World's Largest Thermometer – Baker, California - Atlas Obscura

World's Largest Thermometer

This giant temperature attraction created some giant electric bills. 

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The mad dream of one businessman, the world’s largest thermometer is in actuality an electric sign that commemorates one of the hottest days ever in Death Valley.

Rising out of a small parking lot in the aptly named town of Baker, California, the thermometer stands at exactly 134 feet tall in honor of a 134 degree record heat in 1913. Originally commissioned by a local business owner, the sign once told the active temperature in the area, but over the years, this function ceased to work. There is a diner, a convenience store, and even a gift shop around the base of the landmark. Unfortunately the sign is currently unlit and for sale as the previous owner reported an electric bill of around $8,000 which sales from the gift shop could apparently not sustain.  

However as of June 2014 the thermometer displays the correct temperature again.

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