Entry No. 22 — the Detroit file — filed under: roadside attraction
The Giant Uniroyal Tire
Standing 80 feet tall and weighing 12 tons, this colossal roadside icon is the largest non-production tire model ever built. It originally served as a fully functioning, 96-passenger Ferris wheel at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair before being shipped to Michigan.
The story
If you are driving into Detroit from Metro Airport along I-94, you will meet an 80-foot-tall rubber titan looming over the trees in Allen Park. What looks like a ridiculous piece of mid-century corporate grandstanding has a weirder second act than most drivers realize: before it was a static highway landmark, this 12-ton monster was a fully operating, 96-passenger Ferris wheel.
Constructed for the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, the tire originally carried fairgoers inside 24 barrel-shaped gondolas set into its outer tread. When the fair wrapped up, Uniroyal stripped the passenger cars, cut the structure into sections, and shipped it by rail to Michigan in 1966. They reassembled it along the freeway without the rides, anchored it into a heavy steel framework, and left it as a permanent statement of industrial muscle.
What it's like
You cannot drive right up to the base or touch the rubber—it sits behind perimeter fencing along Enterprise Drive, right beside the I-94 shoulder. Don't risk pulling over on the highway for a quick photo. Instead, pull off into the adjacent Baker College parking lot or along Enterprise Drive to get a clear, unobstructed shot from a safe distance. It takes all of ten minutes to visit, making it the ultimate mid-century roadside pitstop on your way into the city.
The move: Take a mini road trip down I-94 to spot this massive mid-century marvel, then pull over at the nearby Baker College parking lot to snap a giant-scale selfie from a safe distance.
- 📍 Allen Park
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 18000 Enterprise Dr, Allen Park, MI 48101
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Calavera Rose — Stay in Allen Park after visiting the tire to pick up custom herbal cleanses and Latin American folk magic supplies.
- Glass Academy — Balance an 80-foot industrial monument with hands-on molten craft at this Dearborn glassblowing studio just ten minutes north.
- The Senate Theater — Pair a mid-century roadside relic with a night of cult cinema accompanied by a roaring 1926 theater organ.
Good to know
Can you still ride inside the tire?
No. The 24 passenger gondolas were permanently removed when the tire was dismantled and shipped from New York to Michigan in 1966. The interior is sealed.
Where is the best place to park and take a picture?
Pull into the Baker College parking lot off Enterprise Drive in Allen Park. It offers a clear, direct view of the tire without forcing you to stop on the I-94 shoulder.
How big is the Uniroyal tire?
It stands 80 feet tall, weighs 12 tons, and is recognized as the largest non-production tire model ever created.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Atlas Obscura · Official site · hagerty.com
last checked: 2026-07-21