World's Largest Ball of Paint

I totally understand obsessions and the need to be first at something that many consider odd or unusual. Having the most reviews on Yelp would certainly be an obsession and that's where I am.So I went out of my way to stop here at the World' Largest Ball of Paint which is located in Indiana. Arriving during business hours, I was able to meet up with the painter himself, ask Mike some questions, see the wet paint and understand a bit about this pretty awesome piece of Americana.It is a bit out of the way but worth it. The Ball of Paint is free to visit and they do accept donations. You can also contribute to the paint ball.[Review 1313 of 2024 - 189 in Indiana - 22336 overall]

I have to admit that I'm stunned that one of Indiana's weirdest yet most popular attractions has yet to be added to Yelp. The World's Largest Ball of Paint is located in Alexandria, Indiana. It was created by and continues to be owned by Mike and Glenda Carmichael of Alexandria. The story goes that the idea was first birthed while Mike was playing baseball for the Knox County Children's home in the mid-1960s. He held onto the ball as a keepsake and eventually started adding paint to it until it became the size of a football. At some point, he donated the ball to the Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home Museum where it remains. He tried to get it back at some point, but they declined to give it to him. However, this didn't stop the idea in his head. The current World's Largest Ball of Paint did, in fact, start out as a regulation baseball. Seriously. On 1/1/1977, he had his 3-year-old grandson start it off by painting over a baseball. The process has never stopped and there's now right around 27,000 layers of paint. It weighs over 4,000 pounds. The Carmichaels had to build a small shed just for the ball of paint. Isn't that just awesome?You are allowed to visit, obviously, since I have. You are allowed to paint another layer on the ball of paint - this makes you the official world record holder - at least until the next person comes along and paints another layer. You even receive a certificate of your participation. You can also sign their wall - they keep track of the different countries represented by those who have painted a layer. The World's Largest Ball of Paint is the kind of roadside tourist attraction that you just love to discover, yet what I most appreciate about it is that it's interactive and participatory. I sometimes feel weird rating/reviewing monuments and such for Yelp. I don't feel weird reviewing an attraction like this that is one you can visit and one where you can actually get involved in it. Truthfully, this is a Yelp event just waiting to happen. Admission is free, though it is by appointment. They request you call or e-mail them to make arrangements for a visit and specifically request that you not just drop in. They do accept donations. The Carmichaels are a joy and clearly enjoy the notoriety that has come with having this ball of paint for the past 40+ years. It has been noted that Mike has also recently taken to painting a neighbor's garage in a different theme each month - so, you may just be able to catch that while you're there. For many years, they used a paintbrush to complete the painting but a while back began using a 4" roller to make the process easier. The barn is generally wheelchair friendly, though given the size of the ball of paint assistance will likely be needed to reach the upper regions of the ball. This is a simple, fun activity that almost needs to be done once in life for those from Central Indiana and it's a terrific, affordable activity for families. The World's Largest Ball of Paint is listed on Roadside America and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. I love this kind of thing, though I do this kind of thing less often than I used to in my younger days. Fortunately, I have friends who are similarly into the roadside tourist attraction scene and sometimes you just want to do something fun like this for an afternoon. Alexandria is in Madison County - so, it's an easy drive from Indy and definitely worth your time.

Cute little attraction in a small town! I was visiting Anderson, IN for work and looking for some cool things to do after work and found this online. Drive about a half hour to get here through a very farmland region of IN. Was greeted by the owners- the Carmichaels, both of whom were very friendly and loved explaining how their little ball of paint grew in size over the last 50ish or so years. Coolest part of this is that you're able to add your own layer of paint- adding you the legions of visitors world wide that have added to this before you. At the end, you also get a certificate saying that you've painted the world record holding ball and which number person you are- I was in the 27 thousands! Cool lil experiences, takes about half hour of your time and it's totally free as well! They sell the ornaments on their front lawn and will accept donations as well, if you want to support!