Big Apple (Colborne, Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Big Apple |
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The Big Apple in 2006
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| General information | |
| Location | Colborne, Ontario, Canada |
| Completed | 1987 |
| Height | 12.1 m (40 ft) |
The Big Apple is a super cool place to visit right by the road in Colborne, Canada. Colborne is a small village in a bigger area called Cramahe. You can easily spot the Big Apple from Ontario Highway 401 because it's a giant apple! Many people say it's the biggest apple-shaped building in the whole world.
The Big Apple's Story
The idea for the Big Apple came from George Boycott. He moved to Canada from Australia. In Australia, he saw a giant pineapple building and thought, "Why not a giant apple in Canada?"
George chose Colborne because lots of apples grow there. He met a local builder named Henry Mensen. Together, they planned the Big Apple for five years.
The Big Apple finally opened its doors in 1987. George Boycott later sold his part of the business in 1992. He then worked in local government for many years. He even served as the last leader of Colborne before it joined with Cramahe in 2001.
In 2013, a fun cartoon face was painted on the Big Apple. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Big Apple helped out. They gave hundreds of apple pies to hospital workers. In July 2020, a giant face mask was put on the apple. This showed support for all the brave front-line workers.
What Can You Do at The Big Apple?
The main attraction is the huge apple building itself. It's called "Mr. Applehead." This apple-shaped building is 12.1 meters (about 40 feet) tall. It's also 11.5 meters (about 38 feet) wide.
Inside the giant apple, you can find fun facts about apples. There's also a deck on the roof where you can look out over the area. The building is very heavy, weighing 42 tonnes. It's said it could hold 650,000 real apples!
Besides the giant apple, there's lots more to do! The Big Apple has a restaurant where you can eat. There's also a factory that makes delicious pies. You can buy souvenirs at their store.
For fun, there's a small amusement park and a miniature golf course. There's also a nice outdoor area for picnics. More than 500,000 people visit the Big Apple every year. They sell about 2,000 pies every week. Since opening, they have sold over 6.2 million pies!
