Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square installs the World’s Largest Matchstick Model

By | July 21, 2015

All Aboard! ‘Flying’ steampunk train is made from more than 1,000,000 matchsticks!

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square Odditorium introduces the world’s largest matchstick model to the public July 29th, 2015.

The train measures 22 feet long, 13 feet wide and 9 feet high – and is made from over one million, individually placed matchsticks. Created in the style of steampunk, this locomotive features classic turn-of- the century details of both a plane and a train. Visitors can get up close and personal to this massive exhibit with direct access to the train’s ‘working’ engineer cab. This child-size cab has fully operable throttle, brake and forward levers.

Ripley’s commissioned the locomotive, called ‘Plane Loco’, from master matchstick artist Pat Acton. Acton spent 14 months (over 3,000 hours) building his largest creation in Iowa. He will hand deliver the giant exhibit, and will be onsite to perform the installation himself at Times Square.

Members of the press are invited to a pre-launch event on Wednesday, July 29th from 6 AM – 8 AM. Artist Pat Acton will be on hand to answer questions about his world record art, and offer a first-hand look at how such a massive undertaking is achieved one matchstick at a time. Please contact Brittany Every at Brittany@RipleysNewYork.com to reserve your spot!

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square will officially open the exhibit to press and public at 2PM on Wednesday, July 29th. With General Admission tickets the first 200 guests will receive special giveaways and have an opportunity to meet the artist.

“This train is an incredible work on its own, but the fact that Pat built it one single matchstick at a time is what visitors will find truly mind-boggling,” said Edward Meyer, Ripley’s VP of Exhibits and Archives.