In a recent coast-to-coast roundup of America’s must-see roadside attractions , HGTV spotlighted everything from giant potatoes in Idaho to a wild blueberry heritage center in Maine.

Alabama’s must-see roadside attraction is a towering, toga-clad Roman god who watches over Birmingham. Hammer raised, apron on and cheeks unapologetically out.

Meet Vulcan, the world’s largest cast iron statue, and HGTV’s must-see pick for Alabama .

What is Vulcan?

Birmingham’s Vulcan statue is the world’s largest cast iron figure, a 56-foot-tall Roman god of fire and forge, perched on a 124-foot pedestal atop Red Mountain. Built for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair to showcase Birmingham’s steel industry, Vulcan was cast from local iron and weighs over 50 tons.

Vulcan became HGTV’s quirkiest roadsid

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