email: roadarch@outlook.com

Polar Bear Statues (page 2)

(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)

Polar Bear
Stilwell, KS		 Polar Bear
Reno, NV
The Polar Bear sculpture in Stilwell is installed in the backyard of a house facing Highway 69. It was built in 1979 by Weldon Epperson for Brown Realty. The bear was originally painted brown and, later, black. The sculpture has been white since at least 2009. It is sometimes dressed with Kansas City Chiefs or Royals tributes. [map]

This 35-foot-tall Polar Bear sculpture in Reno was installed in Glow Park in 2019. It was created by Don Kennell and Lisa Adleris from scrap car hoods. It was originally installed at the Burning Man festival in 2018. [map]

Commercial Casino
Elko, NV
The Commercial Casino features two polar bear statues, one over each entrance. The statues are at least 18 feet tall. Neon tubing behind the bears illuminates them at night. Old postcards reveal that at least one of these statues wore a cowboy hat and bandanna. There appeared to be a pipe or a gun in one of his paws. The inspiration for these statues is the taxidermied polar bear located inside the casino (first photo above). At just over ten feet tall, the Alaskan bear "White King" was believed to be the world's largest polar bear. The bear was shot, stuffed, and displayed at Jonas Furs in Denver, CO before the casino purchased him in 1958. The bear was put in the casino's coffee shop where it remains today. When the casino first bought the bear, it was promoted with a giant billboard across the street which depicted the bear. Around 1959, an additional polar bear sign was installed above the billboard. The bear part of the sign was about 30 feet tall and might have been accented with neon. That sign seems to have disappeared sometime in the 1960s. Today's statues were probably installed in the 1960s or 1970s. They are repainted every couple of years because they are popular bird perches. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

More Polar Bears:
Nome, AK
St. Paul, MN
Winger, MN [map]
Kansas City, MO
Castalia, OH
Toledo, OH
Pawtucket, RI
Jackson, WY
Gimli, MB
Grand Falls, NB
Cochrane, ON

Polar Bear signs (various cities)

Polar Bears
Nashville, TN
These 5 1/2 feet tall plaster Polar Bears were created in 1930 for Polar Bear Frozen Custard shops. The buildings icy exteriors were embedded with mirrored glass for a glittering appearance (see links at the bottom of this page). I don't know where the chain was first established or how many locations were built. However, the majority of the remaining polar bear statues are in Tennessee.

The statues shown above were installed in front of a residence on Edgehill Ave. in the 1940s. In 2005, they were moved to this new spot in the neighborhood, now officially known as the "Edgehill Polar Bear Plaza". There are reports of two other Polar Bears like this in Nashville - one might be the one described below. Does anyone know where the fourth might be? [map]

Polar Bear
Nashville, TN		 Polar Bear
Jackson, TN		 Polar Bear
Middleton, TN
This Polar Bear in Nashville is another example of the custard shop bears described above. This one is in front of a residence and was missing an arm. By 2021, the arm was restored and the statue was painted. [map]

This Polar Bear in Jackson now functions as a mailbox at the Fireplace Center. [map]

These Polar Bears in Middleton are installed in front of the police station. [map]

Polar Bears [gone]
Memphis, TN
This pair of Polar Bears was installed in front of the Happy Hocker pawn shop. There was originally a Polar Bear Frozen Custard shop here. At some point later, it became the Fairview Drive In. The drive-in closed sometime after the 1990s. The Happy Hocker closed around 2020 and these statues were removed. Only their bases remain.

Polar Bears [gone]
Memphis, TN
This pair of Polar Bears stood in front of Java Juice & Jazz. At some point after 2007, they were moved here from across the street. But before that, I don't know where these bears were located. By 2021, the juice stand had closed and these statues were gone.

Polar Bears
Tunica, MS		 Polar Bears
Memphis, TN		 Polar Bear
Springfield, MO
The Polar Bears in Tunica originally came from St. Louis, MO. Around 1993, they were installed in front of Happy Daze. In 2014, these statues had painted on swim trunks. The snowballs were also painted different colors. In 2023, the business became the Unprediktable Hookah Lounge and Bar and the bears were painted orange with black shorts. [map]

The third pair of Polar Bears in Memphis is at a Dixie Queen Hamburgers location. [map]

The Polar Bear in Springfield is installed on the roof of McDaniel Furs. The statue was originally located at an ice cream store in Springfield. It is believed that the statue was moved to McDaniel Furs around 1947 when Taylor's Drive-in replaced the ice cream store. It has been the furrier's mascot since then. The statue was originally installed in the parking lot. It was moved to the roof in the late 1970s to prevent it from being vandalized or stolen. [map]

Polar Bear
Morenci, MI
This Polar Bear stands on the front lawn of a house. [map]

More Snowball Polar Bears:
Eureka Springs, AR
Washington, DC
Indianapolis, IN [gone]
Wichita, KS
Silver Spring, MD
Portageville, MO [gone]
Saltillo, MS [gone]
Memphis, TN

Polar Bears
(page 1)		 Bears (page 1) Bears (page 2) Bears (page 3) Bears (page 4) Yogi Bears
Animal Statues Main Page