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A giant fibreglass cardinal, Ohio's state bird, stands at the north entrance of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds in Columbus. 614NOW reports it has been there since 1986, at 12 feet tall on a four-foot base.
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Cardinal
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Site-level location · 40.0030° N, 82.9913° W
FIELD GUIDE
The story
The Ohio State Fair greets visitors with an oversized state bird. According to 614NOW in 2023, a 12-foot fibreglass cardinal on a four-foot base has stood at the north entrance of the fairgrounds since 1986, supposedly weighing about 500 pounds. It calls this the largest of the cardinal sculptures at the site, and says some version of a cardinal has stood there since the 1950s.
Ohio Magazine's July/August 2025 issue described the giant cardinal as standing just inside the main gate of the fair and as an instant draw for visitors wanting a photo with the state bird, and named the north entrance the Cardinal Gate.
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PRACTICAL
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WHAT TO EXPECT
A photo stop just inside the fair's north (Cardinal Gate) entrance. Ohio Magazine (July/August 2025) says it draws visitors who stop to photograph themselves with the state bird. 614NOW says the statue is not publicly accessible when the fairgrounds are closed.
ACCESS
Inside the north (Cardinal Gate) entrance of the Ohio Expo Center and State Fairgrounds, 717 East 17th Avenue, Columbus. 614NOW (2023) says the statue is not publicly accessible when the fairgrounds are closed, so plan a visit around the Ohio State Fair or another event on the Expo Center's calendar.
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