World's First Blueberry-shaped Shop, world record in Columbia Falls, Maine
Columbia Falls, Maine, United States--Wild Blueberry Land, a roadside American attraction and theme park in Columbia Falls, Maine, founded by Dell and Marie Emerson, is dedicated to the state's official fruit, the wild blueberries; the main structure at Wild Blueberry Land is the 50 feet conspicuous geodesic blue dome, home to a bakery filled with blueberry pastries, breads, and sweets; the dome sets the world record for being the World's First Blueberry-shaped Shop, according to the WORLD RECORD ACADEMY.
"Just off Route 1 in Columbia Hills, Maine, you’ll find Wild Blueberry Land—a small theme park entirely dedicated to the official fruit of Maine. The park’s main attraction, a large, bright blue geodesic dome, is home to a bakery filled with blueberry pastries, breads, and sweets. The entire park is a bright shade of blue," the
Atlas Obscura says.
"This seven-acre space is covered with giant marine buoys painted to resemble blueberries and a blueberry-themed mini golf course decorated with a shipwreck, a lighthouse, a grandfather clock, and a large blueberry pie that was once a TV satellite dish. If you win the golf game, you get to take your pick of one of the fresh veggies growing in the patches throughout the grounds of the course.
"Today, in addition to snacking on sweet berries, drivers pull off the highway to marvel at the blue land. Even when it’s closed during the winter season, people take pictures by the domed building covered in snow. There are so many pictures of the famous local landmark online, Marie has said, it’s like the Wild Blueberry Land building has its own cult following."
"Nestled in the quaint fields of Columbia Falls, Maine is a roadside attraction that offers a heaping helping of both….Wild Blueberry Land! It is certainly like no other a giant, blueberry-shaped bakery. But it doesn’t stop there! Wild Blueberry Land is a theme park in a sense that it boasts seven acres of blueberry patches, marine buoys painted to look like super-sized blueberries, and a blueberry-themed mini-golf course. Oh, and if you win your round of mini-golf? You get to pick a free vegetable from one of the garden patches placed around the course," the
b985.fm says.
"You can also pick your own pail of the delicious berries, or pick up a homemade pie, turnover, or other berry-filled sweets in the bakery. The bakery shares space in the blueberry dome with a gift shop, which isn’t currently open due to covid-19 rules but they do hope to open the gift shop as soon as they can by law.
"This unique place was built in 2001 by Dell and Marie Emerson. Dell is a former researcher at the University of Maine’s blueberry farm, and Marie is an award-winning chef – a match made in berry heaven. The couple built Wild Blueberry Land intending to preserve the environment and promote the success of small-family farming, while also educating visitors about the history, diversity, and health benefits of Maine’s blueberries. Now, Marie says that the blueberry-shaped building has its own cult following!"
"Wild Blueberry Land is a roadside American attraction and theme park in Columbia Falls, Maine, dedicated to the state's official fruit, the wild blueberries. Dell and Marie Emerson 2001 founded this seven acres theme park to pay homage to value-added products and family farming enterprises' success," The Travel says.
"The main structure at Wild Blueberry Land is the 50 feet conspicuous geodesic blue dome, surrounded by other quirkier and small blue structures of different shapes. That dome is the hub of all that happens at Wild Blueberry Land, and blue, the color of wild blueberries, is the predominant color.
"At Wild Blueberry Land's dome, there is a food and gift shop which is a popular stop for visitors traveling east of Acadia and other destinations. Checkout counters here have customers paying for products made with wild blueberries, like syrups, tea and coffee packets, candles, honey, scones, muffins, pancake mix, vinegar, and other items on the shelves. Foods cooked and sold to customers at Wild Blueberry Land include pies, coffee cakes, blueberry scones, and others. Visitors also buy blueberry soda, yogurt, and blueberry ale beer. Wild blueberry products sold here are made at the couple's Wild Wescogus Berries farm, located a few miles away in beautiful Downeast Maine."
"Our mission is to provide a deeper understanding of the history, science, and culture of Maine’s 10,000 year old wild blueberry ecosystem. The Wild Blueberry Heritage Center strives to promote the strength of the local community, food system, and natural environment. Our vision is a thriving future for both the biodiverse ecosystem and rural communities of Maine’s wild blueberry lands," The Wild Blueberry Heritage Center says.
"Wild blueberry growers Del & Marie Emerson of Downeast Maine have dedicated their lives to the prosperity of the wild blueberry industry and its small farms. In celebration of the wild blueberry, the Emersons built a building and business known as Wild Blueberry Land that served the rural area as a landmark tourist attraction from 2001-2022.
"Founded in 2016 by Marie Emerson with community help and a concern for the future of the wild blueberry industry, the nonprofit 501c(3) Wild Blueberry Heritage Center’s mission is to provide a deeper understanding of the rich history, science, and culture of the wild blueberry’s indigenous ecosystem. In 2023, the Wild Blueberry Heritage Center assumed stewardship of the beloved “blueberry dome” in Columbia Falls, Maine with the hopes of promoting prosperity for both the biodiverse ecosystem and small growers of Maine’s wild blueberry lands through public education and community-based programming."
"The "Blueberry Dome," and most of the rest of Wild Blueberry Land, was built in 2001 by Dell and Marie Emerson, who are also Maine blueberry farmers and chefs," the Waymarking.com says.
"The attraction serves as a gift and coffee shop, as well as an outlet for the Emerson's blueberry jams, jellies, sauces, and vinegars -- and fresh-made blueberry scones, muffins, cookies, and ice cream. The new year's crop usually doesn't arrive until mid-August, although Wild Blueberry Land is open from June to mid-October."
"The blueberry-blue domed food and gift shop at the corner of Routes 1 and 187 South in Columbia Falls, known as Wild Blueberry Land is a truly unique stopping place for tourists, each and every summer season. One look at the building and you can’t help but be intrigued to head inside, or outside for that matter,"
Z107.3 says.
"You can check out the outdoor mini-golf course, or head inside to shop a variety of blueberry items. Maine is after all, the producer of 99% of all the blueberries in the country, making it the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States, so if you love them, this is the place to visit, when you hit the open road this vacation season.
"You will find everything from blueberry butter, syrup, vinegar, honey, scones, pancake mixes, and so much more. And, be sure to check out the Wild Blueberry Heritage Center! This is a pretty popular tourist destination for TikTok users as well."
"This totally incredible shop that’s completely dedicated to all things blueberry! This huge blueberry story in Maine will have you pulling out your camera for selfies even if you’re not a fan of the juicy fruit that Vacationland is known for! In addition to lobster, Maine is known for production of the best wild blueberries in the country!" the Only In Your State says.
"While you can pick them yourself at the end of the summer, there's no better way to celebrate the beloved blueberry than by going to Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls! It's a giant blueberry-shaped building on the side of the road, but there's a lot more than meets the eye.
"With the bright blue objects outside, you can't miss the store as you make the approach on Highway 1. The store is the creation of Dell and Marie Emerson, who have had a special love for blueberries for over 30 years. Dell spent 53 years working on the only wild blueberry research farm in America, located at the University of Maine. And Marie is an award-winning chef who has taught for 30 years in the Maine Community College system. Together, they're dedicated to the preserving one of America's last natural, wild blueberry crops grown commercially."
"Have you ever wanted to see a giant blueberry? If so, this is the place for you! Wild Blueberry Land features the World’s Largest Blueberry, which is an iconic building in the area," The University of Maine says.
"There is a shop full of blueberry themed goods, including desserts and gifts such as earrings. There is also blue mini-golf!"
"Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. Vaccinium also includes cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries and Madeira blueberries. Commercial blueberries—both wild (lowbush) and cultivated (highbush)—are all native to North America. The highbush varieties were introduced into Europe during the 1930s." (Wikipedia)
"Blueberries are usually prostrate shrubs that can vary in size from 10 centimeters (4 inches) to 4 meters (13 feet) in height. In commercial production of blueberries, the species with small, pea-size berries growing on low-level bushes are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), while the species with larger berries growing on taller, cultivated bushes are known as "high-bush blueberries". Canada is the leading producer of low-bush blueberries, while the United States produces some 40% of the world supply of high-bush blueberries.
"Blueberries may be cultivated, or they may be picked from semiwild or wild bushes. In North America, the most common cultivated species is V. corymbosum, the northern high-bush blueberry. Hybrids of this with other Vaccinium species adapted to southern U.S. climates are known collectively as southern highbush blueberries.
"High-bush (cultivated) blueberries prefer sandy or loam soils, having shallow root systems that benefit from mulch and fertilizer. The leaves of highbush blueberries can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and 1–8 cm (1⁄2–3+1⁄4 in) long and 0.5–3.5 cm (1⁄4–1+3⁄8 in) broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish."
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