The Big Chicken is one of Atlanta’s great landmarks. But there’s a lot you might not know about the 56-foot-tall structure.
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions Georgia is filled with plenty of odd roadside attractions, but this one might be the most famous of them all. It's The Big Chicken in Marietta. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions The Big Chicken in Marietta is the site of a KFC franchise. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions And thanks to a $2.2 million renovation to The Big Chicken in Marietta in 2017, there's plenty to check out including a timeline of the 56-foot animatronic chicken's history. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions In 1963, The Big Chicken was built with motorized eyes and beak for Tubby Davis to promote his restaurant Johnny Reb's Chick, Chuck, 'N Shake. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions In 1964, the original motor caused so much vibration that all the windows shattered in the restaurant. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions In 1966, Davis sold the restaurant to his brother, who turned it into a KFC franchise. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions By the time 1984 arrived, airline pilots used The Big Chicken to navigate the skies. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions In 1993, due to a windstorm, the original chicken had to be rebuilt. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions During the rebuild, there was talk that the new chicken would be contemporary and distinctively female. That didn't fly. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions By popular demand, the new Big Chicken retained the original design. (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attraction You can even hear The Big Chicken talk! (Nelson Hicks)
The Big Chicken Odd Roadside Attractions You'll find The Big Chicken at 12 Cobb Parkway in Marietta. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Ever seen this just off the I-75 in Forsyth, Georgia? (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills It's quite a site! (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills And there's a lot more there than just a crashed crop duster! (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills This is Hamlin Hills and it's one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Hamlin Hills features a wide array of old vehicles. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills There are 30 vehicles that date back to the 1920s. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills And according to the Hamlin Hills website, it has been voted the cleanest outhouse in Georgia. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Hamlin Hills sells jams, jellies, pecans, wines, food, fruit, has a petting zoo and more. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Stop by on your next trip through the area. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills It's at 477 Dames Ferry Road Forsyth, GA 31029
EXIT 185 off of I-75 (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
Hamlin Hills Here are some more photos of Hamlin Hills, one of Georgia's odd roadside attractions. (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel Recognize this? (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel The sign may say Susie Agnes Hotel... (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel but fans of "My Cousin Vinny" might recognize it as the hotel featured in the movie where Joe Pesci, playing lawyer Vinny Gambini, couldn't get any sleep because the pigs kept waking him up. (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel It's in Bostwick, Georgia. (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel It has served as City Hall for the town, too. (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel Stop by for a quick photo-op the next time you're nearby. (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel (Nelson Hicks)
'My Cousin Vinny' hotel (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Does this look familiar? (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Jump in the car and take a road trip to Alto, home of the School Bus Graveyard. (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Alonzo Wade opened a used cars and parts business in Alto in 1959. The business sold buses as well as bus parts. However, vandals started breaking in to steal the radiators out of the buses. That led Wade to construct a makeshift fence using the buses themselves. (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Fast forward 50 years, unwanted visitors started painting inappropriate things on the bus fence. Walter Wade, who now runs the business, called in some artists to paint over the graffiti and thus, the School Bus Graveyard was born. (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard “It’s amazing,” Walter Wade told WSBTV.com’s Nelson Hicks. “There’s a lot of things I’ve done in my life, but I’m never been able to (paint) like that. I just get a kick out of watching the people’s reactions. We’ve had people from a lot of states here, other countries, just to stop by to look because they’ve seen pictures of it. It’s totally different when you stop and look at it up close and personal.” (Nelson Hicks)
School bus graveyard Now, artists gather from time to time with Wade’s approval to paint. There’s more than 100 buses and some cars, too. Visitors will find everything painted across the vehicles from Homer Simpson to killer ants to PAC-MAN to Waldo.
School Bus Graveyard Walking around the outside of the School Bus Graveyard is free and many people do it everyday. Inside tours cost a few dollars. Either way, it’s a great afternoon away from home. (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Here are some more photos from the School Bus Graveyard in Alto. (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Here are some more photos from the School Bus Graveyard in Alto. (Nelson Hicks)
School Bus Graveyard Here are some more photos from the School Bus Graveyard in Alto. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions Nestled in north Fulton County, approaching Arnold Mill Road from Cagle Road, you'll find a castle. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions Seriously, a castle! (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions You can find info about the castle on several websites, but here's what the AJC.com's Mitchell Northam found out. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions According to realtor.com, the home — yes, this is someone’s home — sits on 2.11 acres of land and spans 1,962 square feet. It features two bedrooms, two and half bathrooms, and was built in 1950. The estimated value of the castle is $428,500. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions There is a moat around it. You can see the ladder leading down to the moat here... (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions and see how the moat wraps around the house in this photo. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions According to AtlasObscura.com — a website billing itself as the “definitive guidebook and friendly tour-guide to the world's most wondrous places” — it was built by Rudy and Ruth McLaughlin. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions Rudy was a truck driver and told Ruth he would build her a castle one day, and sure enough, he did. The site cites Fulton County as its source. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions The home is surrounded by a fence and gnomes sit atop it at the entrances, giving it one of its nicknames. It also features a drawbridge. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions But remember, tourists, this is a home. It’s private property and tours aren’t available. So view it from afar. (Nelson Hicks)
Alpharetta Castle Odd Roadside Attractions Here are some more photos from the Alpharetta castle. (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions Look familiar? (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions It's the White House! (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions But you won't find this White House in Washington. You'll find it in Atlanta. (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions The home on Briarcliff Rd. is a 3/4 replica on the one in Washington. (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions Atlanta developer Fred Milani was behind the three-quarter replica. He called the 16,500-square-foot home a tribute to democracy and the U.S., according to a 2015 AJC blurb on area “hidden gems.” (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions It includes an “Oval Office,” a movie theater and a “Lincoln's bedroom.” (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions After the real estate bubble burst, the home landed in foreclosure in 2011. Milani had tried to sell it at least once before but took it off the market because, “It takes a special person, with a special reason to buy,” he told The AJC. (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions Here is another photo of the Atlanta White House. (Nelson Hicks)
Atlanta's Whie House Odd Roadside Attractions Here is another photo of the Atlanta White House. (Nelson Hicks)
Mountain Fresh Creamery Cow Odd Roadside Attractions You'll find cows all over north Georgia. (Nelson Hicks)
Mountain Fresh Creamery Cow Odd Roadside Attractions But this cow is a little larger than most! (Nelson Hicks)
Mountain Fresh Creamery Cow Odd Roadside Attractions And it doesn't moooooove. (Nelson Hicks)
Mountain Fresh Creamery Cow Odd Roadside Attractions The 9-foot cow is named Dipsy. She grazes the front of the Mountain Fresh Creamery business in Clermont, Ga. (Nelson Hicks)
Mountain Fresh Creamery Cow Odd Roadside Attractions The company bottles cream, whole milk, chocolate milk, low-fat milk and buttermilk – they also make their own butter and premium ice cream! (Nelson Hicks)
Mountain Fresh Creamery Cow Odd Roadside Attractions Check it out online at mountainfreshcreamery.com/our-creamery (Nelson Hicks)
1. It was not built for a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant.
S.R. "Tubby" Davis built it for his eatery called Johnny Reb's Chick, Chuck 'N Shake in 1956 at 12 Cobb Parkway in Marietta. Highway 41 had just been built. He thought it was a great way to advertise. In 1966, Davis sold the restaurant to his brother, who turned it into a KFC franchise.
(Photo by Bob Andres)
2. Prior to GPS, it was used for directions in Marietta and is mentioned in a video game.
Anyone who drove before the days of GPS in Marietta knows it, but before GPS, drivers relied on maps, road signs, landmarks and stopping at gas stations to ask for help (well, maybe not male drivers.) In Marietta, directions virtually always included the Big Chicken. Ask anyone for directions in Marietta today and the Big Chicken will still likely be included.
According to AARP, Rock Band 3's "Road Challenge Mode" references that fact, "Don't be alarmed if you're asking for directions in the bus and the locals tell you to 'turn left at the Big Chicken.'"
(Photo by Marlene Karas AJC Archives)
3. It was nearly torn down, but public outcry, including that from airplane pilots, saved it.
In 1993, a bad windstorm hit the Big Chicken. Combined with deterioration over the years, Kentucky Fried Chicken planned to tear it down. The public was not having it. There was a rally to save the chicken and the Cobb County Government noted that pilots even voiced their displeasure with the plan, saying they used the building as a reference when landing in Atlanta and at Dobbins. The company changed its plan and decided to rebuild.
During the rebuild, there was talk that the new chicken would be contemporary and distinctively female. That didn't fly. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
4. The renovated Big Chicken was going to be distinctly female.
When Kentucky Fried Chicken decided to rebuild the Big Chicken in 1994, the company considered making the new Big Chicken look much more feminine. Eventually, KFC changed its mind.
5. The chicken's eyes and beak broke windows.
In 1964, the original motor that powered the chicken's eyes and beak caused so much vibration that all the windows shattered in the restaurant.
(Photo courtesy of The Big Chicken Chorus)
6. There is a Big Chicken Chorus.
The chorus is a chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society and was founded in 1986. Its founder, Bill Schreiner, suggested the chorus adopt the name of the famous landmark. The group’s logo features the Big Chicken with barber pole stripes and they’ve performed at the restaurant.
Georgia is filled with plenty of odd roadside attractions, but this one might be the most famous of them all. It's The Big Chicken in Marietta. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
The Big Chicken in Marietta is the site of a KFC franchise. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
And thanks to a $2.2 million renovation to The Big Chicken in Marietta in 2017, there's plenty to check out including a timeline of the 56-foot animatronic chicken's history. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
In 1963, The Big Chicken was built with motorized eyes and beak for Tubby Davis to promote his restaurant Johnny Reb's Chick, Chuck, 'N Shake. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
In 1964, the original motor caused so much vibration that all the windows shattered in the restaurant. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
In 1966, Davis sold the restaurant to his brother, who turned it into a KFC franchise. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
By the time 1984 arrived, airline pilots used The Big Chicken to navigate the skies. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
In 1993, due to a windstorm, the original chicken had to be rebuilt. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
During the rebuild, there was talk that the new chicken would be contemporary and distinctively female. That didn't fly. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
By popular demaned, the new Big Chicken retained the original design. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)
Here are some more photos of The Big Chicken in Marietta. (Photo by Nelson Hicks/wsbtv.com)