Wilmington, Illinois: Gemini Giant: Space Age Muffler Man (In Transition)

The Gemini Giant stands along Route 66 (down the road from the Polk-a-Dot restaurant). It is in the parking lot of the Launching Pad Diner, but the restaurant is now closed and for sale.

I read on your website that Mr. Steve Dashew might be interested in purchasing a Muffler Man for his back yard. I am driving Route 66 and just passed Wilmington, Illinois, where I sadly saw that The Launching Pad is for sale, so the Gemini Giant must be, too. The sign says to Contact John Moauro at 708-361-1150. I hope you can save him!

My parents and I visited the Gemini Giant and the Launching Pad restaurant. I saw no signs the Launching Pad and/or the Gemini Giant are still for sale. The Gemini Giant looks great. We noticed he had a power line running to him, which led us to believe some part of him must light up at night, which would certainly be neat to see.

The Launching Pad is currently selling Gemini Giant t-shirts. We had lunch at the Launching Pad, which was great and only cost about $12 for the three of us. If you stop to take pictures of the Gemini Giant, be sure to go inside, get a bite to eat and have a look around at the cool murals and tables.

The current owner of the Launching Pad restaurant and its Muffler Man Gemini Giant is reported to have his business on the market. The fiberglass statue of a helmeted man holding a rocket is a rare surviving Muffler Man configured as a space man (the space helmet was sold as an accessory by the same company that manufactured the figure).

Morey Szczecin has owned the Launching Pad for four years, and the listed price is $650k, according to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times.

Well worth a stop. He's in great shape. The Launching Pad had good road food too!