The World’s Largest Weather Vane Sits in West Michigan
This beautiful, small Michigan town has the largest Weather Vane on the planet. But why?
Apparently, everything is larger in Michigan. The mitten state has:
- one of the world's largest libraries
- the world's largest lugnut
- the world's largest log cabin
- the world's longest suspension bridge
- the world's longest porch
On the corner of Dowling Street and Water Street in the gorgeous lake town of Montague, Michigan you'll find a 48-foot tall weather vane. This giant weather instrument/art installation was created in 1984 and has held the record as the largest weather vane on the globe since its creation. The photo doesn't do this huge tower justice. This weather vane weighs in at over 2 tons. The arrow at the top is 26 feet long and is topped off with a boat. But not just any boat according to WhiteLake.org,
The ship on top of the weathervane is the Ella Ellenwood, a Great Lakes lumber schooner whose home port was White Lake, off Lake Michigan, in Montague. In October of 1901, the Ellenwood ran aground with a full load eight miles north of Milwaukee.
The Ella Ellenwood is a piece of Lake Michigan history as it was abandoned in rough waters and destroyed. Click here to check out the short drone video to get a nice aerial view of the world's largest weather vane.
Believe it or not, there are a couple of other large weather vanes that incorrectly claim to be 'the largest weather vane in the world.' In Whitehorse, Yukon there's a decommissioned DC-3 currently acting as a weather vane. This working weather vane was installed in 1981.
There is also a weather vane in Spain that claims to be the biggest. If they're counting the building's height that it stands on, that's cheating.
Speaking of gigantic Michigan stuff. Have you seen this huge log cabin in Northern Michigan? This is the largest log cabin in the world.