World's Largest Can of SPAM | Northwood, IA
Your weekly installment of oversized adventure
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We’re going to get right into it today — because I’m extra excited to share this week’s World’s Largest Wednesday with you!
Not only is the World’s Largest Can of SPAM in Northwood, Iowa one of the country’s newest oversized attractions, but I also had the opportunity to chat with the artist behind this delightful piece and see it just after it was unveiled. And let me just say, it really is a stunning tribute to iconic packaging and canned meats everywhere.
Plus, if you’re a paid subscriber, stay tuned for some fun behind-the-scenes content about this super-sized SPAM next week!
Fast Facts
Built: July 2025
Height: 10 feet, 5.4 inches tall
Width: 12 feet, 6.1 inches wide
Depth: 7 feet, 1.5 inches deep
Fun Fact: The World’s Largest Can of SPAM is 38 times larger than the cans you’ll find on store shelves.
The History of the World’s Largest Can of SPAM
Created by British contemporary artist Lucy Sparrow, the World’s Largest Can of SPAM is a collaboration that has been years in the making. The giant can of SPAM — which Sparrow has named Steven — is an installation in collaboration with Art Farm Iowa, an arts nonprofit based in northern Iowa.
While Sparrow has created whimsical felt installations around the globe, this is her first exhibition in Iowa and the greater Midwest. It’s also her first giant artistic creation — typically her fabric creations are made in life-size style and scale. Sparrow has been created felted SPAM cans for more than a decade, but was inspired to go big for this installation.
To bring this giant can of SPAM to life, the team at Art Farm Iowa created the wooden structure for the piece on site. Then, Sparrow (who is based in the UK) spent months stitching together the felt exterior and before shipping it to Iowa where it was attached to the wooden frame. The giant can of SPAM is 38 times the size of a standard can, standing more than 10 feet tall, 12 feet wide and 7 feet deep.
While the can of SPAM hasn’t been certified by Guinness World Records, you won’t find a bigger one, even at the home of Hormel’s best-selling product in neighboring Minnesota.
The super-sized SPAM was officially unveiled on Friday, July 4, 2025 as part of Art Farm Iowa’s ARTFARMAGANZA!
Plan Your Visit
While the weekend festivities have come and gone, the World’s Largest Can of SPAM remains. This giant faux can of meat is now a part of Art Farm Iowa’s permanent collection and will be on view through August 31, 2025.
Art Farm Iowa was created with the goal of developing “arts and culture alongside agriculture in Worth County, Iowa.” The farm is free to visit and highlights the work of many other artists from across the globe.
The site is open to visitors Tuesdays through Saturdays from May 30 through November 15. For more information about visiting Art Farm Iowa, check out their website.
Address: World’s Largest Can of SPAM, Art Farm Iowa, 4953 Olive Ave., Northwood, IA 50459
Related Links
If you need to own your own Lucy Sparrow felted SPAM, you’re in luck! Art Farm Iowa has some of her pieces for sale on its website, including the special edition “Iowa” SPAM.
True lovers of SPAM will already know about the illustrious SPAM Museum in Austin, Minnesota. If you’re really planning a road trip around canned meat, Austin is just 35 minutes northeast of Northwood, Iowa.