World's Tallest Filing Cabinet
4.3(970)google
4.3(47)yelp
DowntownPhoto SpotQuirkyRoad Trip
Overview
Built in 2002 by local artist Bren Alvarez, the World's Tallest Filing Cabinet stands as a quirky and towering monument to bureaucratic delays in Burlington. This eccentric piece of roadside Americana consists of 38 individual filing drawers welded together over a steel structure, stretching over 40 feet into the Vermont sky. Over the years, it has become a beloved landmark for road-trippers and art enthusiasts alike, offering a fantastic and humorous photo opportunity that perfectly encapsulates Vermont's uniquely creative and counter-cultural spirit.
Practical Info
Every dayOpen 24 hours
Suggested Duration15-30 minutes
Best TimeA classic all-season American roadside folk art installation featuring 38 rusted filing drawers welded vertically into a 38-foot tower. The single cinematic slot is a clear summer or autumn evening between 5:30 PM and 7:00 PM; long, low slanting sun rays strike the weathered, textured metal panels, casting an epic, giant silhouette against the rural Green Mountain sky.
Getting ThereDiscreetly located down an industrial bypass pocket at 220 Enterprise Blvd in Barre. Driving is mandatory: navigate south from the city center along the US-302 corridor, and turn south onto Enterprise Blvd into the business park. The towering metallic landmark sits right on the grass lawn along the roadside, featuring plenty of complimentary gravel pull-off spaces.
Travel Tips
- This is a completely outdoor art installation open 24/7 for free. As it sits in an active parking area, watch for moving vehicles and do not block driving lanes.
Photo Tips
Photo Spots
- The installation has been relocated from an overgrown lot to a paved parking lot, and a massive concrete safety base has been added to the bottom, altering close-up photo angles.
- The best photo tip is to use an ultra-wide lens and shoot from a very low angle to fully capture the 40-foot, 38-drawer scale while excluding surrounding building clutter.
Reviews
Positive
- As a highly quirky and creative art installation, it perfectly showcases Vermont's sense of humor and is extremely photogenic.
- It is completely free to visit, and there is ample roadside temporary parking, making it a fun pitstop during a road trip.
- While there are no complex commercial facilities around, this unpolished, raw artistic vibe feels exceptionally authentic and natural.
- Located in a relatively quiet industrial stretch, it avoids the crowds and requires no long queuing lines.
Heads up
- The core value of the attraction is quite singular—it's essentially a towering stack of filing cabinets—taking just 5 minutes to photograph, so a dedicated trip might feel underwhelming.
- There are no public restrooms, trash cans, or shaded rest areas nearby; the supporting infrastructure is basically zero.
- There are no multilingual background informational plaques or historical signs on-site explaining the origins of this art project.
- Tucked away in an industrial area amid weeds, it is very easy to miss and drive past without precise satellite navigation.