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 Indiana Kokomo Old Ben Pavilion
AO Edited

Old Ben Pavilion

More than 100 years after his death, the world's largest steer is still attracting crowds.

Kokomo, Indiana

Added By
Jessica James
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Old Ben stands in his private pavilion. Straw hides his wheels.   jessica be9a1cd2 / Atlas Obscura User
Old Ben, the world’s largest steer, is preserved for future generations.   jessica be9a1cd2 / Atlas Obscura User
This photo of Phyllis Hartzell with Old Ben in 1943 was distributed to soldiers as a postcard during WWII.  
  AndrewH/Public Domain
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Old Ben didn’t grow up to become the world’s largest steer—he was born that way. From the moment his hooves hit the ground in 1902, Ben was an "object of wonder," according to a sign in front of his now-stuffed carcass. Weighing 125 pounds at birth (the normal range is 60 to 80 pounds) Old Ben tipped the scales at between 4,585 and 4,720 pounds upon his death in 1910.

Born on a farm near Kokomo, Indiana, local legend states that Old Ben had to rest on his knees to nurse when he was less than a week old. He continued to gain weight as he grew, at a rate of nearly 100 pounds a month. Ben weighed one ton before he was two years old, and two tons at the age of four.

Old Ben was six-and-a-half feet tall and 16.25 feet long from nose to the tip of his tail. He was the offspring of a registered Hereford bull and a regular Shorthorn cow and was never fed any supplements or special food. No one can explain his large size, but his record remains today.

His unusual plus-sized frame made Ben a bit of celebrity around the small town of Kokomo, so his owners began exhibiting him at fairs and festivals. Despite receiving offers from circuses and sideshows to purchase Old Ben, the owners chose to take him on the road themselves, even providing a private tent for him. Unfortunately, in February of 1910, Ben slipped on ice, broke his leg, and was then shot as a result.

But Old Ben’s fame did not end with his death. His hide was sent to a taxidermist in New York, where it was stuffed and mounted for posterity. Wheels were added to his platform so his owners could continue to display him until they sold their farm in 1919.

During World War II, Old Ben’s image was seen far and wide when postcards featuring a girl named Phyllis Hartzell standing in front of him were mailed to servicemen around the globe. Old Ben got another spike in popularity when he was featured as part of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! in 1968.

For a period of time, Old Ben went into semi-retirement, only emerging for special events and publicity shots. But in 1989 the world record holder again became a full-time public attraction when he was placed inside a glass-enclosed pavilion next to the world’s largest Sycamore Tree Stump in Kokomo's Highland Park. Unfortunately, vandals struck in 2004 and stole Ben's tail. Three normal-size steer tails had to be stitched together to create a new one.

Related Tags

Livestock Cows World's Largest Taxidermy

Community Contributors

Added By

jessica be9a1cd2

Edited By

hannnahkl, Michelle Cassidy

  • hannnahkl
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

September 17, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.cityofkokomo.org/departments/old_ben.php
Old Ben Pavilion
1402 W Defenbaugh St
Kokomo, Indiana, 46902
United States
40.469168, -86.143889
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Seiberling Mansion

Kokomo, Indiana

miles away

Kokomo Hum

Kokomo, Indiana

miles away

KokoMantis

Kokomo, Indiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kokomo

Kokomo

Indiana

Places 5

Nearby Places

Seiberling Mansion

Kokomo, Indiana

miles away

Kokomo Hum

Kokomo, Indiana

miles away

KokoMantis

Kokomo, Indiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Kokomo

Kokomo

Indiana

Places 5

Related Places

  • Herman the Bull

    Leiden, Netherlands

    De stal van Stier Herman

    The world's first transgenic bovine has been preserved at the museum where he spent his final years—though his old stable is now a cafe.

  • Baker, Montana

    O'Fallon Historical Museum

    This six-building complex is the home of the world's largest steer.

  • The two-headed calf

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Conjoined Calves of the Georgia State Capitol

    A popular oddity on display in a stately building, offering a symbolic commentary.

  • Halle (Saale), Germany

    Museum of Livestock Science

    A beautiful old horse stable hosts one of the largest collections of domestic animal skeletons and taxidermy.

  • Visitors can stop in and see the live auctions twice weekly.

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    Oklahoma National Stockyards

    The largest cattle market on earth holds live auctions open to the public every week.

  • A bronze statue of a cow with blanket and flower garland around her neck

    Sherborn, Massachusetts

    Emily the Cow Statue

    Dedicated to a local cow who escaped a slaughterhouse and became an international symbol of peace.

  • Banana, Australia

    Banana the Bullock

    A fallen bull's legacy lives on in the rural cattle town that is named after him.

  • Please respect the residents.

    Oxford, England

    Port Meadow

    Legend says this public grazing area hasn't been plowed for thousands of years.

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.