The Grand Kugel

The Grand Kugel is the largest kugel ball in the world. Built out of solid granite. It is almost 9 feet wide and weighs 29 tons. Even at that size, the sphere will spin at just a slight touch due to a sheer layer of water in the very thin space between the bottom of the ball and its platform. Nearby, 250 feet away, is a smaller kugel representing the Moon, at the same scale, and at a distance to scale. Together they form the Mary Morton Parsons Earth-Moon Sculpture. There are so many interesting facts about The Grand Kugel that you will want to learn before heading out. Keep reading to learn more! You can visit this amazing destination at The Science Museum of Virginia 2500 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220.

What Is A Kugel? 

Kugel comes from the Yiddish word for ball. It's something you make with meat and potatoes, usually on Friday night. However that's not what this article is about. A kugel fountain (sometimes called a "floating" sphere fountain or just "kugel" for short) Is a granite sphere that is set into a concave cup. Water is then forced in from the bottom of the cup, creating an evenly distributed, incredibly thin layer of water. The ball, no matter how heavy, can then be moved on the liquid surface as though it weighed nothing at all.

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History Of The Grand Kugel

The Grand Kugel is the largest floating stone sphere in the world. It even has a Guinness World Record for being "The world’s largest kugel by both diameter and weight". Originally installed in 2003, it was placed in a pedestal outside of the Science Museum of Virginia. The globe was carved from an 86-ton block of South African black granite by Kusser Granite Works, in Germany. It's 8 feet, 8.7 inches in diameter, and weighs approximately 59,000 pounds or 29 tons. Soon after installation in 2003, the first Grand Kugel developed a crack, which made the shape not perfectly spherical, so the attraction had to be shutdown in 2004. And the massive stone sat in its cradle immovable. In 2005 it was replaced With a Tarn Granite Sphere at no cost to the museum, thanks to insurance coverage. Make sure to swing by the old loading platforms to see the original, much darker Grand Kugel while you're at the Science Museum of Virginia! While this unfortunate flaw forced the museum to replace the huge stone, it also showed how even a slight disruption in the layer of water can disrupt the effect.

Conclusion:

The Grand Kugel is an amazing location that you will want to visit. It is the largest kugel ball in the world and is made out of solid granite. It is also the centerpiece of the Mary Morton Parsons Earth-Moon Sculpture. You can visit this amazing destination at 2500 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23220. If you are looking for something to do in Richmond, VA, then you should definitely check out this feat of german engineering! Looking for more places in Richmond to visit? click here

Driving Directions From Speedy's Transmission Shop To The Grand Kugel

Driving Directions To Virginia Museum of History & Culture