the Frankenstein, just after it was delivered, when it was still crated up and lying on its side in front of the batting cage area. Rich bought the Frankenstein and our other fiberglass figures from a company in Wisconsin. He was made using the basic, existing Muffler Man design, with many alterations. Back in 1977 I was told he cost $5,000.

To help draw in customers, he was originally installed at the second hole of the old, original miniature golf course, facing Harlem Ave. He was later moved near the entrance when the golf course was redesigned.

[Lewis DeWitt, 10/20/2010]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Statue of Emmett Till's MomStatue of Emmett Till's Mom, Summit, IL - 2 mi.
20-Foot-Tall Pope20-Foot-Tall Pope, Justice, IL - 2 mi.
World's Largest Stained Glass WindowWorld's Largest Stained Glass Window, Justice, IL - 2 mi.
In the region:
U-505 German Submarine, Chicago, IL - 12 mi.

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Create Your Own Bizarre Road Trips! ...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

Illinois Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

JFK's World Famous Twine Ball, Highland, Wisconsin (Mar 18-24, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings