Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State Rome Alley Oop Soldier

Alley Oop Soldier

A 10-foot-tall concrete Alley Oop statue left over from World War II now stands on the side of the road.

Rome, New York

maribittersweet profile photo
Added By
Mari
So it’s a fight you want, huh?   maribittersweet / Atlas Obscura User
Grrr   maribittersweet / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque near statue   maribittersweet / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

This Place Is a Stub

Help improve this place with additional information or photos.

Make an Edit

About

Just off the road in the town of Rome, New York, a unique relic of World War II can be found: A 10-foot-tall concrete Alley Oop statue. In the 1940s, the statue had been a mascot for Griffiss Airforce base, and was subsequently lost and found again a few times over the years, eventually relocated to the side of the road.

The shirtless American GI is wearing a helmet and was once holding a machine gun, which has since gone missing.  For a long time it was covered in weeds and decorated with graffiti. The last time it was found, people reclaimed the concrete man and moved to its current location. It has now taken a place among other pieces of art work on the Griffiss International Sculpture Garden.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Know Before You Go

The statue is on the Griffiss International Sculpture Garden. Follow the signs to the parking lot for the Sculpture Garden and take a short walk to see it. You will pass other pieces of outdoor work as you go.

Community Contributors

maribittersweet profile photo

Added By

maribittersweet

Meg profile photo

Edited By

Meg

Published

November 17, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources

Related Tags

Statues Sculptures Roadside Attractions World War Ii Military

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Related Places

  • David Černý's "Feast of Giants" bus stop shelter.

    Liberec, Czechia

    Hostina Obrů (Feast of Giants)

    An unusual bronze bus shelter is actually an art installation commenting on the city's history with the Nazi party.

  • Grahamland Attractions

    Bolton, North Carolina

    Grahamland Attractions

    Hundreds of fiberglass structures line the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

  • Tiki Murph

    Milford, Delaware

    Tiki Murph

    Live chainsaw carvings of tiki statues aim to keep a tradition with ancient roots alive in this small Delaware town.

  • Mound, crypt and statue

    Berlin, Germany

    Soviet Memorial (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal)

    For patriotic Russians, this memorial honoring the Soviet soldiers who died liberating Berlin in 1945 is the most sacred location outside of Russia.

  • Last Checkpoint Charlie guard hut in use.

    Berlin, Germany

    Alliierten Museum

    This museum is home to a sugar sculpture of the Berlin Airlift Memorial.

  • The borne at St Mere Eglise

    Sainte-Mère-Église, France

    La voie de la Liberté Markers

    These unique markers designate the route American forces took during the Liberation of France.

  • Silcher Monument

    Tübingen, Germany

    Silcher Monument

    This statue has a painful history, but activists have since recontextualized it as a way to educate visitors about the dangers posed by fascist regimes.

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