Large, weathered concrete busts of former U.S. presidents stand in an open field, with George Washington’s cracked and discolored head in the foreground. Additional presidential heads fill the background under a partly cloudy blue sky, surrounded by dry grass and sparse vegetation.

Time has carved its own story into these giant presidential faces—cracks, stains, and moss settling into every contour as they watch over the field in stoic silence.


On President’s Day Weekend, I was more than a little excited to finally photograph the Giant Presidents’ Heads. These towering concrete busts sit on private property, with only a handful of opportunities each year for the public to walk among them. Exposed to the elements and slowly surrendering to time, they stand cracked and crumbling in various stages of deterioration. Heavy equipment surrounds them, creating an apocalyptic industrial landscape where moss, mold, and weathering add unexpected character—and a whole lot of awe—to the experience.


A field filled with large, weathered concrete busts of former U.S. presidents, arranged in rows under a bright blue sky. A prominent bust wearing a military-style jacket stands in the foreground, with additional presidential heads and a few people walking among them in the background.

The massive busts of George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln stand prominently at the front of the Presidents’ Heads, anchoring the entire field of sculptures.


Once part of an educational attraction called Presidents Park in Williamsburg, Virginia, these giant presidential heads stand roughly 20 to 22 feet tall and weigh between 18 and 22 tons each. The collection includes 42 sculptures, not 43—Grover Cleveland’s two nonconsecutive terms make him both the 22nd and 24th U.S. President, so he appears only once. The series ends with George W. Bush, the final addition before the park closed in 2010 due to poor attendance during the recession.


A miniature bust of Barack Obama is also on-site. Only about a foot tall, he has been affectionately nicknamed “Baby Obama.” Once kidnapped and later recovered, he now makes only occasional appearances during special events.


A large, weathered concrete bust of Abraham Lincoln stands in the foreground of an open field, with rows of additional presidential heads behind it. All of the sculptures show visible cracks and discoloration, set against a clear blue sky above dry grass and dirt.

Lincoln’s worn concrete likeness dominates the foreground, framed by a field of aging presidential heads whose cracked surfaces tell the same story of time and exposure.


Howard Hankins, the current owner of the Presidents’ Heads, was originally hired to crush the sculptures and dispose of the concrete at his materials‑recycling facility. But once he saw the scale and craftsmanship of the pieces, he couldn’t bring himself to destroy them. Instead, he obtained permission to keep the massive busts, ultimately relocating all 42 to his property.



The removal ended up costing Hankins around $50,000. It took a crew of six men working ten hours a day for three straight weeks to relocate the busts. Each statue first had to be rocked off its base, and a hole was smashed into the top of its head so a chain could be hooked to the internal framework. A crane then lifted each bust onto a lowboy trailer, where tires were used to cushion the weight. The sculptures were moved one at a time to their new home, 12 miles away.

A large, weathered concrete bust of Abraham Lincoln stands in the foreground, with another presidential head positioned behind it. Both sculptures show visible cracks and discoloration, set outdoors against rocky terrain and a clear blue sky.

Lincoln’s cracked and aging features dominate the scene, echoed by the second presidential bust standing just over his shoulder in the rugged outdoor setting.



Having never attempted a project like this before, Hankins and his crew improvised as they went, learning the hard way with each move. Lifting so much weight from the top caused many of the statues to crack along the neckline, and several of the first presidents they relocated ended up with broken noses.


Eight of the Presidents’ Heads are 20% larger than the others—representing the presidents often considered the “Great Presidents.” Their increased size created even more challenges, as these oversized busts exceeded the crane’s 18,000‑pound lifting limit. A second crane had to be brought in to handle the extra weight.


The walking tour of the Presidents’ Heads was filled with fascinating bits of trivia about both the sculptures and the presidents themselves:


Abraham Lincoln, at 6'4", was our tallest president. Geneticists now believe he may have had Marfan syndrome or another marfanoid condition that contributed to his height and elongated features.


Andrew Jackson was involved in several duels. When he died in 1845, he still carried a bullet in his chest from an 1806 duel. Jackson also owned a parrot he taught to swear. The bird attended his funeral at his home, became agitated, and began cursing loudly—so much so that it had to be removed from the room.



Three large, weathered concrete presidential busts—Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Millard Fillmore—stand side by side in an outdoor row under a clear blue sky. Their surfaces show cracks, discoloration, and erosion from years of exposure.

The back row of presidential giants stands in full view, their weathered surfaces catching the afternoon light. From left to right, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Millard Fillmore form the line, each sculpture showing the cracks and wear that mark years of exposure and their difficult move from the original park.




The two statues with the most extensive damage are Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR is missing the entire top of his head, and the top and back of Lincoln’s head are gone. During the move, the chain attached to Lincoln’s internal framework snapped, causing the bust to bounce off the tires and hit the ground. Considering the nature of his tragic death, the damage to his head is especially unsettling to see in person.


Harder to spot among the rows, Thomas Jefferson sits in the center of the back row, partially obscured by the larger busts in front of him.



One of the questions visitors often ask when touring the giant heads is why Andrew Jackson stands front and center instead of Thomas Jefferson. Howard Hankins has a ready answer: “Jackson has awesome hair and cool epaulets on his uniform! Besides, I’m not a University of Virginia fan.” Jefferson, of course, founded the University of Virginia—making Hankins’ placement choice both practical and playfully pointed.


A group of large, weathered concrete presidential busts stands outdoors in a field. Visible are Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman, and William McKinley. FDR’s bust has the entire top of his head missing, exposing internal metal reinforcement. The surrounding sculptures show cracks, discoloration, and erosion beneath a clear blue sky.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush, William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman, and William McKinley stand together in this back‑row lineup of the Presidents’ Heads. FDR’s sculpture is the most damaged, with the entire top of his head missing. As one of the eight “Greats,” his bust was built 20% larger than the others—so large, in fact, that it exceeded the crane’s 18‑ton lifting limit during the move, requiring a second crane to assist.


Franklin D. Roosevelt, a fifth cousin of Theodore Roosevelt, was the only U.S. president ever elected to four terms—a feat that can never be repeated after the ratification of the 22nd Amendment.


At 332 pounds, William Howard Taft was the heaviest president. His love of milk was so strong that he kept a cow at the White House, ensuring a steady supply of fresh dairy.


Harry S. Truman, the only 20th‑century president who did not attend college, practiced the piano for two hours every day, a discipline he maintained throughout his life.


Large, weathered concrete busts of Ronald Reagan, Warren G. Harding, and John Adams stand outdoors in a grassy field. The black‑and‑white image highlights the cracked surfaces and erosion on the sculptures. John Adams’ bust is partially obscured as it peeks through tall weeds in the foreground, with a partly cloudy sky behind them.

Ronald Reagan and Warren G. Harding dominate the front of the frame, their cracked surfaces emphasized by the black‑and‑white contrast. Behind them, John Adams peeks through the tall weeds, his weathered bust partially hidden by the overgrowth as the Presidents’ Heads continue their slow, dramatic decay in the field.


Ronald Reagan bears a distinctive scar on his cheek, the result of being struck by lightning earlier in life. When asked which accomplishment meant the most to him, he didn’t choose his acting career or even the presidency. Instead, he pointed to his years as a young lifeguard, when he was credited with saving 77 people from drowning.


Warren G. Harding, positioned beside him, was known for his love of poker. His gambling habit became so legendary that he once lost the White House china in a game.


John Adams, shown peering through the weeds in the background, holds his own quiet distinction: he was the first president to live in the White House, moving in during its earliest days of occupancy.


Large, weathered concrete busts of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Lyndon Johnson stand outdoors in a grassy field. A child in a turquoise jacket and pink pants stands among the massive sculptures, emphasizing their scale. The statues show surface cracks, discoloration, and erosion beneath a sky with thin, wispy clouds.

The towering busts of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Lyndon Johnson rise above the field, their cracked surfaces catching the light. A child in a turquoise jacket and pink pants stands at their feet, a small figure against the massive scale of the Presidents’ Heads. The weathering, the sky, and the quiet presence of the child underscore just how monumental—and fragile—these sculptures have become over time.


Theodore Roosevelt, shown at the left, became president at just 42 years old, making him the youngest person ever to hold the office. His larger‑than‑life personality inspired the creation of the teddy bear, a nod to his famous refusal to shoot a restrained black bear during a hunting trip.


Woodrow Wilson, centered in the row, suffered a massive stroke during his second term. For the final year and a half of his presidency, he was largely unable to perform his duties. His wife, Edith Wilson, quietly stepped in to manage access, decisions, and paperwork—an arrangement later nicknamed the “Petticoat Government.”


Lyndon Johnson, standing to the right, led a varied life before politics, working as both an auto mechanic and a teacher. In the White House, he was known for roaming the halls at night turning off lights, a small but memorable habit that reflected his frugal streak.


Large, weathered concrete busts of Calvin Coolidge, Martin Van Buren, and Millard Fillmore stand outdoors beneath a clear blue sky. The sculptures show cracks, discoloration, and surface erosion from long exposure to the elements.

Calvin Coolidge, Martin Van Buren, and Millard Fillmore stand shoulder to shoulder in the field, their weathered concrete surfaces marked by cracks and years of exposure. The clear sky behind them sharpens the contrast between their once‑formal expressions and the slow, inevitable decay of the Presidents’ Heads.


Calvin Coolidge holds the distinction of being the only U.S. president born on Independence Day. Known for his dry wit and famously sparse speech, he earned the nickname “Silent Cal.” At a social gathering, a woman once boasted that she had bet a friend she could get him to say three words. Coolidge’s reply was characteristically brief: “You lose.”



Martin Van Buren, standing beside him, was the first president born an American citizen, though his first language was Dutch. He is also credited with popularizing the term “OK,” a bit of linguistic history that has endured far longer than his presidency.


Large, weathered concrete busts of Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy stand outdoors in a field. Their surfaces show cracks, discoloration, and erosion from long exposure to the elements. Additional presidential busts appear in the background beneath a clear blue sky.

Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy stand side by side in the field, their massive concrete forms marked by cracks and years of weathering. The erosion softens their once‑precise features, giving both presidents a quiet, reflective presence among the scattered Heads. The surrounding sculptures fade into the background, emphasizing the stark, timeworn dignity of these two figures.


The long‑standing feud between Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy adds an unexpected layer of irony to this quiet pairing. Howard Hankins, a self‑described history nerd, leans into that tension with this subtle bit of placement humor—Carter standing in front, while John F. Kennedy’s steady gaze rests on him. It’s a small, knowing nod to political history, tucked into the weathered stillness of the Presidents’ Heads.


Do you think Jimmy might be a little uncomfortable because of big brother John Kennedy's stare down?



There are three known sets of the Presidents’ Heads in existence. Sculptor David Adickes keeps a complete set at his studio in Houston, Texas, where the project first took shape. A third set stands in Leads, South Dakota, the remnants of another defunct educational park that once hoped to bring presidential history to life.


For anyone curious about Adickes’ inspiration—why he created these monumental sculptures and how he approached the process—there’s a short, engaging five‑minute PBS interview in which he explains the origins of the project and the craftsmanship behind it. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the mind of the artist who gave these colossal heads their distinctive presence.



Although this set of Presidents’ Heads sits on private property near Williamsburg, Virginia, a limited number of public tours are offered throughout the year. Howard Hankins hopes these tours will eventually help fund his dream of placing the sculptures on public display once again, restoring them to a setting where more people can appreciate their scale, craftsmanship, and history.


For current tour dates and details, visit John Plashal’s Facebook page, where announcements and scheduling updates are regularly posted.



Not every image makes it into my blog. If you enjoyed the photos in this article, please check out my Virginia Collection for more pictures from this amazing state, or visit my Image Gallery with over 4000 images of locations around the United States.



A large framed photograph of weathered presidential head sculptures hangs above a beige sofa in a warm, homey living room. The artwork features George Washington’s cracked concrete bust surrounded by other presidents’ heads under a clear blue sky. The piece is presented in a dark wood frame with a light beige top mat and a darker brown bottom mat, creating a bold double‑mat border. Cozy furniture, plaid pillows, soft lighting, and rustic décor surround the artwork, emphasizing how the framed print adds character, warmth, and a historic focal point to the room.

Bring history home with this striking wall art featuring the weathered Presidents’ Heads of Virginia. Framed in rich wood with double mats that complement the sculpture’s tones, this piece captures the grandeur and quiet decay of George Washington and his fellow presidents beneath a clear blue sky. Perfect for collectors and history enthusiasts, it adds warmth, character, and conversation to any living space.


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