Cleveland, Ohio: Unhappy Turtles
An unclothed toddler dangles two turtles painfully while trampling several others underfoot. It's public art from the early 1900s.
- Address:
- 11150 East Blvd, Cleveland, OH
- Directions:
- The statue stands to the right of the main entrance to the Cleveland Museum of Art, on the East Terrace. Life-size; easy to miss. East side of the city, on the west side of East Blvd two blocks north of US Hwy 322.
- Admission:
- Free
Visitor Tips and News About Unhappy Turtles
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
"Turtle Baby" is a bronze sculpture by Edith Barretto Stevens Parsons that stands just outside of the Cleveland Museum of Art. I suppose that one interpretation of the sculpture could be a study in the joy and innocence of youth. However, to me, "Turtle Baby" looks like a malevolently grinning, psychopathic toddler who enjoys abusing turtles. The kid holds one turtle by the tail, another by a hind leg, and is standing on a sphere squishing at least four others.
[John Takao Collier, 07/31/2015]Nearby Offbeat Places
Bombed Thinker, Cleveland, OH - < 1 mi.
Judy's Crawling Hand, Cleveland, OH - < 1 mi.
Street Made of Wood, Cleveland, OH - < 1 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.
The little turtle cruncher was sculpted by Parsons in the early 1900s. Several copies exist; this may be the original. See "Turtle Boy" in Worcester, MA, for more sculptural turtle abuse.