World's Tallest Thermometer, Electric sign in the shape of a thermometer in Baker, California, United States.
The World's Tallest Thermometer is a 134-foot (41 m) steel structure rising above the Mojave Desert, displaying temperature readings through digital lights that are visible from Interstate 15. The structure serves travelers as a distinctive landmark and photo spot along this stretch of highway through the desert.
A local entrepreneur built this structure in 1991 as a reference to the 134-degree Fahrenheit temperature recorded in Death Valley. The project was conceived as an unusual landmark initiative to draw attention to the region.
Willis Herron ran the Bun Boy restaurant beside the sign, and the complex later drew attention for a different reason: in July 2016 Google used the site to promote new Google Maps features, serving visitors "the world's coldest coffee". The empty gift shop stood covered in graffiti during the years the thermometer was switched off.
The sign stands beside Interstate 15 in Baker, next to the former Bun Boy restaurant site. An EVgo fast-charging station for electric vehicles, announced in December 2016 and rated up to 350 kW, occupies the thermometer's parking area. The gift shop below was empty and closed when the property was offered for sale in 2013.
The 134-foot height matches the 134 °F recorded in Death Valley on July 10, 1913, and the sign cannot show more than that figure. Its 125 cubic yards of concrete were poured into the steel core after 70 mph winds snapped it in half soon after 1991 and later gusts popped out bulbs.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,196 contributors worldwide.