Oregon’s roadside attractions are all as quirky and wonderful as you’d expect. From a huge, red candle on the side of the highway in Scappoose, to the 31-foot-tall Paul Bunyan in Portland, you’ll find dozens of head-turning oddities all over the Beaver State.
There’s a large fiberglass caveman standing in front of the Grants Pass Visitor Bureau between Morgan Lane and Vine Street in Grants Pass, and if you don’t know the story behind his existence, you might think it’s pretty strange. Turns out, there’s a charming story behind the caveman culture here.
Grants Pass is an idyllic community nestled on the banks of the Rogue River, 30 miles from Medford. It’s just like any other beautiful Oregon town, except that it seems to have an obsession with cavemen.
City of Grants Pass, Local Government/Facebook
Residents can hang out at Caveman Bowl, and if they crash their car on the way home, they can have it towed by Caveman towing. Home improvements are all about cavemen too. Call Caveman Fence & Fabrication, Caveman Heating and Air Conditioning, or Caveman Roofing to help with your projects.
Thomas Hawk/flickr
Grants Pass High School is the home of The Cavemen…
Douglas Garcia/Google
…and of course, there’s the famous Caveman Bridge that crosses the Rogue on the south side of town.
Oregon Department of Transportation/flickr
Why cavemen? Because of the Oregon Caves National Monument, which is just 48 miles south of town. In 1909, President Taft designated it as a monument, and by the 1920s tourists were flocking to the area.
David Fulmer/flickr
Recognizing the potential for tourism dollars, the city of Grants Pass began looking for ways to draw those visitors north to their town. A local booster club called “The Oregon Cavemen Club” formed, and began taking photos of themselves at Oregon Caves and all around town.
City of Grants Pass, Local Government/Facebook
In 1971, the club installed its famous caveman, who was created by International Fiberglass (the same folks who created the Midas Men who are found all over the country).
Bob19512014/Tripadvisor
The caveman stands 20 feet tall, including his pedestal, and he’s pretty impressive.
Bob19512014/Tripadvisor
In 2004, vandals set him on fire, and he was badly damaged. The people of Grants Pass were not deterred, and they immediately employed the owner of Summer Breeze Kayaks to make him as good as new. In 2014, he was given another facelift.
Mmarymomm/Tripadvisor
The next time you’re in Grants Pass, make sure to stop by to visit the caveman. You can read all about him and the history of the Oregon Cavemen Club while you’re there.
mini/Tripadvisor
Have you seen the caveman in Grants Pass?
City of Grants Pass, Local Government/Facebook
Thomas Hawk/flickr
Douglas Garcia/Google
Oregon Department of Transportation/flickr
David Fulmer/flickr
Bob19512014/Tripadvisor
Mmarymomm/Tripadvisor
mini/Tripadvisor
If you’d like to explore other roadside attractions in Oregon, check out these eight bizarre roadside attractions that are fascinatingly weird.
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Address: Grants Pass, OR, USA
