Entry No. 36 — the Dallas file — filed under: outdoor
Cedars Bowler Hat & Stanley's Umbrella
A pair of oddball roadside sculptures a few blocks apart in The Cedars: a steel-and-fiberglass giant bowler hat (about 10 ft tall, 20 ft wide), originally meant to top a Timothy Oulton furniture store until zoning rules killed the rooftop plan, so it was planted as a freestanding roadside landmark in 2013; and a 42-foot 'Stanley's Umbrella' rising in the middle of Akard Street near the Lorenzo Hotel, named for Stanley Marcus, whose childhood home was in the Cedars.
The story
You don't expect British luxury furniture drama sitting in a grassy lot south of I-30, but that is the Cedars for you. Back in 2013, UK brand Timothy Oulton built a ten-foot-tall, twenty-foot-wide steel-and-fiberglass derby hat meant to crown the roof of their Dallas showroom. City zoning officials shot down the rooftop installation, so the giant bowler got exiled to a 20-foot steel "coat rack" planted on a vacant lot along Griffin Street.
Five years later, local developer Jack Hamilton looked at the hat and decided every oversized derby needs an accessory. He commissioned *Stanley's Umbrella*—a 42-foot steel parasol planted on Akard Street near the Lorenzo Hotel. The name honors Stanley Marcus, the Neiman Marcus retail titan whose childhood home once stood in the neighborhood before the highways chopped it up.
Together, they form a surreal set of haberdashery relics dropped into a working, transit-heavy stretch of Dallas. While I-30 highway reconstruction recently forced workers to unbolt the umbrella from its perch, the bowler hat still looms over Griffin Street, staring down the highway onramps.
What it's like
This is a quick roadside stop, not a park. The bowler hat stands in an unshaded, unpaved vacant lot on the 1500 block of Griffin Street near the I-30 and I-45 on-ramps—no restrooms, no benches, and no velvet ropes. Pull off onto the street shoulder, watch for oncoming traffic, and walk up under the giant coat-rack frame for scale photos. If you are tracking down Stanley's Umbrella on Akard Street, keep in mind that I-30 construction pulled it from its site, so verify whether it has been reinstalled before walking over.
The move: Do a short two-stop walking loop in the Cedars to find the giant bowler hat, then track down the 42-foot umbrella a few blocks away for goofy scale-photos before grabbing a drink in the neighborhood.
📍 Before you go The bowler hat stands on a vacant lot along the 1500 block of Griffin Street (between Ervay and Browder), tucked near the I-30/I-45 on-ramps just south of downtown; there's no formal park, restroom, or shade, so park informally on the street and treat it as a quick stop. Note that the 42-foot umbrella on Akard was reportedly removed during the I-30 reconstruction, so confirm it's back before making a special trip for it. Daytime gives the best photos, and since this is a working, residential-adjacent stretch, watch traffic and be respectful. Pair the visit with a drink or bite at one of the Cedars' nearby bars.
- 📍 The Cedars
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Bowler Hat: ~1500 block of Griffin St (between Ervay & Browder); Umbrella: Akard St near the Lorenzo Hotel, The Cedars, Dallas, TX 75215
Hours: Outdoor roadside sculptures, viewable anytime; the umbrella sits in/near Akard St - watch traffic
Pair it with
- Giant Eye Sculpture (Joule Hotel) — Pair giant haberdashery with a giant body part—this 30-foot fiberglass eyeball sits just half a mile north in a downtown courtyard.
- The Traveling Man — Continue the oversized public sculpture route by heading a mile east into Deep Ellum to see three towering sheet-metal robots.
- Room 520 — After standing in a vacant roadside lot for photos, retreat north into downtown for a drink inside Dallas's smallest hidden hotel bar.
Good to know
Where is the bowler hat sculpture located?
It stands on a vacant lot along the 1500 block of Griffin Street (between Ervay and Browder Streets) in the Cedars, right near the I-30/I-45 on-ramps.
Is Stanley's Umbrella still on Akard Street?
The 42-foot umbrella was removed due to I-30 highway reconstruction work, so confirm its current status locally before making the walk to Akard Street.
How much does it cost to visit?
It is completely free and outdoors, accessible anytime, though daytime visibility is best for photos and watching for traffic.
Who was Stanley's Umbrella named after?
It was named for Stanley Marcus, the late Neiman Marcus chief whose childhood home was located in the Cedars neighborhood.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · dallas.culturemap.com · dmagazine.com · dallasinnovates.com
last checked: 2026-06-06