"In 1982, a local motel and thrift store owner named George Gottbreht decided he needed to clean out his garage. For over 16 years, Gottbreht had collected 2,000 old car rims, and was waiting for the perfect moment to turn his bizarre collection into a piece of memorable art," the Atlas Obscura says.



"When his assembly of rims had reached a breaking point, he tasked artist Curt Halvorsen with welding together each rim into a gigantic turtle. Dunseith, on the border with Canada, is near the Turtle Mountains, and their beauty inspired Gottbreht to choose the symbolic reptile.

"After all the rims were successfully welded together, the turtle stood 18 feet high and a massive 40 feet long. The head of the turtle alone weighs over a ton. Initially the shape confused some locals, so Gottbreht added a giant motor to move the head to make the statue more turtle-esque. Unfortunately, the desire to climb the monument was too strong, and the motor had to be removed to prevent accidents to overzealous visitors."

"Wee'l Turtle: In Dunseith, you’ll find the Wee'l Turtle, a huge artistic work that is truly a one-of-a-kind," the North Dakota Tourism says.

"Constructed of more than 2,000 wheels painted green, it is a must-see tourist attraction."

"Created from a collection of 2,000 wheel rims, the W’eel Turtle of Dunseith is arguably the largest man made turtle structure in the world. This piece of art has an interesting history, when George Gottbreht, a local motel and thrift store owner decided to clean out his garage," the City Seeker says.

"He collected over 2,000 old car rims for over 16 years and waited for the perfect moment to turn his weird collection into a piece of memorable art. Along with artist Curt Halvorsen they welded together each rim and constructed a gigantic turtle in honor of the famous Turtle Mountains state park.

"The structure stands at a height of 18 feet (5.5 meters) and is 40 feet (12 meters) wide and is one roadside attraction you cannot miss. The best time to visit this attraction is during the winter holidays, when the turtle's head is covered with a giant, red Santa Claus hat."

"The  Giant Wheel Turtle was created by Gottbreht, who owned a nearby store, and is said to hold the title as the “World’s Largest Man-Made Turtle,” the the Society of Architectural Historians says.

"The turtle is composed of more than two thousand steel wheel rims stacked and welded together on top of each other. The turtle’s head and neck are built on a pivot that allows visitors to pull down on it, making its huge head bobble up and down."

"7 Miles from Tommy Turtle on North Dakota Highway 3 in Dunseith, North Dakota, the two RV Gypsies came across the "World's largest man-made turtle" the Two RV Gypsies says.

"Wee'l Turtle that was erected as a novelty in 1982, welded together from over 2,000 steel wheel rims by George Gottbreht, owner of Dale's Thrifty Barn, which conveniently stands next door.

"The head alone on Dunseith's metal turtle weighs over a ton, and is mounted on a pivot so you can bob it up and down if you've been working out."

"Made up of 2,000 wheel rims, the W’eel Turtle of Dunseith, North Dakota, is arguably the largest turtle in the world. Convinced that one day he”ll find a proper use for them, George Gottbrecht saved around 2,000 car wheel rims, over 16 years" the Oddity Central says.

"In 1982 he had a vision of how to turn his impressive collection into an artwork that the whole town would admire. He decided to build a giant turtle statue, in honor of the famous Turtle Mountains state park.

Gottbrecht had master welder Curt Halvorsen do the work and ended up paying $5,000 for the world’s largest turtle statue. Eighteen feet high, and forty feet long, W’eel Turtle is one of those roadside attractions that you just can’t miss."

"The W’eel Turtle is also known as the “world’s largest man-made turtle,” the Silly America says.

"The North Dakota roadside attraction was created in 1982 by artist Curt Halvorsen, who welded together the over 2,000 steel wheel rims that had previously been collecting dust at thrift-store owner George Gottbreht’s Dale’s Thrifty Barn.

"The giant turtle was chosen to symbolize the nearby Turtle Mountains and the figure stands at over 18-feet high and 40-feet long."

"Just south of the Canadian border, in Dunseith, North Dakota, sits W'eel Turtle, one of the quirkiest roadside attraction in the state," the Road Trippers says.

"The 40-foot-long turtle sculpture is made of 2,000 old car rims and was built by local George Gottbrecht in 1982.

"It's not the only turtle-themed attraction in this area, which is considered the gateway to the Turtle Mountains, but it's by far the most impressive one. It's definitely worth a selfie stop."

"Wheel run turtle located in a convenient location while passing through. Young kids like this attraction and it's worth stopping on your way through with the kids!"

"If you enjoy unique and fun highway attractions, this one is free and definitely quite amazing. Built in 1982 entirely of tire rims and painted a ‘turtle-like’ green, this town mascot is larger in person and is fun to see and be photographed with."

"I know I was nuts to drive 400 miles out of my way to see this, but I have no regrets and would do it again and would recommend all turtle lovers to see it. As a work of art, it's impressive, creative and whimsical."

"This is a fun stop, especially for children. It is free and smaller than I expected. It is not worth a separate trip, but great if you are in the area."

"Saw this on our drive from Rugby, ND to the International Peace Gardens. Really quite something to see, introducing you to the Turtle Mountains."

"This was just fun. We love road side attractions. Definitely worth the stop. It's amazing what somebody can build once they put their mind to it."