Do you know who Superman is? Most people can answer “yes” to that question.
Are you a Superman fan? I expect that to be a mixed bag of responses.
Here is another question. Superman, as an adult, lived and worked in the city of Metropolis. Did you know that there is an actual city named Metropolis? Yep! It is located at the southern end of Illinois. And, when we left Kentucky to go to Missouri in February, we stopped in to see Superman’s city.
Metropolis, Illinois is located on the north bank of the Ohio River just across from Kentucky and near Interstate 24. The Metropolis in the DC Comics, the company that created and published Superman, has a population of about 11 million people. Metropolis, Illinois has about 6,500. Big difference. It is definitely a small town through and through.
But, when you come into the city, right in the center of town is a 20 foot statue of, none other than, Superman himself. He stands on top of his signature logo, the same one on his chest. If you zoom in with an aerial view, you can see it. The statue is located at 611 Market St, Metropolis, IL 62960. It is where Market and Superman Square meet, right next to the Massac County Sheriff’s Department. The statue stands in front of the Massac County Courthouse and has an inscription at his feet that says “Truth – Justice – The American Way.” It is like Superman is the guardian of justice in front of the courthouse.
Within walking distance is the Superman Museum and Gift Store. It has a phone booth outside that represents the phone booths Superman used to change in. And, there are wooden cutouts of Superman and Super girl out front and a Superman and Wonder Woman cutout on the side. You can place your face on the cutouts and look like you are one of the superheroes.
Inside you will find memorabilia that pertains to Superman if you want to pay for the museum. You will also find many Superman and other super hero related items in the gift store portion of the building.
This was a neat Roadside America type stop. The whole family had fun checking out the statue, the gift shop and the town. Before long we were “up up and away” as we flew out-of-town. If you are a super hero fan, especially if your favorite super hero is Superman, you should drop into Metropolis and check it out. Safe Travels.
