About Cawker City ball of twine
In the small town of Cawker City, Kansas, visitors encounter a roadside attraction that perfectly captures the spirit of American oddities: a giant ball made entirely of twine. Known as the Cawker City Ball of Twine, this enormous sphere has become one of the best-known examples of roadside Americana and a symbol of community pride.
The story began in 1953 when local farmer Frank Stoeber started winding leftover sisal twine into a ball rather than throwing it away. Twine was a common material on farms throughout the Midwest, used to bind hay and other agricultural products. What started as a practical way to reuse spare material gradually became an unusual hobby.
As the ball grew larger, it attracted attention from neighbors and travelers. Stoeber continued adding twine until his death in 1974, by which time the ball had become a local curiosity. Rather than allowing the project to end, residents of Cawker City decided to continue the tradition themselves.
The community transformed the twine ball into a collective project. Each year, visitors and local volunteers gather during the town’s annual Twine-a-thon to add more twine to the growing sphere. This ongoing participation distinguishes the attraction from many other giant objects. Instead of remaining frozen in time, the ball continues to evolve.
Over the decades, the twine ball has achieved national recognition as one of the world’s largest balls of twine. Its size has fluctuated in comparison with other twine-ball attractions around the country, depending on the measurement standards used and whether the twine was rolled by a single person or by a community. Regardless of official records, the Cawker City Ball of Twine remains the most famous and continuously growing example.
The attraction’s appeal comes not only from its size but also from its story. It represents the creativity and humor often found in small-town America, where ordinary objects sometimes become extraordinary landmarks. Visitors stop to photograph the giant sphere, add a few feet of twine, and become part of a tradition that has lasted for generations.
Today, the ball sits in a dedicated park in downtown Cawker City, where it continues to grow through the contributions of visitors from around the world. More than a roadside attraction, it serves as a living community project and a celebration of the quirky ingenuity that defines many of America’s most memorable oddities.