Free previewStop 3 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge
The Astronaut Who Got Bought Back
You've pulled up at the entrance to South Island Park in Wilmington, and you can't miss him. A green fiberglass giant, about 20 feet tall, wearing a space helmet and cradling a rocket in his hands. Take a good look at that rocket. It's the reason he exists, and the reason he nearly didn't stay.
He began as a Muffler Man, one of the big fiberglass figures popularized in the 1960s. John and Bernice Korelc opened a Dari-Delite restaurant in Wilmington in 1960, and they bought theirs at the National Restaurant Association convention for $3,500. He weighed 438 pounds, which is a lot of astronaut to haul home.
The Space Race gave the Korelcs an idea. They rebranded the restaurant as the Launching Pad and had their giant outfitted as an astronaut.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 3 of Route 66 in Illinois: Chicago to the Chain of Rocks Bridge (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
