Monument of States - Kissimmee, FL
Posted by: 
Rayman
N 28° 17.506 W 081° 24.275
17R E 460327 N 3129589
A 60+ year old odd-looking monument sits only a couple blocks away from historic downtown Kissimmee, and only a short drive from Disney World.
Waymark Code: WM3CMZ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/15/2008
Views: 109
From the plaque in front of the monument:
Dedicated by U.S. Senator Claude Pepper in 1943, the 40 foot high Monument of States was designed by Dr. C.W. Bressler-Pettis. Built from stones furnished by tourists, governors, a prime minister and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the monument conatins 1500 stones collected for 22 years, including meteors, stalagmites, petrified wood, teeth and bone, and represents every state in the US and 20 foreign countries.
Dr. Bressler-Pettis oversaw the design of each stage of construction and was the sculptor of the 562-pound concrete bald eagle that perches on the peak of the monument.
The original monument had one rock from each of the then 48 states and also a few select others that Dr. Bressler-Pettis and his wife had collected while on vacations to other countries. After they died, other foreign countries, corporations, and Alaska and Hawaii sent pieces too, and the residents of Kissimmee added them as they received them wherever they found space. In 2001, the monument received a little TLC as it was starting to show it's age.
The monument is located in a public park, so it can be visited 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's only 2 blocks off the main street in downtown Kissimmee, so be sure to take a few minutes to check out this odd attraction.