biggest things in the world

Sitting attentively outside Denver s Animal Shelter, a 6 metre high dog glistens in the Colorado sunshine. Created by Laura Haddad and Tom Drugan for the city of Denver, Sun Spot consists of a steel skeleton adorned with over 90,000 shiny dog tags that shimmer and dance in the breeze. This friendly pup welcomes visitors to the animal shelter as well as curious tourists passing by on Interstate 25. In the evenings, Sun Spot is set a glow with LED lights, giving man s best friend a colourful, heartwarming presence.

The city of Eindhoven found a playful way to turn the commute to its downtown core into a more enchanting journey. Along the park like median at the crossroads of Kennedylaan and Fellenoord Avenues, drivers and pedestrians discover the unexpected delight of a giant game of bowling in full swing. Bright yellow bowling pins take flight in the midst of a successful strike. By converting an otherwise stale, grassy boulevard into a fanciful sculpture exhibit, artists Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Brugeen s Flying Pins scores full points. And best of all, two tone bowling shoes aren t required to enjoy this game.

If you prefer your movie stars larger than life, take a trip to Palm Springs to gaze upon this 7.9 metre high statue of Hollywood legend, Marilyn Monroe. The 15.4 tonne sculpture designed by Seward Johnson depicts the famous wind swept dress scene from Marilyn s 1955 film, The Seven Year Itch. After mesmerizing admirers along Chicago s Magnificent Mile in 2011, the Windy City said goodbye to Norma Jean as she headed westward to Palm Springs. She ll tease visitors in the California sunshine until June 2013.

Celebrated as France s answer to Andy Warhol, C

Come to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and fulfill your appetite for an extra large serving of whimsy. Here you ll find a king sized spoon

Like Canada and the United States, Australia holds a certain fondness for big things. One of their most photographed roadside attractions is Larry the Lobster. This 17 metre tall crustacean designed in 1979 by Paul Kelly greets visitors to a local restaurant and tourism information booth. Over the years, Larry has accumulated some impressive fans: travel author Bill Bryson mentioned the big lobster in his book Down Under and in 2007 Australia Post featured Larry on a stamp in their Australian big things series

What better way to celebrate the juicy wonder of the pineapple than with a giant version of the fruit? On the outskirts of Bathurst, South Africa, a 16.7 metre high pineapple dominates the skyline. This land is pineapple country and inside the massive 3 floor structure, fruit fans can learn about the industry, purchase locally produced pineapple paraphernalia (jams, chutneys, pottery and clothing), and climb to the top for a 360 degree view that stretches to the Indian Ocean.

It s no surprise that the spectacular buildings that comprise the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre

What you see in the image above is the AN 225 Mriya, a Ukrainian airliner, giving a piggyback ride to a Russian space shuttle. Yes, the world s largest aircraft is capable not only of delivering hundreds of tons of cargo and complete, arena sized concert stages, it s the aircraft you will need if you re transporting other aircraft a Boeing 737 can fit inside its cargo hold.Built in 1988, it was easily (by 50 percent) the largest plane in the world at the time and remains so today (yes, there is only one of these). Inactive for about seven years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the massive aircraft was restored and put back into service in 2001, and it gets plenty of use, since it can transport cargo that literally no other plane on Earth can.

Most hotel swimming pools are nothing special they re known for being small, crowded, and shallow. In an attempt to keep those adjectives out of their pool, designers of the outdoor swimming pool at San Alfonso Del Mar Resort in Chile seem to have overcompensated a bit.In photos, it looks like some kind of weird, clear lagoon running the length of the resort s main beach. Upon further inspection, yes, it is actually a swimming pool, and the sheer numbers associated with it boggle the mind. Covering 20 acres, the pool is over 900 meters (3,000 ft) long (the second longest, in Morocco, is a measly 137 meters). Its deep end is 35 meters (115 ft) also a world record and it holds 66 million gallons of water. Also, it could engulf 20 Olympic sized swimming pools, took five years and nearly $1 billion to build, and costs about $2 million yearly to maintain.