This Small Illinois Town is the Only Place on Earth Officially Recognized as Superman’s Home

Metropolis, Illinois

Superman could have lived anywhere in America. Instead, DC Comics chose a real place called Metropolis, Illinois. The town grabbed this chance and ran with it faster than a speeding bullet. This is the story of how fiction became a small town’s reality.

Metropolis Begins

William A. McBane, Sr. and J.H. Wilcox founded Metropolis on April 18, 1839 on 1,000 acres from Wilcox along the Ohio River. Both men envisioned this location becoming a transportation hub due to its strategic river position.

Their ambitious vision never fully materialized as planned, though Metropolis now serves as Massac County’s seat with 5,969 residents according to the 2020 census.

Voting in Favor of Superman

Metropolis Chamber of Commerce partnered with DC Comics in January 1972 to become Superman’s hometown. The Illinois Legislature followed with Resolution 572 on April 25, making the designation official.

The Giant Superman That Never Was

Comic book fans knew Metropolis as Superman’s home since his 1938 debut, and town leaders recognized the marketing potential in sharing a name with Superman’s fictional city.

Plans also emerged for a $50 million “Amazing World of Superman” theme park featuring a 200-foot statue. Visitors would enter between the statue’s straddled legs into superhero attractions.

Sadly, economic challenges killed these ambitious plans before construction began.

The Tragic Story of the First Superman Statue

Town leaders installed a 7-foot fiberglass Superman statue on November 7, 1986, costing $1,000. This modest figure stood in the town square as the first physical Superman monument.

Vandals repeatedly damaged the statue, even shooting bullet holes through the figure. The hometown hero suffered constant repairs until it had to be taken down completely.

A Stronger Statue Rises

A new 15-foot bronze Superman statue weighing 6,000 pounds replaced it on June 5, 1993.

Residents funded this monument by purchasing commemorative bricks for $35 each.

Artist Gary Ernest Smith sculpted the statue cast by Metal Letters, Inc. in Utah. Workers placed their 30 sets of initials under the left boot alongside an unpainted “lucky spot” for visitors.

A Treasury of Superman History

Super Museum opened in 1993 coinciding with the new statue unveiling. This downtown institution houses over 70,000 Superman collectibles.

Jim Hambrick founded the museum after collecting Superman memorabilia since childhood. His collection began with a Superman lunchbox received on his fifth birthday.

Exhibits span different eras of Superman across television, movies, and comics since 1938. Displays also include one of the only surviving George Reeves Superman costumes.

Celebrating the Man of Steel

Superman Celebration launched in June 1979 and became an annual tradition. This four-day festival attracts Superman fans worldwide to the small Illinois town.

Superman actors, comic creators, and industry professionals headline the event. Attendees get to meet celebrity guests, shop vendor booths, attend panel discussions, and join costume contests.

Many fans consider photographing themselves with the giant Superman statue a mandatory pilgrimage.

Visiting Metropolis, Illinois

Metropolis sits at Illinois’ southern tip just off Interstate 24 Exit 37. The Superman statue is at Superman Square downtown on Market Street.

Super Museum admits visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for $8 per person.

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