Holy shiitake – this next Missouri roadside attraction is definitely a fun guy! (Fun guy — fungi — get it? Get it???) This 30-foot giant morel mushroom lives on the side of the road about 3 miles north of Nevada, Missouri and is the biggest mushroom I’ve ever seen.
Is this the world’s largest morel mushroom? Quite possibly. Is it the largest morel mushroom in Missouri? Quite probably. In any case it’s definitely a champignon roadside attraction! Just think of how big a bowl of cream of mushroom soup or how many stuffed mushroom appetizers you could make with it!
The giant mushroom used to advertise a website of local morel growers (freshmorels.com) but, since we were there to snap these photos on our Missouri road trip, it seems that the business went out of business and the sign has since been removed.
Word on the street is that this huge morel mushroom is still there, but the surrounding foliage is getting a bit overgrown, so it may no longer be visible from the road for much longer.
The morel of that story: be sure to see the world’s biggest morel mushroom while you can! So make sure there’s mush room in your next Missouri road trip itinerary to stop by the side of the road for this one!
While this big mushroom is, sadly, not edible, fear not! Genuinely big mushrooms in Missouri exist as well! If you’re looking for a real giant mushroom check out this giant morel a family found in Washington County in 2016!
Giant Morel Mushroom
Location: Hwy 71, 3 miles north of Nevada, Missouri
Cost: Free to see.
Hours: Always visible
Date: June 6, 2009
Looking for more Missouri Roadside Attractions? Check out the World’s Largest Goose, the World’s Largest Pecan, and the Route 66 Red Rocker!
