Mill Mountain Star and Park, Roanoke, Virginia, The Largest Free Standing Star in the Country

Many cities have an offbeat claim to claim, and among them is Roanoke, Virginia, a city with 92,000 residents. Roanoke has the distinction of be able to say that it is the home of the Mill Mountain Star, sometimes called the Roanoke Star. The Mill Mountain Star is the largest, man-made free standing star in the country.

The massive star was the dream child of the Roanoke Merchant's Association. This group of business owners wanted a fun new way to kick off the 1949 Christmas shopping season with a bang. It was for this purpose that the group decided to erect an 88 foot tall star that would be illuminated with bright white lights.

When city officials in Roanoke realized just how popular the star was, they decided to leave it lit all year long instead of turning the lights out after the holidays. It has been there, shining brightly, ever since. The colors were changed from white to red, white and blue to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States in 1976.

Sometimes, the star is lit with a special color or configuration of colors to mark a tragic or special event. For example, after the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, the star, which weighs in at 10,000 pounds and can be seen from 60 miles in the air, was lit in all white as sign of hope.

While the star itself is 10,000 pounds, the supporting structure weighs in at 50,000 pounds and the base that supports it all is an amazing 500,000 pounds.

Visitors to the star will have more to see than just an illuminated star. From Mill Mountain, which has an elevation of 1740 feet above sea level, and located directly in front of the star, is an overlook from which visitors can get a breathtaking view of the city of Roanoke.

The overlook is a great place to have a picnic, or just relax and read a book. There is also a zoo that is continually adding new animals and expanding its exhibits. The park itself is maintained by the city and features trails for both hiking and biking.

The Mill Mountain Star is illuminated each night until midnight, but to take full advantage of the views, visitors may want to consider an afternoon visit.

A visitor from Houston said, "Visiting in the late afternoon was a perfect time as you get the opportunity to look out across the valley as the sun is setting and then the star will begin glow behind you and begin to light up the hilltop.''

There is no admission fee to enter the park, which closes at 9 p.m.