Apologies to my vegetarian/vegan readers! This is a famous landmark in Cobb County, Georgia, and this past weekend, I finally got a photo of it. Of course, like everything else, it has it's own Wikipedia entry:
The Big Chicken is a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Marietta, Georgia, which features a 56-foot-tall (17 m) steel-sided structure designed in the appearance of a chicken rising up from the top of the building. It is located at the city's biggest intersection of Cobb Parkway (U.S. 41) and Roswell Road (former Georgia 120) and is a well-known landmark in the area.The Big Chicken was built in 1956, and almost came down in 1993:
In January 1993, storm winds damaged the structure, and rather than tear it down KFC was forced by public outcry to re-erect the building. Among those who complained about the Big Chicken being torn down were pilots, who actually used the building as a reference point when approaching Atlanta and Dobbins Air Reserve Base.[...] The Big Chicken is commonly used as a landmark for driving directions. Locals will often include "make a [turn] at the Big Chicken", or "it's about X miles past the Big Chicken". Even prior to its geographic coordinates being added to Wikipedia, it was automatically marked on Google Maps.My next goal is to get me one of those shirts! :)
It has also led to a small cottage industry of sorts, selling souvenirs emblazoned with the monument, including one sweatshirt showing Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Colosseum in Rome, and of course, the Big Chicken in Marietta.