My wife and I are on a mission to visit all the oversized local landmarks throughout Minnesota. This blog chronicles those visits and covers other related topics.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Iggy the Iguana

October 4th, 2008 - St. Paul, MN

Iggy 2

Iggy was created by Nicholas Swearer. He began work on the iguana, which he modeled after his pet iguana named Spot, in 1971 at the age of 15. It took him 4 years to complete. The completed sculpture is 40 feet long, weighs 3,900 pounds, and was built using 12,500 railroad spikes.

Iggy 1

When Swearer left home for college, that's right, he built a giant iguana sculpture out of railroad spikes BEFORE he went to college, his parents sold the sculpture for $10,000. It was later donated to the Science Museum of Minnesota in 1978.

He stood in front of the Science Museum entrance until 1999 when the museum moved to a new location. Iggy, meanwhile, traveled the Twin Cities, was cleaned and restored, and settled at the new Science Museum. He now stands by the bus drop off on the back side of the museum. Strategically placed for all the field trip kids to see, I'm sure.

Iggy 4

Iggy at StartSeeingArt.com