Historic Route 66 - World's Largest Ketchup Bottle - Collinsville, Illinois, USA.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member veritas vita
N 38° 39.775 W 089° 58.939
16S E 240509 N 4283592
The World’s Largest Ketchup Bottle stands at the site of a former Brooks Catsup factory. The 100,000-gallon water tower, was built in 1949 to resemble a Brooks Catsup bottle. Located near Historic Route 66 in Collinsville, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WMN86A
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 01/17/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
Views: 2

The home of the World's Largest Catsup Bottle, Collinsville, Illinois, has the unique pleasure of being both a Route 66 community and a Route 40 National Road community. Both historic scenic byways run through town and bring visitors and tourists every day, to view this massive 170 feet tall Ketchup Bottle, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Shown on the American Byways plaque, as one of the official 13 visitor attractions along Route 66 in Illinois.

"The World's Largest Catsup Bottle stands proudly next to Route 159, just south of downtown Collinsville, Illinois. This unique 170 ft. tall water tower was built in 1949 by the W.E. Caldwell Company for the G.S. Suppiger catsup bottling plant - bottlers of Brooks old original rich & tangy catsup.

In 1995, due to the efforts of the Catsup Bottle Preservation Group, this landmark roadside attraction was saved from demolition and beautifully restored to its original appearance.

Recognized the world over as an excellent example of 20th century roadside Americana, the World's Largest Catsup Bottle regularly garners national attention and attracts visitors and tourists every day.

In August of 2002 it was named to the National Register of Historic Places." Text Source: (visit link)


"Standing proudly next to Route 159, this unique 170-foot water tower is the world's largest catsup bottle. It was built in 1949 for the bottlers of Brooks old original rich and tangy catsup. In 1995, due to the efforts of the Catsup Bottle Preservation Group, this landmark roadside attraction was saved from demolition and beautifully restored to its original appearance." Text Source: (visit link)

Route 66 Alignment 1926||1930||1940
800 S. Morrison Avenue, Collinsville, IL
Program: America's Byways

Website: [Web Link]

Official Name: Historic Route 66

Visit Instructions:
Please give a brief description of your visit. Maybe why you were there, what you found interesting, or something along those lines. Photos are also encouraged. Although the only requirement to log a visit to a waymark in this category is to physically visit the location, the photos and extra information you can provide about the area is very helpful to future visitors.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest National Scenic Byways
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log  
iconions visited Historic Route 66 - World's Largest Ketchup Bottle - Collinsville, Illinois, USA. 09/02/2018 iconions visited it
veritas vita visited Historic Route 66 - World's Largest Ketchup Bottle - Collinsville, Illinois, USA. 01/27/2015 veritas vita visited it

View all visits/logs