Home Town Spotlight: Darwin’s Twine Ball Still Captures World Wide Attention [VIDEO]

DARWIN -- This week in our Home Town Spotlight series we travel to Darwin to see the largest ball of Twine in Minnesota.

The Twine ball was built by Francis Johnson in 1950, but it wasn't to gain national spotlight.

"It was a matter that Francis was told don't throw anything away you might need it someday," says Thomson.

Weighting about 11 tons and standing 11 feet tall, Twine Ball Museum Head Volunteer Marilyn Thomson says the ball was donated to the city by Johnson under one condition.

"Francis just lived outside of town and he rolled it to the city of Darwin and the Darwin Community Club with the condition that the city build a museum to hold his collectibles," says Thomson.

In 1991 the Twine Ball was placed in its current home. By 2001 the museum was built as promised.

Thomson says they get visitors from all over the world stopping to see the town's attraction. Even Weird Al Yankovic paid a visit to the Twine Ball, which inspired him to write his song "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota."

To this day Darwin's pride and joy still has a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for largest twine ball created by one person.

Thomson says it amazes her the continued attention the ball brings to the city and how one man made it all possible.