In Lucas, Kansas, you'll find a storefront art museum where you can take a tour of rural American art in one visit. It's called The World's Largest Collection of the World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things. The artist and inspiration behind the museum is Erika Nelson, who was on a normal artist's career track when the 9/11 attacks forced a reckoning inside her, and inspired her to go see America. When seeing the many "world's largest" attractions, what we often call Roadside Americana, she made her own souvenirs in the form of tiny sculptures of the attractions. She ended up in Lucas, Kansas, a town with a population of 400 but a thriving culture of art.
Nelson's works and her museum display the miniatures, a photograph of the original attraction, and the story behind each one. While the "world's largest" attractions often seem silly, many of them are the result of sincere community spirit, giving Nelson wonderful stories to tell. Read about Nelson, her inspiration, and her path to the museum at Smithsonian. It's well worth a read just for the story behind the world's largest penny.
(Image credit: World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things)