World’s Largest Tin Family & Pheasants on the Prairie | Regent

World’s Largest Tin Family & Pheasants on the Prairie – Enchanted Highway, Regent, North Dakota

Along the Enchanted Highway near Regent, North Dakota, two of the most iconic sculptures-the World’s Largest Tin Family and Pheasants on the Prairie-stand as monumental tributes to rural life, agriculture, and prairie wildlife. Both works are part of artist Gary Greff’s vision to transform the quiet roads of southwest North Dakota into a vast open-air gallery.

World’s Largest Tin Family
This sculpture depicts a family of tin figures-father, mother, and children-standing tall in the prairie landscape. Reaching impressive heights, each figure is constructed from scrap metal, including farm implements, steel plates, and rods, creating a textured, patchwork appearance. The family represents the heart of rural communities: resilience, togetherness, and the pioneer spirit that shaped the region. Its scale is deliberately larger-than-life, evoking awe and drawing travelers to stop, explore, and imagine life on the plains in earlier decades. Interpretive signs nearby provide context about farming traditions, settler life, and the symbolism of family in North Dakota’s agricultural communities.

Pheasants on the Prairie
A few miles down the highway lies Pheasants on the Prairie, a sculpture celebrating North Dakota’s abundant wildlife and hunting culture. Towering steel pheasants appear poised mid-flight, their wings spread dramatically as if caught in a gust of prairie wind. The intricate details-textured feathers, elongated forms, and dynamic positioning-give the birds a sense of motion and life. The sculpture not only honors game birds important to local hunters but also highlights the state’s vast, open landscapes where wildlife thrives.

Visitor Experience
Both sculptures are designed with pull-off areas for visitors to stop safely, take photographs, and walk around the massive structures. The sheer scale creates a sense of immersion: standing beside the Tin Family or under the wings of the pheasants makes travelers feel small against the backdrop of open prairie and expansive skies. Benches and signage enhance the experience, offering historical and artistic context.

Cultural and Scenic Significance
These sculptures capture North Dakota’s dual identity: its agricultural roots and its connection to wildlife and natural landscapes. They serve as both artistic landmarks and cultural symbols, honoring the people, animals, and environment of the northern plains. Placed against wide horizons and rolling fields, they emphasize the openness, solitude, and understated beauty of the region.

Atmosphere and Impressions
The combination of creativity, scale, and prairie setting gives these works a surreal yet uplifting presence. At sunrise or sunset, shadows stretch across the ground, and the steel glints in changing light, making each visit a unique visual experience. Travelers often describe a feeling of whimsy and reverence-standing among gigantic birds or a larger-than-life family, yet surrounded by the vast, unbroken prairie that inspired them.