Atlanta, Illinois: Halfwit Head: Former Paintball Target

Artifact from an Atlantic City Halfwit statue. Wound up in a body-starved region of New Jersey, where it served as an elevated target on a paintball course. Sold in August 2021, restored, moved to Illinois in 2023.

American Giants Museum

Address:: 100 NW Arch St., Atlanta, IL
Directions:: American Giants Museum. I-55 exit 140. Drive west into town. At the stop sign turn right onto SW Arch St. You'll soon see the Hot Dog Muffler Man on the left, and a half-block beyond it, on the right, is the American Giants Museum. The head is displayed inside.
Hours:: Tu-Su 10-4 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:: 217-648-5077
RA Rates:: Worth a Detour

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Halfwit head.

Halfwit Muffler Man Head

In 1981, after a fire at Atlantic City's Million Dollar Pier, a clean shaven Bunyan and two halfwit heads were sold to the owner of some rural property just south of I-195 near Jackson, NJ. He liked the Halfwit heads better, so he swapped out the head on the Bunyan and turned that giant into a Halfwit. He then took the removed head, and painted it up to look like Dracula for Halloween.

What no one seems to have realized is that there was a second Halfwit head. The second head sat on the roof of the paintball office around back for years, before it was moved (because it was such a suitable home for bees). It was placed atop a tall pipe out back in one of the paint ball fields (for target practice).

Despite years of abuse and getting his hat shot off, he still seems to be grinning at the world and can be seen if you ask nicely and wear a paintball mask.

[Joel Baker, 11/02/2016]