Photo Friday #005: Legend of the Big Boy Graveyard
It was the spring of 2001 when three friends and I headed out with cameras with a big destination in mind, we had a mission: find the Big Boy Graveyard. We heard of its existence and even had a nice aerial map to pinpoint it’s location.
To be honest, it was quite obscure. It’s not often you come across a molded fiberglass version of one of your favorite childhood cartoon characters tipped over in the woods — with a big hole in the side of his head. Not to mention there were three Big Boys. It was evident upon arrival that this was indeed a graveyard.
These photos were taken seven years ago, shortly after the Big Boy franchise (headquartered in Warren, MI) filed bankruptcy. There are still a few of them left today, but far and few between.
After posting these photos online seven years ago it didn’t take long before nearly every week someone found them online and e-mailed me asking where the Big Boy Graveyard can be found.
For the disappointment of many I am very sad to say that the Big Boy Graveyard outside of Negaunee no longer exists. The three Big Boy’s have been exhumed and most likely went to a scrap yard. As for the four of us that went there that day in 2001, we never did get to pull off that amazing high school prank by transporting one of these to the middle of the high school football field before the homecoming game.
However, for those of you who love the obscure, an adventure, or perhaps just want to visit the grave of a childhood icon (those shakes ay Big Boy sure were the best as a kid!) there is still hope. There is reportedly a second Big Boy Graveyard in the lower peninsula. And if anyone has information on this we would love to know.
Below you can see the map of the approximate area (the highlighted region) where the Big Boy Graveyard used to be. It was located along Marquette County Road 510 just off US 41, half way between Negaunee and Marquette.
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I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Tom Stanley
[...] As someone who’s visited Billy Tripp’s Mind Field, The World’s Tallest File Cabinet and a floating bridge, I was excited to read the Yooper Steez report on the legend of the Big Boy graveyard. [...]
We received a post card from a friend that featured a painting of a dozen Big Boys a couple months ago. The artist is John Baeder, and the painting is called “Big Boy Bop”. You can find it on Google.
That is the creepiest thing ever
Great place for a Ouji board….and a cheeseburger….
I’m really peeved that this is no longer there, I would have loved to see that.
The graveyard still exists near Marquette. There are 125 Big Boy restuarants still open in Michigan with new ones opening up still. Big Boy restaurants are located in 7 different states. There are even two in Florida and one in Hawaii. The Big Boy cult following is real and still thriving. Warren, MI is still the home of corporate Big Boy and also the home of the commissary.
I remember always going to negaunee as a young kid (I live in marquette) and seeing those and being like… what? haha I was actually thinking about going out to look at them again soon… dang to bad it doesn’t exist anymore… i’d always be on the edge of my seat in the car trying to be the first one to be like ‘ I SEEE THE BIG BOYSS!!!’
hahah…dang.