Gas Station Space Capsule

Martins Creek, Pennsylvania

The backstory of the fake Mercury capsule in Martins Creek is unknown, but a few educated guesses can be made. The capsule has a faded "United States Air Force Recruiting Service" seal on its side, suggesting that it was built as a recruiting prop in the Space Race days of the early 1960s. It doesn't look professionally made, so it's obviously not NASA-sanctioned.

After the capsule was moved here, probably purchased by the owners of De Ber's Garage next door, its open cockpit was outfitted with a "spaceman" dummy, which was also sometimes chained to an outdoor bench near the gas pumps. The spaceman was stolen in early 1974, and later found in nearby Easton, but it has since disappeared.

The capsule, with its weathered red, white, and blue paint, has survived because it's displayed atop a low metal platform. Had it been on the ground, it would have rusted away years ago.