Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue, Political sculpture in Plains, Georgia, US
The Jimmy Carter Peanut Statue is a sculpture made from chicken wire, aluminum foil and polyurethane in Plains, Georgia. It reaches a height of about 13 feet and shows an oversized peanut with the smiling face of the 39th president.
The Democratic Party of Indiana created this figure in 1976 for the campaign and then sent it to Georgia. It found its permanent place in Plains, where Carter grew up and was later elected governor.
The name refers to Jimmy Carter, a former peanut farmer from Plains who became the 39th U.S. president. The sculpture stands along Georgia State Route 45 near Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday school. It has become a town symbol and was listed by Time in 2010 among the Top 50 American Roadside Attractions.
The sculpture stands freely accessible beside Highway 45 in the town center and can be photographed anytime. On the same grounds there are information panels about Carter's life and political career.
The statue once had a large hole in its rear side; an urban legend holds that the Secret Service cut it open to check for explosives or a hidden assassin. Since 2018, photos of the grinning peanut have circulated widely as internet memes.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,622 contributors worldwide.
