“Pumped Up” Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, Ohio

"Pumped Up" Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, Ohio

Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, Ohio

A burly bronze statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his bodybuilding prime sits in front of the Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. Why, you ask? Turns out Columbus has an ongoing connection to Arnold. It was where he was crowned Mr World in 1970, and Columbus has also hosted the annual Arnold Sports Festival, a bodybuilding and fitness competition and expo, since 1989.

"Pumped Up" Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, OhioThe 8 foot tall, 600 pound bronze Arnold statue was originally installed in front of Veteran’s Memorial in 2012, as that was the original location of the Arnold Sports Festival. In 2014, the statue was moved to the convention center– which now hosts the festival as well.

Arnold returned for the re-dedication of the statue, and even staged a goofy photo of himself sleeping in front of the statue.

"Pumped Up" Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, Ohio

"Pumped Up" Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, OhioAs far as celebrity statues go, it’s a fair likeness–and also a popular tourist attraction. We had just a couple minutes alone with Arnold before a group showed up to take grinning photos with the statue.

There’s even more selfie fun during the Arnold Sports Festival, as they hold a yearly Arnold Statue Selfie Contest, and the winner scores a photo-op with the real Arnold.

"Pumped Up" Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, Ohio"Pumped Up" Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue in Columbus, OhioArnold is easy to spot in front of the Convention Center, and listed on Google Maps.

If you’re looking for other things to do nearby, Denmark on High serves up great cocktails across the street, and the North Market is a block away and chock full of great food.

SOURCES

Columbus Underground: Arnold Schwarzenegger Statue Finds New Home on High Street

Columbus Underground: Bronze Arnold Statue Installed at Veterans Memorial

Arnold Sports Festival

Muscle & Fitness

Wikipedia: Arnold Sports Festival

Photographs copyright of Choosy Traveler. May be re-blogged under the Creative Commons Attribution license, with accreditation and link to this page.

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