Big Duck: Flanders, New York

Big Duck, New York.
Created to promote the idea of eating Peking duck,
this roadside wonder is now a gift shop.

Conceived by "duck rancher" Martin Maurer and his wife, Jeule, as a means of selling the Peking ducks they raised, Long Island, New York's Big Duck was built in Riverhead in 1931 and relocated to Flanders in 1936.

After development threatened the Big Duck in 1987, the owners donated the building to Suffolk County, and it was relocated to a park, where it now serves as a gift shop and tourist information center.

Learn about some seriously square architecture in the next section.

Want to discover more family vacation destinations? See: