ABILENE (KSNT) – The town of Abilene has yet another claim to fame.
After months of waiting, the Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau is showing off the newest World’s Largest Belt Buckle. The belt buckle comes in at 19 feet, 10.5 inches wide and 13 feet, 11.25 inches tall, and is the largest on record in the U.S. These measurements do not include the frame.
The project to create the next World’s Largest Belt Buckle started on May 19, 2022, after Abilene received a Kansas Tourism Attraction Development Grant for $22,000. The project was swathed in secrecy as the artist, Jason Lahr, with Fluter’s Creek Metal Works, put the belt buckle together. Julie Roller-Weeks said they kept the exact dimensions of the buckle under wraps so that other towns wouldn’t make adjustments to their own belt buckles.
The buckle features pieces of Abilene’s history such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Wild Bill Hickok, Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad, Historic Seelye Mansion, C.W. Parker carousel horse, C.L. Brown telephone, a racing Greyhound and Chishom Trail longhorn inlaid with blue quartz, according to Weeks.
“Whether you enjoy Cowboy history, art, fun photo opportunities or the world’s largest things, make sure to add the World’s Largest Belt Buckle to your Kansas I-70 road trip,” said Weeks, Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau director.
