12 Titanic, Towering Toys - Atlas Obscura Lists

12 Titanic, Towering Toys

From the world's largest slinky to an iconic bear in a rain coat.

Toys have become as synonymous with Christmas as jolly old Santa himself. Every year it’s a mad dash to secure the year’s hot new toy before shelves or online stores run bare. But despite the stress, toys bring joy to children and adults alike. And that joy doesn’t have to be exclusive to Christmas morning. Around the world you can find versions of toys that would never fit under the average Christmas tree—some that you probably can’t get into the house at all. 

Inside a California gift shop that doubles as a unique toy museum, you can find the world’s largest working wooden yo-yo. Designed by Tom Kuhn, the yo-yo weighs 256 pounds and needs a crane to be operated. Across the globe in the AHHAA Science Center in Estonia, a 750-pound behemoth hangs over the ceiling. The world’s largest Hoberman sphere is a massive replica of the iconic expanding sphere toy created by the American artist and architect Chuck Hoberman.

From a collection of statues emblematic of Ibi, Spain’s toy-making history to a giant rocking horse, these are 12 giant versions of toys that bring more magic to the holidays.