A monumental tribute to one of modern history’s most iconic inventions the light bulb stands proudly atop the Thomas Edison Memorial Tower, earning recognition as the world’s largest light bulb sculpture and an enduring landmark in the town named after the inventor himself.
Rising above the historic site of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory where he perfected the commercially practical incandescent bulb the sculpture measures approximately 13 feet 8 inches (4.17 m) tall and is crafted from heavy amber‑tinted Pyrex glass atop a roughly 131‑foot‑tall Art Deco tower.
Built in 1938 just seven years after Edison’s death, the beacon serves both as a world‑record‑worthy art installation and a night‑lit tribute to the invention that powered the modern age. Over 6,000 pounds of glass were fitted around a steel frame to create the giant bulb that still illumines the skyline, symbolising Edison’s enduring legacy in innovation and electrical technology.
Visitors to the Thomas Edison Memorial Tower and Museum can learn about Edison’s life, inventions and the development of electric lighting, making the sculpture both a record‑setting landmark and an educational destination. The monumental light bulb continues to draw attention not only for its impressive size but for its place in the story of modern science and everyday life.
