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Have you ever wondered where the largest cast iron statue in the world is? No, probably not. I never had either. However, today you are going to learn that fun fact and I hope it will help you win trivia night at your favorite bar someday.
Sometimes standing on top of a mountain can make you feel like a God. For example, I wrote in the online publication Passion Passport, about looking down at the clouds from the top of Mount Haleakala in Hawaii. If you missed that article, read it here. These experiences give me the confidence of a deity and at the same time, remind me of how small a place I occupy in the Universe.
In Birmingham, Alabama, there is a place where visitors can take this concept literally. A visit to the top of Red Mountain to see Vulcan Park and Museum is a must-do when in Birmingham. The Grand Bohemian Hotel is the perfect base of operations for your explorations since it is only a 10-minute drive from there to Vulcan Park. You see, Birmingham as a city has it roots in the iron and steel industry. Nope, I didn’t know that either. Despite travel broadening my knowledge, I don’t know everything (yet) and I thought agriculture was king everywhere in Alabama. In fact, in the decades after the Civil War, Birmingham was one of the largest iron and steel producers in America. Once you know this, the fact that Vulcan Park’s main attraction is a towering statue of the Roman God Vulcan makes perfect sense. He was the God of fire and is closely associated with the forges that created instruments and tools. Therefore, his presence on Red Mountain, is a natural fit. He is up there surveying and protecting his kingdom.
The Vulcan statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world and was created for the 1904 World’s Fair. He is 56-feet tall, but that doesn’t include the massive tower atop which he stands. The honorable Mr. Vulcan is comprised of 29 different cast iron sections welded together. His head alone weighs 11,000 pounds.
From the park lookouts atop Red Mountain, visitors can see all of Birmingham, including some of the former and current iron factories. It is a grand place for him to rest, and truly worthy of a God. However, the Honorable Mr. Vulcan’s life wasn’t always so easy. In 1904, after the World’s Fair ended, he was shipped back to Alabama in pieces and those pieces were discarded next to some railroad tracks for 18 months. Eventually, a more respectable home was found for him at the Alabama State Fairgrounds. He remained there until 1935. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news. There are reports that his spear had been lost in shipping and since his hands were empty, he became an advertising gimmick. Supposedly, he held signage for various products over the years, including Coca-Cola.
In 1936, he found a new home atop Red Mountain and became a symbol of traffic safety. A glowing torch was added which glowed green in the night sky above Birmingham, except in the 24-hours following a traffic fatality, when it glowed red. Finally, in the 2000’s, he was fully restored and the park in which he sits was redesigned. Today, there is also a museum that visitors can tour. Access to the park is free and museum admission is only $6.60.
The panoramic views of the city alone are worth a visit, but the quirky story makes Vulcan Park a necessary Birmingham experience. Vulcan, the God of fire, watches over this Southern city and his image can be seen in various places around town too. His furnaces forged great weapons just like the furnaces in Birmingham forged a great city. Standing in Vulcan’s shadow, I feel small, like a dust speck in the Universe. As the wind blows, the clouds shift across the horizon, my hair ruffles, and I take this chance to admire the heart of Alabama.
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