Berwyn in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Cigars and Stripes

Route 66 Artwork

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 22, 2026

1. Cigars and Stripes Marker

Inscription. Art and wacky roadside attractions have long been a staple on Route 66. Cigars and Stripes owner Ronnie Lottz keeps this tradition alive. The cigar-smoking giant on the roof is a nostalgic throwback to "Muffler Men" that appeared along the highway in the early 1960s. The massive wall mural on the building pays homage to old-school horror and sci-fi flicks of the Route 66 era.

Look up! The Cigars and Stripes giant on the roof was created by Mark Cline in 2022 using a mold from a 1960s Muffler Man. Unique accessories were added such as Frankenstein stitches, a chicken wing, a bottle of hot sauce, and a cigar that can blow real smoke.

"Muffler Men" were fiberglass giants that advertised roadside businesses. From 1966 to 2002, a 19-foot-tall giant holding a hot dog stood on Ogden Avenue (old Route 66) less than a mile to your right. Homlet Stephens purchased it to advertise his Bunyon's hot dog stand. Today, the Paul "Bunyon" statue is displayed along Route 66 in Atlanta, Illinois.

This 55-foot-wide by 25-foot-high mural located on the opposite side of the building was painted by artist Daryl Harris for the Route 66

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Centennial. Can you find the chicken wing shooting a laser? Owner Ronnie Lottz is a fan of vintage horror and sci-fi, and it shows both inside and out.

[Caption:]
Daryl Harris painting the mural in 2022.

Erected 2025 by Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the U.S. Route 66 series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 2022.

Location. 41° 49.681′ N, 87° 47.45′ W. Marker is in Berwyn, Illinois, in Cook County. It is on Ogden Avenue (Old U.S. 66) west of Wesley Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6715 Ogden Avenue, Berwyn IL 60402, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 22, 2026

2. Cigars and Stripes Marker

of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Automobile Love Affair (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. Leonard Catholic Church Bicentennial Flag Pole (approx. ¼ mile away); A Road Well Traveled (approx. 0.4 miles away); World War I Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cruising the Strip (approx. 0.4 miles away); 09.11.2001 (approx. half a mile away); Eating on the Run (approx. 0.6 miles away); Arthur J. Dunham Centennial Home (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berwyn.

More about this marker. Based on Google Street View photos, this marker appears to have been added sometime during 2025.

Also see . . .
1. Muffler Men Home Page. Roadside America provides information and examples of “Muffler Men” across America.

Excerpt: “A tribe of highway fiberglass titans from the 1960s, 14 to 25 feet tall, were scattered and mostly forgotten until our 1980s-90s field trips connected the dots. Exaggerated caricatures of lumberjacks, cowboys, Indians and mechanics share a common
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 22, 2026

3. Cigars and Stripes BBQ on Route 66
The mural referenced on this sign can be seen on the left side of the building.
ancestry. The earliest finds by Roadside America authors held big car mufflers. We nicknamed them ‘Muffler Men!’”

(Submitted on February 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. Cigars and Stripes (Facebook). (Submitted on February 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

The “Muffler Man” over Cigars and Stripes image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, February 22, 2026

4. The “Muffler Man” over Cigars and Stripes

Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 79 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.