Guardians of Route 66 — The Giants of Atlanta, Illinois
Tucked along the historic stretch of Route 66 in Atlanta, Illinois, the American Giants Museum is a roadside treasure trove celebrating the towering legacy of fiberglass advertising figures known as Muffler Men. Among its most captivating residents are Snerd, the Carpet Viking, and the Phillips 66 cowboy—each with a story as outsized as their stature. Snerd, with his goofy grin and oversized bowtie, is a rare Mortimer Snerd-style figure that once beckoned travelers with his cartoonish charm. Nearby, the Carpet Viking stands stoic and shaggy, a relic of 1970s carpet store promotions, now repurposed as a symbol of kitschy Americana. And towering above them all is the Phillips 66 cowboy, a rugged sentinel in western garb who once stood watch over a gas station, now reimagined as a nostalgic nod to mid-century roadside culture. These fiberglass giants aren’t just static displays—they’re cultural ambassadors of a bygone era when advertising was bold, bizarre, and larger than li...