Famous statues, folklore heroes, and record-breaking attractions
Kansas is home to some truly larger-than-life sights. Across the state, towering statues and legendary figures rise from prairies, city parks, and historic highways, each telling a story about Kansas history, culture, and imagination. From frontier showman Buffalo Bill to Wichita’s iconic Keeper of the Plains, these giants of Kansas blend real people, tall tales, and roadside wonder—inviting kids and families to explore the stories behind the state’s biggest characters.
Buffalo Bill | 16 feet tall
Oakley
William F. Cody, or “Buffalo Bill,” was a famous cowboy who grew up in Kansas in the late 1800s. He led an exciting life working as a Pony Express rider, an army scout, and a buffalo hunter. Books and newspapers shared exaggerated stories about his adventures that became so popular, Cody started a traveling Wild West show. He starred as the hero of dramatic stagecoach raids, performed mock buffalo hunts and showed off daring riding tricks. Today, you can see a giant bronze sculpture of Cody in the Buffalo Bill Cultural & Visitor Center in Oakley.
Big A, the Texaco Giant | 22 feet tall
Galena
If you have driven along Route 66 in our state’s southeast corner, you may have spotted Kansas’ newest Muffler Man. In the 1960s, businesses across the United States used large fiberglass statues called “Muffler Men” to catch people’s attention. Big A, Kansas’ first and only Muffler
Man on this short stretch of Route 66, was set outside the cool souvenir shop Gearhead Curios in 2024. He was designed to look like the shop’s owner, Aaron Perry. He has a friendly white beard, wears a bright green Texaco uniform and holds a big wrench in one hand.
La Salsa Man | 26 feet tall
Dodge City
Dodge City has its own special “Muffler Man” named La Salsa Man. His story starts with one of Dodge City’s most famous hometown celebrities, actor Dennis Hopper. (You can ask your parents if they’ve seen him in movies like Easy Rider and Speed!) Hopper loved these quirky giants so much that in 1980 he hired an artist to create La Salsa Man. After Hopper died in 2010, La Salsa Man was given to his hometown as a gift. Today he stands at the corner of Third Avenue and Vine Street.
Johnny Kaw | 30 feet tall
Manhattan
Story has it that a giant wheat farmer named Johnny Kaw invented the sunflower and carved out the Kansas River with his bare hands. Stories like this are called tall tales—fun, exaggerated stories that explain how parts of our country came to be. George Filinger created the character of Johnny Kaw in 1955. It was a fun way to celebrate the city of Manhattan’s 100th anniversary. About 11 years later, the community built a statue of Johnny Kaw. You can see the statue in City Park; he has bright yellow hair and a scythe, a giant tool for cutting crops.
Keeper of the Plains | 44 feet tall
Wichita
In 1976, the United States turned 200 years old! To celebrate, the city of Wichita installed The Keeper of the Plains, a statue of a Native American whose hands are stretched toward the sky. A well-known Native American artist, Blackbear Bison, created this steel giant, which has become a symbol of the city. Every night, five fire drums around the statue are lit in a dramatic display. To learn more about the statue and Native American culture, visit the Mid-American All-Indian Center, which is a short stroll from the statue.
RECORD BREAKERS!
Each of these Kansas giants hold the title for being the world’s largest.
- Big Brutus / West Mineral
- The largest electric coal shovel in the world is 16 stories tall
- Ball of Twine / Cawker City
- Weighs more than 17,000 pounds
- Belt Buckle / Abilene
- Measures nearly 20 feet wide and 14 feet tall
- Salt Shaker / Lyons
- Is 64 times larger than a tabletop salt shaker
- Easel / Goodland
- An 80-foot-tall recreation of Vincent Van Gogh’s Three Sunflowers in a Vase
DO NOT MISS!
Ready to defy gravity in the Land of Oz? Head to Liberal, the official hometown of Dorothy Gale, to visit the city’s newest attraction: a giant slide shaped like Dorothy’s magical red slipper. Measuring more than 18 feet from heel to toe, this slide is a piece of public art you can play on. It’s across the street from Dorothy’s House and the Land of Oz, a fun museum that recreates famous moments from The Wizard of Oz. There you can step inside Dorothy’s farmhouse, survive a tornado and follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City.
