Illinois: The City of Metropolis

Imagine you are driving down the interstate, and you see a sign: “World’s largest Superman statue.”

Hmmm. Intrigued, but the kid in the back seat looks comfortable, so it really isn’t time for a stop yet.

Then you see the next sign: “Metropolis, next exit.”

I mean, how could you not stop?

This is the sequence of events that brought Bria and I to Metropolis, Illinois.

We pulled off the highway and followed the signs along quiet streets, three miles to the county courthouse, where a 15-foot statue of the super hero rises above the town.

 The statue looks out over the Super Museum, where more than 20,000 items represent 75 years plus of Man of Steel history. Bria wandered through, stopping to examine decades old relics and ask questions, posing in phone booths for photos, and excitedly proclaiming when she saw Super Girl. If you are a Super Man fan at all, it is well worth the stop and the $5 admission per adult.

A few blocks away, a statue of Lois Lane stands on a square. Bria loved reading about the actress who played her (Noel Neill) in the Adventures of Superman, and her contributions to the community of Metropolis.

Want to learn more? Roadside America has a not-so-flattering article on Superman's hometown, but it has some interesting history about the town's original plans for a theme park and 200-foot statue.

The Southernmost Illinois Tourism Bureau has some info on attractions in the area, too.