"Maxie was built in 1974 by Kansas City sculptor David Jackson (1941-2013). "He was this eclectic hippie artist, always doing something crazy," said his daughter Debbie Jackson, who was 12 years old at the time. There was nothing flighty, however, about this particular project, which was endorsed by Missouri's governor (who later delivered Maxie's dedication speech) and funded with $16,000, a considerable sum then," the Roadside America says.

"Some of the money came from an American Revolution Bicentennial grant, but most of it was raised through bootstrap efforts by Sumner citizens. Many donations were gleaned from the goose hunters who flocked to Sumner for its annual Wild Goose Festival. The Festival would kick off goose-hunting season, which didn't end until 20,000 geese had been shot (It doesn't operate that way anymore).

"David Jackson built Maxie with fiberglass skin over metal mesh over a steel skeleton, and the entire bird weighed nearly three tons (The attention-grabbing behemoth likely inspired, several years later, the nearby World's Largest Pecan). David gave Maxie bowling ball eyes and coined her name from Branta Canadensis Maxima, the Latin term for the giant Canada goose."

"This giant bird was first installed back in 1976 and even though she is made of fiberglass, she actually flew into her current spot with the help of a helicopter. Even at 4,000 pounds, she takes flight a bit when the wind is strong enough, turning ever so slightly. The giant bird stands on a tall cinderblock stand on skinny little legs that belay the true weight of the fake beast," the Atlas Obscura says.

"Sumner sits along a migration path that sees a large number (around 100,000) of wild geese land in the local lakes each year, attracting a number of hunters. This has earned the town its fowl nickname, along with the goose-themed festival which has been held there since 1955. There is no mistaking the town’s claim to fame thanks to a general theme of geese, of which Maxie is clearly the crown jewel.

"Visitors to the giant statue are welcome to try and touch the wingtips but may be hard-pressed to reach them, given that they hover a bunch of feet in the air, measuring in at around 65-feet in length. Luckily, even at its massive size, the bird comes off as more majestic than monstrous."

"The World’s Largest Goose in Missouri is also a popular roadside attraction, a fun addition to any bucket list. Maxie, the World's Largest Goose, sits in Sumner, fittingly known as the Wild Goose Capital of the World," the Only In Your State says.

"She's been a staple of the small Missouri town, where there are more geese than people, for decades. (The town's population is just over 115 at last count.) The larger-than-life creation of David C. Jackson, a Kansas City artist, Maxie made her debut in 1974 and has been a fun roadside attraction ever since.

"Standing a whopping 40 feet tall, Maxie's wings spread out 65 feet. Perhaps the town's most popular long-term resident, Maxie got her name from Branta Canadensis Maxima. Jackson died in 2013, and Maxie's age began to show. Jackson's daughters spearheaded a fundraising effort to have Maxie restored."

"Towering above the lush lands of Sumner Missouri (population 142), Maxie is poised for a mid-migratory landing (or take-off, depending on if your a half-full or half-empty type person.) Erected in 1976 to commemorate the areas proliferation of this fine feathered friend, Maxie manifests herself in the community park, mounted on a cinderblock building that sports the identifying information. She was originally built in Kansas City, and flown in via helicopter for the town's annual Goose Festival," the World's Largest Things says.

"Her massive wings are down swept, with the wing tips just barely out of reach for the gobs of gawkers taking a gander. With a mighty 65 foot wingspan and elegantly soaring neck, her head could easily peek over a three story building, not a common sight in rural Missouri. But, surrounding farmsteads should be wary, as she'd be able to clean out a standard sized grain silo with just a few pecks of her behemoth beak.

"Sumner prides itself on being the Wild Goose Capitol of the World, with a community park that contains Maxie, a community building, slides and swings for mini Maxie fans, and available electric and water hook-ups available for overnight oglers. A massive monument in a small town, Maxie is a true beauty of roadside civic architecture. And, you just might be able to pick up a goose call at the multipurpose general store just down the road if you feel the need to talk turkey. Or gossip goose, to stay on the subject."

"For all intents and purposes, Sumner Missouri is a typical, low-key townlet of rural America. Apparently, the only thing separating Sumner from a total obscurity is its ample geese population. As a tribute to Sumner’s feathered critters, a massive 12-meter-tall goose made of fiberglass was erected along the town’s MO-139 road. Maxie, as her name goes by, prides herself as the world’s largest goose, an incredibly hefty title for such a small town," the Explanders says.

"With less than 100 inhabitants and tens of thousands of migratory geese, it is easy to see why Sumner MO is often dubbed the wild goose capital of the world. As you’d expect from a place where humans are outnumbered by geese by a ratio of nearly 1:1000, the town revolves around its beloved bird. Evidently, Sumner has its own annual Goose Festival and apparently so, also a sculpted figure of a goose entitled “The World’s Largest Goose”.

"Featuring a wingspan of a whopping 62 feet (19 meters) and a weight of roughly 4,000 pounds (2 tons), the 40 feet tall bird (12 meters) far eclipses any other goose around the world, living and sculpted alike. To counterbalance the area’s occasionally strong winds, Maxie was placed on a bearing that allows her to oscillate by a whisker, thus absorbing any abnormal air current."

"In Sumner, Missouri, known as the “Wild Goose Capital of the World,” (due to the large number of geese that flock there each year) this giant fiberglass goose “Maxie”, as she is called, flies proudly over the community park," the Silly America says.

"This roadside attraction was built by artist David C. Jackson in 1974 to commemorate the town’s status. He named this world’s biggest goose “Maxie” after the scientific name for Giant Canada Geese: Branta Canadensis Maxima.

"At over 5,000 pounds, forty feet tall with a wingspan of 61 feet, the stainless steel and fiberglass Maxie the Goose could feed a whole city for Christmas dinner…but we wouldn’t do that to such a beautiful creature! Instead we’ll leave this Missouri roadside attraction to keep a watchful eye over Sumner Community Park and stand gloriously for all to see."

"Sumner is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 78 at the 2020 census. It was named in honor of U.S. Senator Charles Sumner.

"Located on a migratory flyway, Swan Lake and the Sumner area began to attract ever larger numbers of geese in the mid and late 20th century, reaching 100,000 or more by the 1980s and 1990s.[5] This also led to a yearly influx of hunters, benefiting the few Sumner businesses and Chariton County as a whole. With these numbers in mind Sumner was proclaimed the "Wild Goose Capital of the World".

"Sumner also began to hold a yearly Goose Festival in 1955 and it continues each October, with a variety of activities held including live music, a queen contest, food and a parade. Sumner residents commissioned a Kansas City sculptor in 1976 to create a large statue to honor the community's status and reputation for waterfowl hunting. What resulted was the "Worlds Largest Goose". Named "Maxie", the fiberglass and metal structure stands over forty feet tall with a wingspan of sixty-five feet and a total weight of over 5,000 pounds." (Wikipedia)

"Maxie is definitely a sight to behold for anyone liking extra large animal statues! It's easy to spot her from the road."

"Maxie is huge and seen in flight. It way good for a quick family photo and we would not have gone out of our way by more than 5 miles to see it."

"We stumbled upon Sumner after going to Swan Lake Nature reserve. Maxie is a big Canada goose sculpture."