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The Kaskaskia Dragon is a 35-foot-long sheet-metal dragon with a hydraulic neck and red glowing eyes beside the Kaskaskia Supply & Rental hardware store in Vandalia, Illinois. A $1 token buys a flame of about 12 seconds, according to WBEZ.
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Kaskaskia Dragon
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38.97445° N, 89.11981° W
FIELD GUIDE
The story
Vandalia was Illinois's state capital from 1819 to 1839, and a metal dragon now draws much of the attention. The Kaskaskia Dragon is a sheet-metal creature about 35 feet long, with a hydraulic neck, spikes down its back and red glowing eyes. According to WBEZ in January 2025, a $1 token buys a propane flame.
According to WBEZ, the dragon was made for fun by an employee of the Kaskaskia Supply & Rental hardware store about 30 years earlier and first appeared in Vandalia's Halloween parade in 1995. It did not breathe fire at first. An igniter was added later, and the store's owner then made it coin-operated, taking the idea from a car wash across the street. A knight stands in front of the dragon.
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PRACTICAL
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WHAT TO EXPECT
WBEZ describes an about 12-second flame show for a $1 token bought at the hardware store or the neighbouring liquor store (January 2025).
ACCESS
Beside Kaskaskia Supply & Rental, 2024 Progress West, Vandalia, Illinois, per Enjoy Illinois. It stands beside a business; in January 2025 WBEZ reported that tokens were sold at the hardware store and the neighbouring liquor store.
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