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All the United States North Dakota Dunseith W'eel Turtle

W'eel Turtle

A rim-made reptile in North Dakota.

Dunseith, North Dakota

Added By
Alex Timian
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(Flickr/jon|k)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonk/17908370...
(Flickr/jon|k)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonk/17908370...
(Flickr/jon|k)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonk/17908334...
(Flickr/jon|k)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonk/17908296...
(Flickr/jon|k)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonk/17908264...
  penywisexx / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In 1982, a local motel and thrift store owner named George Gottbreht decided he needed to clean out his garage. For over 16 years, Gottbreht had collected 2,000 old car rims, and was waiting for the perfect moment to turn his bizarre collection into a piece of memorable art.

When his assembly of rims had reached a breaking point, he tasked artist Curt Halvorsen with welding together each rim into a gigantic turtle. Dunseith, on the border with Canada, is near the Turtle Mountains, and their beauty inspired Gottbreht to choose the symbolic reptile.

After all the rims were successfully welded together, the turtle stood 18 feet high and a massive 40 feet long. The head of the turtle alone weighs over a ton. Initially the shape confused some locals, so Gottbreht added a giant motor to move the head to make the statue more turtle-esque. Unfortunately, the desire to climb the monument was too strong, and the motor had to be removed to prevent accidents to overzealous visitors.

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Outsider Art Collections

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West side of ND 3 just north of its intersection with ND 5

Community Contributors

Added By

atimian

Edited By

penywisexx

  • penywisexx

Published

October 19, 2011

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Sources
  • http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/weel-turtle-a-unique-roadside-attraction.html
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2715
W'eel Turtle
ND Hwy. 3
Dunseith, North Dakota, 58329
United States
48.872377, -100.051497
Get Directions

Nearby Places

International Peace Garden

Boissevain, Manitoba

miles away

Tommy the Turtle

Bottineau, North Dakota

miles away

Tommy the Turtle

Boissevain, Manitoba

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of North Dakota

North Dakota

United States

Places 34
Stories 5

Nearby Places

International Peace Garden

Boissevain, Manitoba

miles away

Tommy the Turtle

Bottineau, North Dakota

miles away

Tommy the Turtle

Boissevain, Manitoba

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of North Dakota

North Dakota

United States

Places 34
Stories 5

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