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Gorilla & Monkey Statues (page 1)

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Mighty Joe
Shamong, NJ
Mighty Joe was previously located in Wildwood, NJ. He was installed at the Islander Raceway and Amusement Park where he was known as George the Gorilla. Today, a sign covers the two holes in his chest that had slides projecting from them. He was installed here at Mighty Joe's Gas Grill & Deli as a tribute to the owner's son who died of cancer. There were two other gorilla statues in Wildwood which are long gone. A new King Kong statue was installed in 2015. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Gorilla
Virginia Beach, VA
This Gorilla, aka Hugh Mongous, stands in front of the Ocean Breeze Water Park. He is about 55 feet tall and wears a Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sunglasses. The original sculpture was about 65 feet tall and installed here in 1985. It was created in 1978 by Paul Dipasquale for a Richmond bank promotion. Afterwards, the statue was trucked to Virginia Beach to Jungle Falls (later Wild Water Rapids and now Ocean Breeze). The statue was reduced to a shell by fire in 1989. He was restored with clothes and sunglasses added at that time. For more, see this website. [map]

There was another Ape statue here when the place was previously known as Wild Water Rapids.

Gorilla
Columbus, TX		 Gorilla
San Angelo, TX		 Gorilla
Austin, TX		 Gorilla
Austin, TX		 Gorilla
Pittsburg, KS

Gorilla
Dallas, GA		 Gorilla
Waco, TX		 Gorilla
Trent, TX		 Gorilla
Claremore, OK		 Gorilla [gone]
Denver, CO		 Gorillas
Branson, MO
These fiberglass gorilla statues were produced in the 1960s and 1970s by Ben Robinson of the Plycrete Mold Co. of Elk Rapids, MI. The original sculptures from which these molds were made were created by Elmer Johnson. These statues were most frequently sold along with figures of other animals and people to mini golf courses.

This Gorilla statue in Columbus is installed in front of the Four Oaks Puppy Club. [map]

This Gorilla statue in San Angelo is installed in front of Scrub University. It now has a psychedelic paint job. [map]

The first Gorilla statue in Austin shown above has been installed in front of a residence since at least 2007. [map]

The pink Gorilla statue in Austin shown above has been installed in front of Big Star Bingo since at least 2007. [map]

The Gorilla statue in Pittsburg was installed in front of RibCrib BBQ around 2015. The gorilla is the mascot of the Pittsburg State University's sports teams. The statue is painted in the school's colors. There are several other gorilla statues around town. [map]

This Gorilla statue in Dallas was previously located at Magic Forest in Lake George, NY. It is now located at Atlantis Plumbing. [map]

This Gorilla statue in Waco is installed in front of a residence. Known as "Darwin," he is frequently repainted for different holidays and special events. The statue has been there since at least 2005. [map]

This Gorilla statue in Trent is located in front of Trent High School. The school is known as the "Home of the Gorillas". [map]

This Gorilla statue in Claremore is located at the Kong's Korner gas station. [map]

This Gorilla statue in Denver stood in front of All Checks Cashed. He had been there since at least 2008. This photo is from 2010. By 2014, the statue had been painted purple and orange. In 2015, the statue was painted black. In 2019, when Snarfburger moved in, the statue was removed. I don't know if he was destroyed or moved.

These Gorilla statues in Branson were installed at the Branson Villas around 2015. The motel has been closed since 2019 but the statues remain. [map]

Gorillas
Vicksburg, MS
These three Gorilla statues are installed in front of Top Dollar Pawn & Guns. They have been there since at least 2008. [map]

King Kong
Natural Bridge, VA
This King Kong statue was created in 2002 by Mark Cline. It stood next to the Pink Cadillac Diner when these photos were taken in 2010. The statue was removed in 2012 and is now back at Mark Cline's Enchanted Castle Studios in Natural Bridge. For more, see this website. [map]

King Kong
Branson, MO
This King Kong statue was installed at the Hollywood Wax Museum in 2009. [map]

Gorilla
Clermont, FL
This Gorilla statue was installed next to the Showcase of Citrus around 2020. [map]

Gorilla
Crystal River, FL
This Gorilla statue is about 12 feet tall and was built by T.J. Neil. It is meant to resemble a Skunk Ape, the Southern version of Bigfoot. He was built to draw attention to Hornblowers, a taxidermy shop. The building was vacant since at least 2007 but now houses GS Auto Sales & Towing. The statue was restored in 2021 and painted black. [map]

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