Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Minnesota Pipestone Giant Pipe of Pipestone

Giant Pipe of Pipestone

A town honors its legacy of traditional American Indian pipe carving with one gigantic pipe.

Pipestone, Minnesota

Added By
shabbytrick
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The big pipe.   Courtesy of Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemaking
The Pipe Keepers’ big pipe.   Courtesy of Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemaking
An artisan carves a pipe from catlinite.   National Park Service Digital Image Archive
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Pipestone, Minnesota takes its name from the abundance of local catlinite, which is traditionally used by various tribes of Plains Indians to craft ceremonial pipes. The catlinite quarry just north of Pipestone, now protected by the National Park Service as the Pipestone National Monument, has been called the "Crossroads of the Indian World" for its significance to so many tribes.

The town preserves its heritage at the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers, a workshop founded by Native American artisans where traditional pipes are crafted. Finding the workshop is easy: Just keep an eye out for the gigantic red pipe on the front lawn, standing 30 feet tall, allegedly the largest in the world.

The giant pipe was independently conceived by two Lakota and one Anishinaabe local, who each had literal dreams of building a giant pipe to represent the connections of Plains Indians to the Pipestone quarry. They merged their aspirations into one and the pipe was installed in front of the Pipe Keepers' building in 1999.

In the building itself, visitors can support traditional Native craft by purchasing or carving their own (regular-sized) pipes. The Keepers educate visitors on the history of nearby pipestone quarries and teach workshops on tribal culture using techniques passed down through generations.

Often mislabeled as a "peace pipe," the Plains Indians' ceremonial pipes are used for prayer as well as community building. It's believed the smoke from the pipe delivers voices to the Great Spirit. The pipe itself is fashioned to honor different elements of the natural world, using stone to represent the earth and a carved buffalo and decorative feathers to represent animals. 

Related Tags

World's Largest Smoking Native Americans Art Statues Monuments

Know Before You Go

On the north edge of town, next to the former Rock Island Railroad Depot. At the corner of 4th St. and Hiawatha Ave.

Community Contributors

Added By

shabbytrick

Edited By

Molly McBride Jacobson

  • Molly McBride Jacobson

Published

April 4, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://highwayhighlights.com/2012/12/worlds-largest-peace-pipe-pipestone-mn/
  • http://www.progressivepipestone.com/
  • http://www.mnopedia.org/thing/worlds-largest-peace-pipe
Giant Pipe of Pipestone
400 N Hiawatha Avenue
Pipestone, Minnesota
United States
44.003423, -96.317626
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Devil's Gulch

Garretson, South Dakota

miles away

Palisades State Park

Garretson, South Dakota

miles away

Falls Park

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Minnesota

Minnesota

United States

Places 184
Stories 25

Nearby Places

Devil's Gulch

Garretson, South Dakota

miles away

Palisades State Park

Garretson, South Dakota

miles away

Falls Park

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Minnesota

Minnesota

United States

Places 184
Stories 25

Related Stories and Lists

The Biggest Roadside Attractions in the Midwest

List

By Jonathan Carey

Related Places

  • Tampa, Florida

    Princess Ulele Statues

    Tampa’s most famous native royal comes alive in a duo of arresting bronze statues.

    Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY
  • A bronze statue of “Grandma Olga,” an important Dena’ina matriarch, near Ship Creek

    Anchorage, Alaska

    Grandma Olga Statue

    Pay homage to a preeminent matriarch, and the native Dena’ina people, at this sculpture installation in Anchorage.

  • A bronze fast of a female face atop a pedestal with a lighthouse in the background

    New York, New York

    Girl Puzzle Monument

    An art installation commemorates journalist Nellie Bly's undercover reporting inside a New York asylum.

  • One of the Twelve Stone faces.

    Torrig, Denmark

    Dodekalitten

    An air of mystery pervades this modern-day singing Stonehenge.

  • Santuario del Cristo Roto

    San José de Gracia, Mexico

    Santuario del Cristo Roto (Sanctuary of the Broken Christ)

    On a picturesque lake island, a massive, “broken” crucifixion has become a popular pilgrimage destination.

  • Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat.

    Reykjavik, Iceland

    Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat

    Iceland's tribute to its thankless civil servants.

  • Gay Liberation Monument.

    New York, New York

    Gay Liberation

    The first piece of public art dedicated to LGBT rights.

  • “Hail to the Sunrise.”

    Charlemont, Massachusetts

    'Hail to the Sunrise'

    A monument to the Mohawk people stands along an old Native American trade route.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.