World’s Largest Frying Pan and Spitting Clam

On the corner of 5th Street and Pacific Avenue, Long Beach has the World’s Largest Frying Pan and the World’s Largest Spitting Clam. Both the Pan and the Clam have roots in the annual Long Beach Razor Clam Festival. The first festival in 1940 loaned a giant pan with such success that Long Beach committed their own 14-foot-tall pan in 1941. Festival coordinators used this pan from 1941-1948 to cook giant clam fritters for attendees. In 1948, the pan went on a tour of Washington State on the back of a dairy truck to promote the festival. The pan was restored in 1994 and now serves as a roadside attraction.

On the left of the giant pan is the World’s Largest Spitting Clam. Created in the early 2000s, the 5-foot-tall clam was refurbished in 2014 with the revival of the Long Beach Razor Clam Festival. Today, the giant razor clam spits out water on the hour, or on demand for one quarter.