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For starters, Magic Forest is the home of one of the world’s greatest collection of Muffler Men, which any roadside aficionado should appreciate. The term “Muffler Man” refers to a type of fiberglass statue that is found along roadsides throughout the United States. They are used primarily for advertising purposes. These bizarre statues, which generally have outstretched arms and are often holding items advertising stores they stand outside of, are undeniably eye-catching.Oftentimes, Muffler Men are painted to depict famous figures from American folklore. The figures first began appearing in the early 1960s, and have been part of the fiber of American roadside culture ever since. |
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swims across the pool and climbs out, to the delight of watching children. Horse dives take place at the park twice daily. A visit to www.thedivinghorse.com, run by the proprietors of Magic Forest, serves as an informational guide on Lightning’s diving, as well as a defense against the many animal rights activists who have spoken out against the horse diving show and Magic Forest’s continual sponsorship of it. Magic Forest fervently denies that the act is in any way inhumane. They also call out a number of celebrities who have condemned the act without having ever seen it, and invite these knee jerk animal rights activists (former Saturday Night Live and movie star Chevy Chase, television star Mary Tyler Moore, and the most golden of Golden Girls, Rue McClanahan) to come see the show for themselves before they condemn it. We strongly recommend you do the same! You can read about all of New York’s other Roadside Oddities and curious attractions in our book Weird New York. |