science

World's Tallest Thermometer

World's Tallest Thermometer is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand World's Tallest Thermometer rather than just read about it. In short: The World's Tallest Thermometer is a landmark in Baker, California, US. It is a steel electric sign that commemorates the weather record of 134 °F (57 °C) recorded in nearby Death Valley on July 10, 1913.

Key takeaways

World's Tallest Thermometer belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect World's Tallest Thermometer to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of World's Tallest Thermometer from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The World's Tallest Thermometer is a landmark in Baker, California, US. It is a steel electric sign that commemorates the weather record of 134 °F (57 °C) recorded in nearby Death Valley on July 10, 1913. The sign weighs 76,812 pounds (34,841 kg; 34.841 t) and is held together by 125 cubic yards (96 m3) of concrete. It stands 134 feet (41 m) tall and is capable of displaying a maximum temperature of 134 °F (57 °C; 330 K), both of which are a reference to the temperature record.

History It was built in 1991 by the Young Electric Sign Company of Salt Lake City, Utah for Willis Herron, a Baker businessman who spent US$700,000 (equivalent to $1,655,000 in 2025) to build the thermometer next to his Bun Boy restaurant. Its height—134 feet (41 m)—was in honor of the 134-degree record temperature set in nearby Death Valley on July 10, 1913. The thermometer is electric and registers temperatures using an outside source. The thermometer displays temperatures in 10 degree increments. Soon after its construction, 70 mph (110 km/h; 31 m/s) winds snapped the thermometer in half, and it was rebuilt. Two years later, severe gusts made the thermometer sway so much that its light bulbs popped out. Concrete was then poured inside the steel core to reinforce the monument. Herron sold the attraction and restaurant to another local businessman in 2003, Larry Dabour, who sold it in 2005. In September 2012, the owner at that time, Matt Pike, said that the power bill for its operation had reached US$8,000 per month (equivalent to $11,000 in 2025) and that he turned it off due to the poor economy. In 2013, the thermometer and accompanying empty gift shop were listed for sale. The family of Willis Herron (who died in 2007) recovered ownership of the property in 2014 and stated their intention to make it operational again. The renovation was funded with sweat equity and a contribution from the owner's mother of US$150,000 (equivalent to $207,000 in 2025). The original light bulbs were replaced with LED lights and the official re-lighting took place on July 10, 2014. In July 2016 the thermometer was featured in a series of promotional events held by Google to celebrate new features added to Google Maps. Visitors were able to try "the world’s coldest coffee" as part of the promotion. In December 2016, EVgo announced building the first US fast charge station for electric vehicles at up to 350 kW. The station is located in the thermometer parking area.

References

External links

Official website Roadside America

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with World's Tallest Thermometer

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what World's Tallest Thermometer claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to World's Tallest Thermometer before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about World's Tallest Thermometer ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of World's Tallest Thermometer

In research: World's Tallest Thermometer appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses World's Tallest Thermometer in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: World's Tallest Thermometer is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1991 establishments in California, Individual signs in the United States, Landmarks in California, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for World's Tallest Thermometer outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study World's Tallest Thermometer in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what World's Tallest Thermometer means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain World's Tallest Thermometer out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is World's Tallest Thermometer in simple terms?

Why does World's Tallest Thermometer matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study World's Tallest Thermometer?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on World's Tallest Thermometer.