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World's Largest Egg
Winlock, Lewis County, Washington. A quirky roadside attraction.
Details
- Where
- Vern Zander Memorial Park, Old Highway 603 at Fir Street, Winlock, WA. Directions
- When
- Egg Days returns to Winlock, June 20, 2026.
- Getting there
- From Interstate 5, take Exit 63 and head west on State Route 505 about 5 miles into the heart of Winlock.
- Access
- The park is completely fenced, landscaped, and has a picnic area.
- Phone
- 360-785-3140
- Website
- winlockeggdays.com
- Managed by
- Property owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe; the City of Winlock maintains the park.
- Established
- 1991.
A 1,200-pound fiberglass and chicken-wire egg built in 1991 by Vern Zander, sat atop a 10-foot steel pole, affixed to a pedestal inscribed 'World Largest EGG.'.
Notable Events
- 1923The original egg was first created in 1923 by John G. Lawrence to celebrate the founding and growth of the Washington Egg & Poultry Co-Operative when hundreds of thousands of egg cases were coming out of the community annually. chronline.com
- 1923The Pacific Highway Bridge over the Columbia River at Vancouver opened, and a caravan of cars and floats representing Western Washington communities drove from Olympia to Salem, Oregon, to celebrate. cityofwinlock.com
- 1944The canvas egg, first plastered with ordinary plaster that did not stand up, was made over with plastic by Johnny Simpson's Plastic Company. cityofwinlock.com
- 1944After the celebrations the canvas egg was displayed in the town center; it did not stand the test of time and was replaced by a plastic version. historylink.org
- 1958The town of Winlock's greatest landmark came tumbling down. chronline.com
- 1958On a Saturday night the 1944 edition of the egg fell off its platform and, according to the Longview Daily News, crashed to the ground in a heap of rubble. mynorthwest.com
- 1965After nearly seven years without an egg, a new fiberglass egg, 15 feet long and 7 feet high, was installed a half block north of where the original had stood. mynorthwest.com
- 1991A fiberglass and chicken-wire egg was built, paid for by Vern Zander; it weighed 1,200 pounds, sat atop a 10-foot steel pole, was finished with eight cans of Bondo and seven gallons of white exterior coating along with wax, and had a time capsule placed inside. historylink.org
- 1991A new egg was introduced on Egg Day during the parade, which culminated at Sen Zander Memorial Park. lewistalk.com
- 1993The display's park was named Vern Zander Memorial Park by fellow Winlock Lions Club members after Zander's death. historylink.org
- 2001After the 9/11 attacks the egg was painted to appear as an ovoid American flag. historylink.org
- 2010sThe egg was painted with the Seahawks logo during the team's Super Bowl seasons. mynorthwest.com
People
- Emily von Flotow, did the painting of the egg's new patriotic coat.
- Heidi Uhri, painted the egg in Seattle Seahawks colors to celebrate the Seahawks Superbowl win earlier this year.
- John G. Lawrence, manager of Winlock's co-op; suggested the huge egg.
- Kathy Chastain, Winlock resident who created the idea and design painted on the egg with volunteers from the Friends of Winlock.
- Vern Zander, well-known local poultry man whose family had owned Standard Hatchery; paid for the egg that stands in Vern Zander Memorial Park, named for him by fellow Winlock Lions Club members (1904-1993).
- John C. Lawrence, manager of the Washington Cooperative Egg and Poultry Association; the idea for the big egg is attributed to him.