Landmark thermometer relit after renovation
A giant thermometer rising from the Southern California desert is once again a beacon for tourists headed to and from Las Vegas.
The roadside attraction off Interstate 15 in Baker was relit Thursday after a major renovation.
The July 10 date is significant: it was on the same day in 1913 that the hottest official temperature on Earth was recorded in Death Valley.
Willis Herron built the thermometer to a height of 134 feet to match that record.
Herron’s widow, Barbara, says it made her sad to see the Baker landmark – billed as the “World’s Largest Thermometer” – fall into disrepair in recent years.
Her family took it over again, aiming to make its 5,000 light bulbs glow once more – although they’ve now been replaced with energy-saving LEDs.
