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Big Goofy Metal Bird.

Big Goofy Metal Bird

Field review by the editors.

Rockford, Tennessee

Fans of recycled material folk art know that junk-anything can be turned into art-something. But it still requires a creative leap, like what happened when Bud Dietrich thought about what he could do with a derelict warehouse crane in a chemical plant he owned. It looked like a bird to him, so he turned it into Big Bird.

Big Bird at night.

That was in 2004. Big Bird has been enhanced several times since then by both Bud and his employees. In 2017 it was moved closer to the plant, and a fence was built to keep overexcited visitors from climbing on it. Solar panels were also attached to Big Bird's wings so that its various body parts can light up in neon at night -- but usually only on holidays.

Big Goofy Metal Bird

Address:
Frank Bird Blvd, Rockford, TN
Directions:
On the east (northbound) side of Hwy 33, south of Knoxville, at its intersection with Frank Bird Blvd. Two miles south of Hwy 33's intersection with Hwy 168, or four miles north of its junction with Pellissippi Pkwy.
Save to My Sights

Nearby Offbeat Places

Bleak House: Confederate ShrineBleak House: Confederate Shrine, Knoxville, TN - 6 mi.
Ephraim Dodd, Rebel MartyrEphraim Dodd, Rebel Martyr, Knoxville, TN - 6 mi.
The TorchbearerThe Torchbearer, Knoxville, TN - 6 mi.
In the region:
Smarthenge: The Circle of Thought, Knoxville, TN - 13 mi.

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