Amazing Mazes Megapost
Friday, 16th January 2009 by Ian Brown
It's been a little while since we looked at mazes here on Google Sightseeing, so here's a collection of some of the latest finds.
While there are several claims to be the world's largest maze, the most legitimate seems to be the Peace Maze, in Northern Ireland - which is officially recognised by the Guinness book as the largest permanent hedge maze in the world.
The path of the Peace Maze is 3.15 kilometres (2 miles) long, and contains many features symbolic of The Troubles; most notably a divide which has to be crossed to get to the end.
There are many non-permanent mazes, often created from corn or other plants. This one outside York claimed to be the largest when it opened with a Star Trek theme in 2006, but in the current view it is somewhat smaller.
At Temple Hall Farm Regional Park near Leesville, Virginia, there's a maze celebrating 100 years of flight.
Across the country near Olympia, Washington, a TV fan has clearly paid homage to his favourite series by creating this CSI themed maze.
Back in England, we have a Monster Maze at Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in North Somerset. Like many maze owners, the people in charge here make grand claims about their maze's importance - but in truth this is just one of many attractions that claim to be the world's longest hedge maze.
Finally here in Conholt Park, Wiltshire, we find what might be the most bizarrely shaped maze ever - a giant foot! (Perhaps this is related to the World’s Largest Fingerprint?)
See our Maze category for loads more interesting mazes!
Thanks to Marc Armstrong, DJ Swammi, Kel, Jim Culp, john and Chris Branagan.
About the author
Ian Brown lives in Ottawa, Canada, and spends his spare time perusing maps to find new routes to ride on his orange bicycle.
This post is simply amazing.
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarchi/148515620/in/set-1691349/
I visited Innsbruck in Austria several months back, as part of my time there I visited a curiosities museum called ‘ Swarovski Kristallwelten’. In the grounds, similar to the foot maze in the post, there was a large hand maze! It’s not of a similar scale to the foot though!
Here’s the link to the maze: https://www.googlesightseeing.com/maps?p=&c=&t=k&hl=en&ll=47.292962,11.600752&z=19
And the website of the place itself (In German.. of course!):
http://kristallwelten.swarovski.com/Content.Node/startseite.php
Correction to the claim of largest permanent hedge maze:
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest permanent hedge maze is the Pineapple Garden Maze at the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii, USA, which has a total area of 12,745.79 m² (3.15 acres) and total path length of 3.962 km (2.46 miles).
Google view of the maze: View Placemark
Dole’s description: http://www.dole-plantation.com/
Guinness’s word on the record: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/natural_world/plant_world/largest_permanent_hedge_maze.aspx
I was there in 98 for the opening, and it was really fun then.
Have you seen the one at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii? It might be bigger than that.
That “Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm”, BTW, is the UK’s own science-denialist, creationist indoctrination centre. So, no more chuckling about the States!
About the Noah’s Ark place; people in the U.K. believe in God too?
I was under the impression that the Dole Pineapple maze (which we featured on here way back in 2005!) had been knocked to second place in the “largest permanent maze” category?
@dr R: How someone can seriously use a farm full of animals to try and deny the facts of evolution is beyond me.
@James: How? Well, for example by putting such baloney on your website, maybe?
loving the post 🙂
i happened to find that foot maze by accident, i recently moved to the area from up north and though what the hell is that doing in somebodys back garden, perhaps they have a foot fetish eh 🙂
@dr.R: “baloney” is the polite word for what is written on that website.
Hi’
Denmark does also have a few special mazes. The Tuborg Maze: 55°40’19.34″N 12°31’51.45″E It isn’t that big, however the central part of is of the same shape as the label on a Tuborg Beer bottle. http://www.tuborg.com (or http://www.tuborg.dk – If you understand Danish)
Around Egeskov Castle you can find more mazes: 55°10’28.44″N 10°29’16.43″E Take a look at all the Panoramia images. Maybee you even can find the F-35 fighter bomber on display. The old barns holds a museum for old cars and small planes. http://www.egeskov.dk
Happy browsing Jan Hein / Denmark.
The one in Virginia, is Actually Leesburg, VA…..Not Leesville……
That’s right how someone gonna say, “Leesville” ! and i’t really LEESBURG!!! * MUAH*
Hey Guy’s, Honestly the only maze that looks cool to check out is the “FOOT MAZE”! I think i woud be to chicken shit to see what the others are about.
The 3rd maze isn’t all there anymore!