Arcola, Illinois: One and Only Hippie Memorial

The conceptual artistic legacy of the late Bob Moomaw, whose Hippie Memorial suggests that he liked the 1960s and disliked Ronald Reagan.

Fun to see. The Hippie Memorial is getting pretty run down, but still worth a stop!

I found this kitschy memorial while driving through IL on my way to Rockome Gardens (closed until April 19th, little did I know). I drove around a little downtown and also had the luck (bad so far) to drive up to a Raggedy Anne & Andy Museum. Closed. I had to laugh though when I saw a true testament to the free spirit inside me that was not broken by my luck....the One and Only Hippie Memorial!

There is enough room for three or four cars to pull off and have a quick picnic if it so seems appropriate. My dog and I did just that. There is also a lot of good shops to visit downtown. Be polite while driving around; there are a lot of horse drawn carriages as well.

This is the one and only Hippie Memorial in the United States. It was dedicated in June, 1999. My husband and I recently viewed it when we stopped in the Amish town of Arcola, Illinois for lunch.

There is a tribute to hippies -- the Moomaw America's One and Only Hippie Memorial. It is a 62-foot long structure and is fronted by a beautiful stucco wall. The artist died in 1997 and it had been bestowed to me for safe keeping since 1993. A dedication was held june 26, 1999.