World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota

What sound does a chicken make? Cluck. What sound does a Booming prairie chicken make? Boom! What sound does the World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken make? BOOM!

Meet the World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota.

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.

World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions

This 9,000 pound big bird statue stands at 13-feet tall. It was created by artist Art Fosse in 1976 to celebrate the country’s bicentennial and the town’s self-proclaimed title of “Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota.” The giant chicken received a fresh coat of paint in 2008 in honor of the town’s 125th anniversary celebration.

World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions

The creature is so named for its mating dance, called, what else? Booming. In this mating ritual the male prairie chicken lets out a halting booming sound while his orange wind sacs inflate, all while while stomping his feet and spreading his wings and tail feathers.

Yes, my Silly American friends, this is a world’s largest bird in heat.

World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions

The World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken makes for a quick stop off of an I-94 road trip through Minnesota that is also convenient to many other world’s largest things and other Minnesota roadside attractions. You can also check out the World’s Largest Dilly Bar, World’s Largest Pelican, a large Canada Goose, and Otto The Otter in one go. That’s a lot of big things!

World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions

The inscription on the World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken plaque:

Prairie chickens moved ahead of the settlers to inhabit the prairies of Minnesota. A large concentration of the protected bird can still be seen on prairie meadows of the Rothsay area. In the early spring the male prairie chicken performs his mating ritual called booming. He spreads his wings and tail feathers, inflates the orange wind sacs and struts while making the booming sound.

On June 10, 1975, Rothsay was designated “Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota”. This statue of a booming prairie chicken was designed and built by Art Fosse with assistance and funds from the community. The statue stands 13 x 18 feet and weighs 9,000 pounds. It was placed on this site and unveiled, June 15, 1976.

The objective of this project is to alert area visitors and remind local residents of the beauty to be found on the native prairie grasslands.

Rothsay Centennial Committee – 1983

World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions
World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions
World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota | Minnesota Roadside Attractions

World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken

Location: Art Fosse Wayside Rest, Center St., Rothsay, MN
Hours: Always Visible
Cost: Free to See


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Meet the World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota. This 9,000 pound bucket list worthy big bird statue is famous among Minnesota roadside attractions. A fun stop for travel photography on a Minnesota road trip with kids or summer vacation with family. 
#MinnesotaRoadsideAttractions  #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadTrip #MinnesotaRoadTrip #MinnesotaRoadTripBucketLists #MinnesotaBucketList #MinnesotaRoadTripIdeas #MinnesotaRoadTripWithKids
Meet the World’s Largest “Booming” Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota. This 9,000 pound bucket list worthy big bird statue is famous among Minnesota roadside attractions. A fun stop for travel photography on a Minnesota road trip with kids or summer vacation with family.

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Valerie Bromann

Founder & ROad Trip Expert

Valerie Bromann is a a website manager, content creator, and writer from Chicago, Illinois (currently living in Dallas, Texas). As an avid road tripper who has visited hundreds of roadside attractions, Val always pull over for a world’s largest thing. Founder of Silly America and author of The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book, she visits, photographs, and writes about all the weird tourist destinations she visits and offers road trip planning advice and inspiration based on her own travels so you can hit the road for yourself.

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Last modified: November 15, 2023
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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.