15 for ’26Â Ride #4:Â Gemini Giant
Wilmington, IL
Image by Heritage Corrideor Destinations
Check-in Location
Gemini Giant statue, 201 Bridge St. Wilmington, IL 60481
The Gemini Giant is truly a giant among giants, one of many iconic roadside attractions along Route 66. The 30-foot-tall âMufï¬er Manâ statue, attired in a green space suit and silver helmet, cradles a rocket ship in its arms.
The towering figure stood guard outside the Launching Pad Restaurant in Wilmington, IL from 1965 until it closed in 2024. Afterwards it was moved to Wilmingtonâs South Island Park, where it is displayed today. These fiberglass behemoths were manufactured by the hundreds throughout the 1960s and early ’70s, and were often placed outside mufï¬er repair shops, hence the nickname âMufï¬er Men.â
If youâre looking for souvenirs during your Gemini journey, the Landing Pad Gift Shop next door offers bobbleheads and all sorts of Gemini Giant and Route 66 merchandise (the shop is open noon to 6:00pm Thursday through Monday, from April to November).
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