Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

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 Missouri Clinton Tightwad Bank
Tightwad Bank is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Tightwad Bank

This small town bank is very aware of its name thank you very much.

Clinton, Missouri

Added By
Joshua Foer
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Tightwad Bank   Granger Meador on Flickr
Tightwad Bank   Granger Meador on Flickr
Tightwad Bank   NoellaSue / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Located in the small Missouri village of Tightwad, the Tightwad Bank was able to capitalize on its cheeky name, and is now responsible for over $20 million dollars worth of deposits. 

The one-mile-square village of Tightwad supposedly takes its name from an incident in which a shopkeeper demanded an additional 50¢ in a transaction involving watermelons. The bank was originally opened in the town opened in 1984 as an offshoot of a larger institution, realizing the draw its name could bring. However, after an initial period of success, a large deal fell through and the bank fell into decline, further suffering from multiple robberies in the 1990s. By 2006, the bank had shuttered its doors.

However, the opportunity was too good to let it disappear forever and in 2008 it was reopened as a private institution complete with FDIC insurance. The new owners welcomed customers with a sense of humor and vocally tried to draw attention to their speck of a village's hilarious new bank. Their attitude worked and they were eventually even able to open a second Tightwad Bank outside of the village.

Thanks to notoriety from various media sources, the Tightwad Bank has now seen around $20 million in deposits across its two locations and that kind of money is no laughing matter.   

 Update July 2018:  The bank has been closed for a couple years.  The property's current owner has said it will reopen as antique store.  

 

 

 

 

Related Tags

Roadside Attractions Banks Shops Lost Wonders

Community Contributors

Added By

Josh

Edited By

Martin, mikejmerwin, NoellaSue, EricGrundhauser

  • Martin
  • mikejmerwin
  • NoellaSue
  • EricGrundhauser

Published

March 13, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tightwad,_Missouri
  • http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/17/AR2008081702195.html
Tightwad Bank
1160 SE Hwy 7
Clinton, Missouri, 64735
United States
38.309235, -93.544899
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Whiteman Minuteman Missile Site

Knob Noster, Missouri

miles away

Bothwell Lodge

Sedalia, Missouri

miles away

Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins

Camdenton, Missouri

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Missouri

Missouri

United States

Places 178
Stories 6

Nearby Places

Whiteman Minuteman Missile Site

Knob Noster, Missouri

miles away

Bothwell Lodge

Sedalia, Missouri

miles away

Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins

Camdenton, Missouri

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Missouri

Missouri

United States

Places 178
Stories 6

Related Places

  • Windom, Minnesota

    Mimi and Papa's Place

    A roadside statue store in rural Minnesota with quirky displays.

  • All sorts of varieties of honey are available.

    Durango, Colorado

    Honeyville

    This bee-themed family business does more with honey than anyone would think was possible.

  • Warm Glow Candle Outlet.

    Centerville, Indiana

    Warm Glow Candle Outlet

    A giant lumpy candle serves as a beacon for this highly scented pit stop.

  • The plaque.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    'Birthplace of Dixie' Plaque

    The South's nickname was supposedly born at a former bank in New Orleans' French Quarter.

  • Sign for location. Can be seen from Interstate 55.

    Livingston, Illinois

    Pink Elephant Antique Mall

    Oversized statues are just the tip of this nostalgic Americana roadside attraction.

  • Uniroyal Gal in her bikini during the summer pool season.

    Peoria, Illinois

    Uniroyal Gal

    This rare female version of the Muffler Man has its clothes removed each summer to signal the start of pool season.

  • New furniture in the old entrance area.

    Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Blaak House

    Elegant marble and old vaults fill this historic Dutch bank turned office space.

  • The massive wooden nickel.

    San Antonio, Texas

    Old Time Wooden Nickel Company

    A 2,500-pound wooden nickel makes this woodworking museum easy to spot from the road.

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.