Trigger warning: if you're plagued by coulrophobia, stop reading now. There's a giant jack-in-the-box right here in Connecticut. If you're not afraid of clowns, you absolutely have to see it.
The 33-foot silo with a 600-pound clown head on top might be the largest jack-in-the-box in the world. The head moves up and down at a slow pace that takes on an especially creepy air around twilight.
The fiberglass clown head is repurposed from an enormous figure of Clarabelle the clown, sidekick to 1950s pop culture icon Howdy Doody.
Like a true New Englander, the jack-in-the-box isn't afraid of a little snow. He doesn't even bother with a hat.
Adjacent to the jack-in-the-box, there's a whimsical haunted house that's sure to give you the chills.
Explore the whole property for more eccentric memorabilia and art installations.
Of course, you'll come across quite a few clowns. At least this one doesn't have a 600-pound head.
Sadly, Wild Bill himself passed away recently. Though customers and friends miss the amiable hippie, he lives on in the wild, wonderful world he created at Wild Bill's.
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Stop into the shop for a collection of show-print posters, vinyl records, toys, collectibles, books, antiques, gag props, incense, vintage clothing, cartoon and carnival characters and "whacky wobblers" — 12 of which bear Wild Bill's likeness.
Have you been to Wild Bill's? Every Connecticut resident has to check it out at least once.
Wild Bill’s Nostalgia Center is located at 1003 Newfield St, Middletown, CT 06457
If you're looking for more quirky places in Connecticut, check out our state's most eccentric town.
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