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Kool-Aid Man statue now on display outside Hastings Museum
The Hastings Museum now has a familiar greeter outside the building at 1330 N. Burlington Ave.
A crew from Icon Poly Studio of Gibbon delivered and set up the 6-foot Kool-Aid Man statue on Saturday, April 29, 2023.
Kool-Aid Man’s exterior is made from urethane fiberglass. The interior includes a heavy duty polyurethane foam in the legs and urethane wooden armature inside the structure for stability.
Altogether, the sculpture weighs between 180 and 200 pounds.
Museum staff hope Kool-Aid Man will enhance visibility for the Museum’s connection to the famous beverage that was invented in Hastings.
The Kool-Aid man is a highly recognizable image throughout the nation. Not everyone who travels through Hastings knows the history of the drink mix is rooted in the Hastings community. The hope is the statue will spark curiosity and bring those people into the building.
“We have a lot of visitors who come from the Interstate wondering ‘Where is the Kool-Aid Museum?’” Museum Director Teresa Kreuzter-Hodson said. “Hopefully this will add more visibility to that.”
Once here, visitors can explore not only the history of Kool-Aid but the history of the Hastings region. This is the last piece of the Museum’s patio renovation that included a new paved entry and path, new landscaping, and the installation of the new outdoor classroom.
The Museum’s patio renovation and outdoor classroom was dedicated in September 2022 during a 150th anniversary celebration for the Hastings community.
Published Date: 05/ 2/2023