Traveling along State Route 78 in southeast Ohio, there’s a massive roadside bucket that looks like something only a giant could use. Miner’s Memorial Park in McConnelsville, Ohio is home to remnants of the largest single-bucket digging machine ever made. The Big Muskie Bucket is a manmade marvel you have to see to believe, telling the story of Ohio’s past coal mining days. Witnessing the size of this 230-ton empty bucket firsthand is worth the trip alone. This might just be the best roadside attraction in Ohio and it belongs at the top of your bucket list. (Pun intended, of course.)

Part of a massive machine that once stood 22 stories high, The Big Muskie Bucket was used to strip away layers of soil and rock from the earth, uncovering high-sulfur coal.
ElaineAndGreg/Trip Advisor
You'll find it along E State Route 78, McConnelsville, OH 43756. (If you're traveling on I-77, take Exit 25.)
Central Ohio Coal Company purchased this massive machine in 1966 to help meet the high demand for coal in America's booming coal industry. Big Muskie had to be built onsite and took two years to assemble.
kgilbert78/Trip Advisor
When loaded, the bucket weighed more than a million pounds. Atlas Obscura also reports that it took the same amount of electricity required to power more than 27,000 homes to operate this enormous machine.

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The sheer size of the bucket will leave you in awe. The chain links still connected to the bucket are about the size of a small child.
ThreeWiseMen1998/Trip Advisor
The bucket is large enough to fit two Greyhound buses side by side, as well as an entire marching band. If you look close enough at the exhibits at the park, you'll find photographic proof.
The machine was used until the early 1990s, when the coal mining industry rapidly declined. In 1999, the machine was disassembled.
ThreeWiseMen1998/Trip Advisor
Today, all that remains is the massive bucket.
Miner's Memorial Park is dedicated to educating visitor's about Ohio's past coal mining industry and the Central Ohio Coal Company.
kgilbert78/Trip Advisor
Be sure to bring your camera! (You'll need to step into the bucket to give your photo a true sense of perspective of this massive machine.)

Miner’s Memorial Park is located along E State Route 78, McConnelsville, OH 43756. Have you ever been here before? It could truly be considered the best roadside attraction in Ohio. If so, share your photos and experiences with us!

For more strange (but awesome) attractions in Ohio, check out our previous article: The 11 Oddest Places You Can Possibly Go In Ohio.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Best Roadside Attraction in Ohio

April Dray | January 03, 2020

What is the biggest earth moving machine in the world used today?

According to Interesting Engineering, the biggest earth moving machine in the world that’s currently in use is the P&H L-2350 Loader. It features a standard bucket of 40.52 cubic meters and a 2300 horsepower engine. It can lift 72 tons and is considered to be the biggest earth mover. There are other machines that are larger then P&H L-2350 Loader but they don’t lift and move pieces of the earth with a bucket mechanism. 

Are there any unique attractions in Ohio?

There are several roadside stops and unique attractions in Ohio. When you’re looking for some unique things to do in Ohio, consider visiting the world's largest basket in Newark, the world’s largest stamp and Cleveland and the world’s largest collection of trolls in Alliance, (known as The Troll Hole). Other unique places in Ohio include Findlay’s Ghost Town, Hartman’s Rock Garden in Springfield and The Temple of Tolerance in Wapakoneta. To find out where exactly these one-of-a-kind roadside attractions are, check out our previous article here.

Are there any other remnants left of Ohio's coal mining history?

There are several remnants of coal mining history in Ohio. You can hike to the abandoned town of Moonville and the haunted Moonville Tunnel via the Moonville Rail Trail in McArthur, Ohio. There are also several remnants of Ohio’s coal mining days hiding in Zaleski State Forest, such as the ghost town of Mineral and King's Hollow Tunnel, (also known as "Mineral Tunnel", "King’s Switch Tunnel," "King's Station Tunnel" and "King’s Tunnel"), which sits on the same old rail line as the Moonville Tunnel. Be sure to stay on the trail when visiting these rare pieces of history and never hike alone. 

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4470 OH-78, McConnelsville, OH 43756, USA