Posted on: May 21, 2026, 12:00h.
Last updated on: May 21, 2026, 12:00h.
- The ‘World’s Largest Thermometer’ in Baker, California is officially for sale
- First built in 1990 to honor Death Valley’s record heat, the 134-foot sign has survived structural collapse and years of neglect
- The current owners seek a buyer who can preserve the landmark
Hey bub, wanna buy the World’s Tallest Thermometer?
One of America’s most celebrated roadside icons is officially on the market. The family that owns the 134-foot tall landmark in Baker, California say they can no longer manage the maintenance required to keep it running. They have not disclosed an asking price,
Not really a thermometer at all but a three-sided digital sign displaying temperatures measured by sensors inside of it, the “thermometer” has lured millions of travelers off I-15 between Las Vegas and Southern California since it was first lit in 1992.
“As several of us reach retirement age, we find we can no longer spend the hands-on time here that we would like,” the Herron family, which owns the sign, said in a statement to KSNV-TV/Las Vegas. “While a few of our heirs live locally, they have developed their own busy careers, and others have settled out of state, meaning there is no one in the next generation available to step into daily operations.”
The Herrons say they hope to find a buyer who will “share our passion for its unique legacy and have the resources to carry it forward into a bright, innovative new chapter.”
Bun Warmer
In 1956, Willis Herron became co‑owner of the Bun Boy restaurant on Baker Boulevard — a roadside institution famous for its strawberry pie and butter‑thin pancakes.
A kitchen fire destroyed the Bun Boy in 1990. Herron rebuilt it with insurance money but wanted something bigger — something that would give Baker an identity beyond being a rest stop in the middle of the Mojave.
At the time, Baker was known for two things:
- being blisteringly hot
- being on the way to somewhere else
So Herron leaned into the heat. He hired YESCO (Young Electric Sign Co.) — the Salt Lake City firm behind Vegas Vic and countless Vegas marquees — to build a colossal temperature display.
The project reportedly cost $700,000.
Under the Weather
Before the sign was ever switched on, however, disaster struck. High winds — reportedly around 70 mph — snapped the structure in half and damaged the gift shop below.
YESCO rebuilt it, reinforcing the steel core with 125 cubic yards of concrete. The thermometer finally lit up on October 9, 1992.
Eight years later, an ailing Herron sold the thermometer, the Bun Boy, and an adjacent motel to a Burger King franchisee. In 2005, the franchisee sold the properties to local businessman Matt Pike, who converted the Bun Boy into a Bob’s Big Boy.
By 2012, Pike shut off the thermometer to avoid its $8,000 a month electric bill. Even dark, the landmark continued drawing tourists — which prompted Herron’s widow, Barbara Herron, to try to buy it back.
Pike’s asking price, $1.75 million, was too high, but a foreclosure and federal court order eventually transferred the property. In 2014, in a ceremony attended by most of Baker’s roughly 900 residents, Barbara switched the thermometer back on. This time, it ran on energy efficient LEDs.
Barbara Herron died in 2022, and ownership passed to her children — who now seek a buyer.
