Friday, November 16, 2012

Big Duck


‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, boots, sweaters and a nice visit to the Big Duck.

Whhhhhhhhaaaatttttt, you never heard of The Big Duck?! (Don’t worry. I didn’t either.)

One thing I love about living on Long Island is that I am always learning about different things to do. When I was told there was a huge duck building, I needed to know everything about it. (And of course I had to go touch it, because I haven’t matured yet.)

Here’s a quick overview of my research.
History: One of Long Island's most famous landmarks, the Big Duck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1931 by Riverhead duck farmer Martin Maurer, as a store to sell his Peking Ducks to passing motorists. It is one of the most famous examples of roadside architecture.

Measurements: The building measures 18 feet wide, 30 feet long and 20 feet tall to the top of the head. The duck's eyes are made from Ford Model T tail lights and the interior floor space is confined to 11 feet by 15 feet.

Annual Events: The Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation hosts two special events at the Big Duck each year: The Annual Big Duck Quack-Off (usually in June) and the Annual Holiday Lighting of the Big Duck (1st Wednesday after Thanksgiving). Long Island's favorite bird sparkles with holiday lights!

Location: The Big Duck is located on Route 24 in Flanders, NY. Call (631) 852-8292 before your trip if you want to go inside the avian building. It's run by volunteers and hours change. Otherwise, it's always fun to take the kids (or other adventure seekers) and just walk around the big bird and take photos.

For more information about the Big Duck, please go to http://www.bigduck.org/


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