Entry No. 44 — the Wichita file — filed under: roadside-oddity
Muffler Man at Brown's Tire & Custom Wheel Center
Standing outside a family-owned tire shop on S. Broadway since sometime in the fiberglass-giant era, this vintage International Fiberglass Muffler Man — red shirt, blue denim jeans, one hand upturned holding a comically small tire — is one of a dwindling national population of these roadside colossi. He's been freshly repainted but is otherwise virtually unchanged from decades-old photos, haunting the west side of the road in quiet defiance of time. The catch: he's only visible heading southbound, positioned just far enough off the road that northbound drivers blow right past, which is why locals who've driven Broadway their whole lives often have no idea he's there. Brown's Tire has been a single-family operation since 1984 and the big guy out front is theirs alone — no franchise, no chain, no duplicate.
The move: Drive south on Broadway so you catch him at full effect — pull into the lot, get out, and stand next to him to appreciate exactly how absurd the tiny tire in his giant hand looks up close.
📍 Before you go He stands in the lot of a working tire shop at 4203 S Broadway in South Wichita, so the practical move is to approach from the south: program the address and drive down (not up) Broadway, since the giant faces oncoming southbound traffic and is easy to overshoot otherwise. Daylight makes for the best photos, and visiting while the shop is open lets you pull safely into the lot — it's private business property, so park out of the way, keep clear of the work bays, and be quick and courteous. There's no fee. Pair it with a slow cruise of the South Broadway corridor, an old motor-court stretch still dotted with vintage neon and roadside signage.
- 📍 South Wichita
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 4203 S Broadway St, Wichita, KS 67216
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Roadside America · fotospot.com · olioiniowa.com · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-09