Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Virginia Quicksburg American Celebration on Parade

American Celebration on Parade

An enormous warehouse filled with parade floats collected from over 50 years of patriotic celebrations.

Quicksburg, Virginia

Added By
Susan Harlan
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
Lobby cashier stand   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Sign near entrance   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  seh256 / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
  rfinkels / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Part museum and part graveyard, American Celebration on Parade is an enormous warehouse filled with parade floats from presidential inaugurals, the Rose Parade, Miss America Parades, Thanksgiving Day Parades, and other celebrations.

Not far from Shenandoah Caverns and Skyline Drive, it sits in the middle of a field, guarded by a mock Statue of Liberty in the parking lot. The collection is the work of Earl Hargrove Jr., who spent his life staging trade shows, conventions, and presidential inaugurals. He has been collecting parade floats for 50 years.

Although the name is slightly confusing, the goals of American Celebration on Parade are clear: to give these floats afterlives as emblems of national pride. Many of the displays are characterized by over-the-top patriotism (with a distinctly Republican bent). An eagle from the 2001 Rose Parade symbolizes “the beauty of America’s endless vistas, its national strength, and its unlimited future.” There is also a giant American flag made of 5,000 square yards of crushed silk.

This nationalism extends beyond the floats: a mock-up of the U.S. Capitol Building is a “tribute to the American Presidency” from the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego, and a copy of Marine Corps War Memorial (or Iwo Jima Memorial) was created for the Operation Desert Storm Homecoming celebrations in June 1991.

Every inch of the warehouse glitters. Because parade floats are generally viewed at a distance, these overwhelm. The collection includes macaws from the Eastman Kodak float in the 2000 Rose Parade, animated mother and baby circus elephants with a combined weight of two tons, and an “American Indian head” that made an appearance in Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Parade. Several polar bears that were once covered in flowers and seeds for the 1998 Rose Parade have been re-covered in fur.

The spectacular floats fill the space, dwarfing the visitor. A 30-foot genie with massive outstretched arms won the award for best design in the 1992 Rose Parade. She can spin around, but the indoor space won’t permit the circular movement of her arms. A Dixieland Band float includes a 20-foot banjo-playing pelican.

Other scenes have been set up specifically for the warehouse, such as the Bunny Rabbit Family at the county fair, which comprises parts from other floats and displays. And some floats have been re-purposed over the years: the sea serpent pulling King Neptune’s chariot was once a fire-breathing dragon in a float depicting St. George and the dragon, and the chariot was recycled from a Roman gladiator float. The mask of King Tut that promoted an exhibit at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in the 2006 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade was later refashioned as the Great Sphinx for the 2000 Miss America Parade. And several animals from a past Rose Parades have been framed in autumn leaves in a “salute to the Shenandoah Valley.”

Related Tags

Parades

Community Contributors

Added By

seh256

Edited By

rfinkels, blimpcaptain

  • rfinkels
  • blimpcaptain

Published

July 28, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
American Celebration on Parade
261 Caverns Rd
Quicksburg, Virginia
United States
38.715512, -78.669285
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Great Stalacpipe Organ

Luray, Virginia

miles away

Rapidan Camp

Syria, Virginia

miles away

Mole Hill

Dayton, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Virginia

Virginia

United States

Places 315
Stories 34

Nearby Places

The Great Stalacpipe Organ

Luray, Virginia

miles away

Rapidan Camp

Syria, Virginia

miles away

Mole Hill

Dayton, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Virginia

Virginia

United States

Places 315
Stories 34

Related Stories and Lists

Get Thee To Totality: New York

List

By Atlas Obscura

Where Parade Floats Go to Retire

Video

By Atlas Obscura

Related Places

  • This giant fiberglass catfish welcomes visitors to Trempealeau, Wisconsin.

    Trempealeau, Wisconsin

    Trempealeau Catfish Statue

    A giant fiberglass catfish welcomes visitors to this Wisconsin river town and heralds its annual Catfish Days festival.

  • The Gasparilla II is a 137-foot, three-masted boat with a flat steel bottom that “invades” Tampa every January.

    Tampa, Florida

    Jose Gasparilla II

    The country’s largest boat parade honors an infamous Spanish pirate—who never actually existed.

  • Barandales

    Zamora, Spain

    Barandales Statue

    Maybe the most iconic character in the Easter (Holy Week) processions in Zamora.

  • The wash tag at the beginning of Da-Bach-na-Fahrt.

    Schramberg, Germany

    Da-Bach-na-Fahrt (Journey Down the Stream)

    Whimsical wash tubs row down the stream as part of this Carnival celebration.

  • Revelers are often noted for their glamour and artistry.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Coney Island Mermaid Parade

    The famed amusement district marks the beginning of summer with a wild procession of nautical creatures.

  • Procession of the Species.

    Olympia, Washington

    Procession of the Species

    Celebrate Earth Day with a menagerie of vibrant, artistic animal costumes.

  • Black Star Square.

    Accra, Ghana

    Black Star Square

    An enormous public square and parade ground built to celebrate Ghana's independence.

  • Fremont Solstice Parade.

    Seattle, Washington

    Fremont Solstice Parade

    Once a year, thousands of naked cyclists flood the streets of a Seattle neighborhood.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.