About World’s Largest Paper Cup
The World’s Largest Paper Cup is a giant roadside sculpture located in Riverside, California. Rising approximately 68 feet into the air, the enormous replica of a disposable paper cup has overlooked the surrounding neighborhood for decades, serving as one of the Inland Empire’s most recognizable pieces of oversized advertising.
The cup was erected in 1958 outside the Sweetheart Cup Company’s manufacturing facility. At the time, Sweetheart was one of the nation’s leading producers of disposable paper cups, and the towering structure was designed to showcase the company’s products in a way that passing motorists could not ignore. Rather than relying on a traditional billboard, the company built a three-dimensional version of its signature product, creating an unforgettable landmark visible from blocks away.
Constructed from steel and plaster over a structural framework, the cup originally displayed the familiar blue-and-white Sweetheart branding. Although it resembles an ordinary paper cup, its massive scale transforms an everyday object into an unexpected piece of roadside architecture. It quickly became a local landmark and an example of the oversized novelty attractions that flourished during America’s postwar automobile boom.
When the Sweetheart Cup factory eventually closed, the future of the giant cup became uncertain. Weather and years of exposure caused the structure to deteriorate, and at one point demolition was considered. Instead, local preservation advocates and the City of Riverside recognized its cultural significance. In 2008, the landmark underwent an extensive restoration that repaired the structure and returned it to its historic appearance.
Today, the World’s Largest Paper Cup stands outside what is now a business complex, no longer advertising paper cups but preserving an unusual piece of California’s commercial history. While countless giant roadside objects have disappeared over the years, Riverside’s giant cup remains a reminder of an era when businesses competed for attention with bold, imaginative architecture instead of digital advertising.
Visitors often stop for photographs, appreciating both the whimsical design and the nostalgic glimpse into mid-century roadside Americana. Although it began as a simple marketing tool, the giant cup has outlived the factory that inspired it, becoming one of California’s enduring roadside oddities.