Public art can have that special “house into a home” effect on a place, and Alabama towns are no different. Like personal decor, a community’s art often reflects their personality and priorities. Walk into a home that’s covered floor to ceiling in burnt orange and ocean blue — and you’ll instantly know at least one thing about the residents. In Alabama, two towns in particular — Dothan and Tuscaloosa — have embraced public art, using it not only to showcase their values, but also to highlight their sense of humor.

Dothan Peanut Statues

Most Alabamians know about the National Peanut Festival, an annual event that celebrates Dothan’s agricultural powerhouse: the peanut. But for the city of Dothan, honoring the humble nut with concerts, amusement park rides, and a parade simply isn’t enough. Enter the more regular reminders of the peanut’s local supremacy: Dothan’s peanut statues.  

“I think the peanut statue tradition is one of my favorite things about Dothan,” says Katherine Poirer, who grew up in the area. “It feels very quirky and small-town-like, but it’s also creative and fun. Some of them are kinda scary looking, but it wouldn’t feel like home without all the peanuts!” 

Peanuts Around Town

Found all around Dothan, these seventy-plus mostly anthropomorphic peanut statues started off as a nonprofit fundraiser back in 2001, originally dubbed “Peanuts Around Town.” Now, they’re so ingrained in the local culture that Dothan’s city website has a special map dedicated to chronicling all the locations of the various peanuts (and the many peanut murals, which are also featured around the city).

Standing at around the height of an average American eight-year-old, these statues occasionally have simple designs (I’m looking at you, pink “Kiss Goodbye to Cancer” nut) but are usually elaborate portraits of either imaginary figures or actual citizens. Sometimes, the nuts become dogs, or owls, or fire hydrants, or an assembly of other things. Local and big-box businesses have gotten in on the peanut craze. Everything from your local auto shop to the Sam’s Club has erected their own peanut iterations out front. No one’s too late to the game, either. Comcast unveiled not one but two statues of its own in 2025. The city of Dothan was so pleased that it declared that October 8th (the day of Comcast’s peanut inauguration) would be forever known as “Peanuts Around Town” Day. 

Sometimes, businesses choose to update their peanut statues, which can leave residents with mixed emotions. Poirer recounted, “The statue in front of Dothan’s Krispy Kreme went from a cowboy to a Krispy Kreme Donut man. Although it makes more sense, we were kinda heartbroken. The cowboy peanut was a classic!” 

Tuscaloosa Public Art

Dothan isn’t the only Alabama town with a statue collection; Tuscaloosa proudly sponsored a public art project known as “The Monster Makeover.” Unlike Dothan’s peanuts, which are meant to be seen from a distance, these tiny monsters are hidden around local parks, “Where’s Waldo” style. 

Most residents don’t even notice they’re there. For instance, when asked about her perspective on the little monsters, resident Quinn Lee remarked, “Six years of living here, and I never saw one of these quirky fellas?”

Monster Statues Around Town

These surprise statues add to the playful nature of Tuscaloosa, and discovering one under your picnic bench is sure to draw a smile. Another resident of Tuscaloosa, Katherine Farnan, expressed her delight when she learned about the little guys, and promising that she would “be on the hunt.”  

For the project, local 1st and 2nd graders drew monsters. Then, university students took those crayola creations and crafted them into reality. After the scary statues were auctioned off to benefit The Community Foundation of West Alabama’s Arts in Education fund, each little monster was craftily hidden into a little nook around town. Initial waves of the project unfortunately faced theft problems. Those pieces could not be replaced, given the one-of-a-kind nature of the pieces, however, future generations of monsters will be anchored more securely. Hopefully, Tuscaloosa will be able to boast of its tiny terrors for many years to come. 

From Dothan’s plethora of huge peanuts to Tuscaloosa’s smattering of tiny statues, these small, playful touches of public art help make these communities feel like home.

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