Entry No. 25 — the Sacramento file — filed under: roadside oddity
Giant Coke Cup with Straw
A three-story-tall red Coca-Cola to-go cup, complete with a towering straw, rises over an otherwise nondescript stretch of Natomas warehouses just off I-5 — lit up at night, visible around the clock, and, per one visitor, "the only building in this area of any distinction."
The story
Off Interstate 5 in Natomas, surrounded by a grid of flat, beige logistics warehouses, sits a piece of corporate architecture that refuses to pretend to be subtle. Attached to a Coca-Cola facility at Arena Way and Gateway Park Boulevard, a red fountain cup rises three stories into the Central Valley air, straw included. It isn't subtle, it isn't subtle art, and it was officially claimed as the world's largest Coca-Cola cup sculpture.
You don't need a ticket, a reservation, or even a reason to be in this industrial corner of Sacramento to see it. It sits on the building corner, completely unbothered by the semi-truck traffic rolling past. At night, internal lighting turns the entire red container into a glowing roadside beacon that you can spot long before you hit the intersection.
What it's like
This is a quick pull-off, not an all-day excursion. Take the Truxel Road exit off I-5 and aim for the gravel lot across the street at Gateway Park Boulevard for the cleanest photo angle without blocking warehouse traffic. If you're stepping into the roadside bushes to frame your shot, keep your head on a swivel—local reports consistently warn about bees nesting in the vegetation. Since it's fully lit around the clock, you can hit it after midnight when the industrial park is dead quiet.
The move: Take the Truxel Road exit, park in the gravel lot across the street for the classic photo angle (watch for bees in the bushes, per visitor reports), then head into town for the real beverage.
- 📍 Natomas, Sacramento
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 1804 Arena Way, Sacramento, CA 95834 (SE corner of Arena Way and Gateway Park Blvd)
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Rainbow Poles — Pair one oversized roadside pop-art visual with another by heading five miles south to Midtown's cluster of 72 colorful painted poles.
- MOSAC (SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity) — Planetarium Laser Concerts — Swap giant corporate roadside plastic for high-wattage planetarium shows inside a converted 1912 riverfront power plant under four miles away.
- Sacramento Underground Tours (Sacramento History Museum) — Balance a three-story modern roadside giant in Natomas with the buried 1860s city streets resting ten feet below Old Sacramento.
Good to know
Can you actually go inside the cup?
No. The giant cup is an exterior architectural feature attached to an active Coca-Cola facility, strictly for roadside viewing.
Where should I park to take a photo?
Park across the street in the gravel lot near the intersection of Arena Way and Gateway Park Boulevard.
Is the giant Coke cup illuminated at night?
Yes, the sculpture is lit up night and day, making it clearly visible around the clock.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · fotospot.com · worldrecordacademy.org
last checked: 2026-07-20