Places near me Random place
All the United States Alabama Birmingham Statue of Vulcan
AO Edited

Statue of Vulcan

A 56-foot tall statue of the god of fire looks out over Birmingham, Alabama.

Birmingham, Alabama

Dylan profile photo
Added By
Dylan Thuras
Plaque   ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
  chasepopt / Atlas Obscura User
  kitschgirl / Atlas Obscura User
B-Ham   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  Rachel Preskitt / Atlas Obscura User
  JoeBenSimo / Atlas Obscura User
  JoeBenSimo / Atlas Obscura User
  trixievw / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque   thedude771 / Atlas Obscura User
Close Up   thedude771 / Atlas Obscura User
Full Shot   thedude771 / Atlas Obscura User
12.11.14   dkfriesen.com
  seanjobst / Atlas Obscura User
  seanjobst / Atlas Obscura User
  seanjobst / Atlas Obscura User
Vulcan Park   Jason Michael Walker / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Reminiscent of the Colossus of Rhodes (but at only half its supposed height), this 56-foot statue of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, towers over Birmingham, Alabama.

It is the world's largest cast metal statue and the largest statue ever made in the U.S. (The Statue of Liberty is larger but was cast in France.) The statue was originally made to represent the city of Birmingham in the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The city hired Italian sculptor Giuseppe Moretti for the project. The statue won the Grand Prize in the fair's mineral department.

There was some controversy over his Roman nudity, however, so the statue was shipped around Alabama before finally being installed on Red Mountain, Alabama, where he stands today, his giant metal backside gleaming in the sun.

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.

Related Tags

Statues

Community Contributors

Dylan profile photo

Added By

Dylan

clarkbhm profile photo dustinko profile photo argusfoto profile photo paigemindsthegap profile photo

Edited By

clarkbhm, dustinko, argusfoto, paigemindsthegap...

Published

August 25, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Related Stories and Lists

Related Places

  • "Cross-legged"

    Pristina, Kosovo

    ‘Cross-legged’

    The sculpture of a man sitting in the middle of the square holds great significance for the young nation of Kosovo.

  • Statue of Žorik

    Tallinn, Estonia

    Statue of Žorik

    A bronze memorial to Tallinn’s most famous, and most elusive, stray dog, erected while he was still alive.

  • Jason Miller Statue

    Scranton, Pennsylvania

    Jason Miller Statue

    The Pulitzer Prize winning writer and actor from “The Exorcist,” Jason Miller, is immortalized with a statue that contains his ashes.

  • Khada Parsi Statue

    Mumbai, India

    Khada Parsi Statue

    This statue of a Parsi businessman and philanthropist is an iconic landmark in the city.

  • Linh Phong Pagoda

    Cat Tien, Vietnam

    Linh Phong Pagoda

    Nestled against the majestic Ba Mountain, this historic spiritual sanctuary features one of the tallest outdoor Buddha statues in Southeast Asia overlooking the ocean.

  • America's Response Monument-De Oppresso Liber

    New York, New York

    America’s Response Monument

    It memorializes America’s initial military response to the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, 2001.

  • Robocop statue, Detroit, MI 4/2/2026

    Detroit, Michigan

    RoboCop Statue

    One of Detroit's most iconic fictional protectors, RoboCop, finally has a statue.

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