CASEY, IL (WCIA) — There really is something different about Casey, Illinois.

Everybody calls it Casey (the way it looks). That’s the first giveaway if you are a tourist

Bailey Maulding, Economic Director for the City of Casey

There really is something different about Casey, Illinois. Being an Interstate town, it has all the typical establishments someone would need for a quick rest for gas and food and then they are back on their way. The thing is, no one does that if you stop in Casey. You would miss out on the big picture. Literally.

Seeing people looking at them for the first time is neat every day!

Bailey Maulding, Economic Director for the City of Casey

Casey’s claim to fame is its collection of Guinness World Record sized things. They are every day items like wind chimes, a golf tee, wooden shoes, pitchfork, mailbox, and rocking chair. They also have knitting needles and a crochet hook that while big, have lost their Guinness World Record status, and just other Big Things too like a bird cage, wooden token, pencil amongst others. Click the button below for a list of all the Big Things Casey has to offer.

Jim Bolin: Local Business Owner of Bolin Enterprises and Big Things Mastermind

Bolin Enterprises is a pipeline company, with a lot of pipe to spare. Bolin’s wife was interested in setting up a tea shop and wanted something that would draw the visitors in, hence the first World Record Big Thing, the wind chimes. After he and the community saw what it was doing driving people into town, he continued to build.

The tourism has taken a small town of 2,700 citizens and made them into 2,700 tourist advocates.

Deb Bohannon, Bolin Enterprises HR Marketing and Media and Big Things In A Small Town Board Member

More Big Things

Currently with six Big Things that are Guinness World Record sized, there will be six more that will be revealed and/or certified on September 28th, 2019. This will bring Casey’s total up to twelve. The new editions will be:

• Teeter Totter
• Driver Golf Club
• Twizzler Spoon
• Barber Shop Pole
• Key
• Wooden Gavel (In Marshal, IL)

In order for Guinness World Records to certify something as the World’s Largest, it needs to not only be the biggest in the world, but also still perform its intended task. The rocking chair rocks, the wind chimes make sound, the mailbox is actually US Post Office certified. These new Big Things will also have to work as intended. This means that the golf driver will actually need to hit a ball (most likely with a crane), the teeter totter needs to go up and down, and the barber shop pole will have the moving colors of red and blue. So not only are these things huge to look at, they are interactive because they have to work as their normal sized objects, which makes them very unique.

Because a majority of them are outside, they’re available 24/7 from dawn to dusk. They’re free, so this makes it a very attractive opportunity for families to come here.

Deb Bohannon, Bolin Enterprises HR Marketing and Media and Big Things In A Small Town Board Member

In addition to all of these Big Things being free to the public, they also have an important Bible verse attached with them to show the importance of faith in our daily lives.

September 28th will not only be when Guinness World Records comes and certifies these new Big Things, it is also when one lucky person and three of their closest friends or family members will be drawn from a raffle to be able to sit in the World’s Largest rocking chair! From 38 feet up, it will provide quite the view of Casey. Tickets for the raffle are on sale now at $5 a ticket or $20 for six. These can be purchased in many of the downtown businesses.

Providing Hope When Many Small Towns Have None

Many small towns have deteriorated, but not Casey. The downtown not only is vibrant, it is also clean and beautiful. You can tell everyone cares about their community and are invested in it.

The beautification has helped a ton. A lot more people are eager to be involved. Locals are shopping downtown, which is huge.

Bailey Maulding, Economic Director for the City of Casey

A Storied Tradition of Softball

Casey isn’t only just the Small Town with Big Things, it is home to the USA Softball of Illinois Hall of Fame.

Known as a haven for softball, Joe Snedeker and two other buddies decided Casey needed a museum for all the local talent and came up with the Casey Softball Hall of Fame in 1976. In 2010, USA Softball decided to put the Illinois Hall of Fame there. Not only was it a great honor for the community, they required more space and continued to expand, with future expansion planned in the future on the same site. It is packed full of pictures, newspaper articles, jerseys, trophies, awards, and even a letter from President Ronald Reagan.

Working Together to Improve the Community

The Hall of Fame and Big things compliment each other nicely. Most times, tourists from all over go to both, and we recommend it highly!

All states, the District of Columbia, Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, and 41 countries.

Joe Snedeker, Co-Curator of the USA Softball of Illinois Hall of Fame

While Casey, Illinois is proud to be a part of Destination Illinois, they are no stranger to the spotlight. They have been featured on two episodes of American Travel Channel, Chinese Travel Channel, German media, NBC Nightly News, and CBS Sunday Morning. With more Big Things on the way, you can expect them to continue to shine.

It’s almost like we’re the community inside that snow globe that everybody wishes they could live in.

Deb Bohannon, Bolin Enterprises HR Marketing and Media and Big Things In A Small Town Board Member