Atop Red Mountain, one of the peaks that sit next to the city of Birmingham and supplied materials for the city's steel industry, stands one of the more unusual giant metal sculptures - Vulcan. Created by the city for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition, it is the worlds largest cast iron statue.

The statue stands 56 feet tall, and according to Wikipedia is the seventh-tallest free-standing in the United States, just above the Jolly Green Giant statue that NOT has also visited.  [List]

Vulcan stands at his forge atop a 123 foot pedestal. He holds aloft a spear point just forged. In the past, Vulcan had held aloft a light, which glowed green unless there had been a traffic fatality in Birmingham, when it would glow red. The light was replaced in the renovations of 1999-2004.

An observation deck circles the pedestal just below the top giving a panoramic view of the valley below, and the closest view to the statue you can get.

The accompanying museum traces Vulcan's history and the history of Birmingham.  NOT wondered if Vulcan shopped for sandals at the same store as the Statue of Liberty.

Perhaps strangest of all, Vulcan is working at his forget naked, save for a protective apron. The result is that his naked rear moons the area behind him.

Now those are buns of iron!