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Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana (Moved)

Muffler Men move. More so, I’d say, than any other type of roadside attraction out there. One day you’ll see a muffler man hanging out outside your favorite gas station and the next day he’ll have moved to a restaurant three states over. Maybe it’s those big, tall legs they have, perfect for taking a stroll, but muffler men just can’t seem to stay still. They like to see the world, move around the country, travel to new places, find new homes, making finding muffler man locations a bit tricky. (See this Muffler Man from Chicago who now lives in Georgia as an example.)

This is the Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana. Or, at least, it was, at one point in this roadside attraction’s life, the Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana and a popular tourist attraction.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana - Indiana Road Trip

This Paul Bunyan style roadside attraction originally stood in front of a local Palmer Hardware location in Elkhart around 1967. Sometime before 2005, sporting a pair of green trousers and a crisp white shirt, he moved with the business to a True Value Hardware store nearby. In 2005 the store turned key to an ACE hardware and this handsome giant man was repainted in a bright red shirt and stocking cap and blue trousers.

This is where I met this Paul Bunyan muffler man in August of 2010 on a road trip that took me through Indiana.

Little did I know then that, after a long life in Elkhart, he was getting itchy feet, and his time in Indiana was slowing to an end.

In 2011, this Paul Bunyan packed his bags, said goodbye to the Midwest, and moved along to his new home in front of Red Oak Trading Company in Coeburn, Virginia. The Indiana roadside attraction is now a Virginia roadside attraction.

He seems content there, for now. But, who knows what his future holds and when he will feel the calling to move once again.

Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana - Indiana Road Trip
Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana - Indiana Road Trip
Ace Hardware Muffler Man in Elkhart, Indiana - Indiana Road Trip

Paul Bunyan Ace Hardware Muffler Man

Former Location: Ace Hardware Elkhart Indiana , 21826 IN-120, Elkhart, IN 46516
New Location: Red Oak Trading Company, 421 Front St. West, Coeburn, VA
Cost: Free to See
Hours: Always Visible (but check store hour)


Pin this roadside attraction:

This Ace Hardware Muffler Man (Paul Bunyan) was a popular tourist attraction and road trip stop in Elkhart, Indiana. The weird roadside attraction has moved to Coeburn, Virginia. 
 #RoadsideAttraction #RoadTrip #WeirdRoadsideAttractions #RoadTripStops #Mufflerman #Mufflermen #USARoadsideAttractions #AmericanRoadsideAttractions #USA #America
This Ace Hardware Muffler Man (Paul Bunyan) was a popular tourist attraction and road trip stop in Elkhart, Indiana. The weird roadside attraction has moved to Coeburn, Virginia.

VALerie BROMANN

Founder & Head Road Tripper

Val is the founder and head road tripper at Silly America. Having grown up near Berwyn's famed car kabob, The Spindle, and a restaurant with a cow on its roof, her fascination with roadside attractions started early. Today, Val has visited hundreds roadside attractions across the United States and is constantly on the lookout for the next BIG thing!

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.