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
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
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 »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
22 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
22 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
22 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
22 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 Michigan Ypsilanti Ypsilanti Water Tower

Ypsilanti Water Tower

Lovingly nick-named the "Brick Dick" this municipal tower was winner of the World's Most Phallic Building Contest.

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Added By
Ryan Iseppi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Ypsilanti Water Tower   Eli Carrico on Flickr
Ypsilanti Water Tower   Eli Carrico on Flickr
Ypsilanti Water Tower   F Delventhal on Flickr
One of the crosses built into the Ypsilanti Water Tower.   F Delventhal on Flickr
  kuukisu / Atlas Obscura User
Found one of the crosses  
  lainezizka / Atlas Obscura User
Water Tower  
  theoriginalbyoch / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Dominating the city's landscape, Ypsilanti, Michigan's centrally located water tower was actually named "the most phallic building in the world" by a magazine and the locals would seem to agree.

The water tower was designed by architect William R. Coats and built in 1889 in the "Queen Anne" architectural style popular during the era. Superstitious construction workers on the project built four crosses into the actual brickwork of the structure which can still be found by eagle-eyed visitors. Then in front of the water tower, there is a bust of Demetrios Ypsilantis, hero of the Greek War of Independence and namesake of the city of Ypsilanti, which was founded in 1825 during the war in Greece.

However all of this historical flare has been nearly forgotten in the giggling furor over the building's phallic shape. Affectionately known to locals as the "Brick Dick," the water tower actually won a contest run by Cabinet Magazine identifying the structure as the "World's Most Phallic Building." There is even a tongue-in-cheek local legend that says the tower will fall down should a virgin graduate from the nearby Eastern Michigan University.  

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture Phallic

Community Contributors

Added By

DoctorMoog42

Edited By

lainezizka, EricGrundhauser, theoriginalbyoch, norfolksandi...

  • lainezizka
  • EricGrundhauser
  • theoriginalbyoch
  • norfolksandi
  • kuukisu

Published

July 25, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://cabinetmagazine.org/events/phallic/winner.php
  • http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/ypsilanti_water_tower_named_in.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ypsilanti_Water_Tower
  • http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/ypsilanti_water_tower_named_in.html
Ypsilanti Water Tower
North Summit Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197
United States
42.242933, -83.624612
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Animals of the Huron River Statues

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Wave Field

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Michigan

Michigan

United States

Places 271
Stories 29

Nearby Places

Animals of the Huron River Statues

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Matthaei Botanical Gardens

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Wave Field

Ann Arbor, Michigan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Michigan

Michigan

United States

Places 271
Stories 29

Related Stories and Lists

The Quirkiest Local Landmarks in Small-Town America

List

By Meg Neal

Related Places

  • Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design in the iconic Toronto cityscape.

    Toronto, Ontario

    Rosalie Sharp Centre for Design

    This buzzy, award-winning building hovers 85 feet above the ground on a dozen colorful stilts.

    Sponsored by Destination Toronto
  • West Virginia’s New River Gorge Bridge is the longest steel bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

    Lansing, West Virginia

    Bridge Walk

    In West Virginia, you can walk across the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

  • The Cathedral Café has been serving it’s community for more than 120 years.

    Fayetteville, West Virginia

    Cathedral Café

    Soak in the sacred vibes at this beloved food and coffee hangout inside a former church.

  • Petrópolis, Brazil

    Belvedere do Grinfo

    This spaceship-like structure was once a popular roadside restaurant.

  • Créteil, France

    Choux de Créteil

    A cluster of cylindrical apartment buildings nod to the city’s vegital past.

  • Jaraba, Spain

    Santuario de la Virgen de Jaraba

    A medieval shrine set into a towering canyon wall.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple

    A grand Buddhist temple with Indian influences.

  • What appears to be an ancient Greek ruin is, in fact, a colossal mess.

    Edinburgh, Scotland

    National Monument of Scotland

    A never-finished memorial to the heroes of the Napoleonic War has become "Scotland's Folly."

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.