Kachina Woman MonumentThe Tonto Hills kachina doll in Cave Creek, Arizona
People looking up the kachina woman monument or the kachina monument are looking for this figure: a giant Hopi corn maiden at the entrance to Tonto Hills, on the Cave Creek side of Carefree. It is widely called the world's tallest kachina doll. You can see it from the road, and it does not cost anything.
What you'll see
The figure is a Hopi corn maiden dancer. ABC15, quoting the Tonto Hills Volunteer Fire Department, describes her as a spiritual symbol believed to protect women before marriage and to watch over the community. That is the woman in the kachina woman monument search.
A 1993 Smithsonian survey describes a full-length painted-concrete figure in turquoise, red, white, grey, and black. It wears a three-tiered mask with a small beak and an evergreen necklace, holds a gourd rattle in its proper right hand and a feather wand in its proper left, and has a belt with geometric designs. The survey places it on a square concrete base inside a low-walled square enclosure. Roadside America describes a circular rock garden facing south.
Roadside America and Atlas Obscura list the height as 39 feet. ABC15 says nearly 40 feet and about 14.5 tons, built of cement blocks and steel. The Smithsonian names sculptor Phillips Sanderson (1908-1987) and engineer Carl Ludlow, and dates the work to about 1962. Atlas Obscura gives the fuller name Raymond Phillips Sanderson and says Ludlow assembled it around 1970. It is often called the world's largest kachina doll. Roadside America adds "we think," and ABC15 says it is believed by some to be the largest.
Visiting tips
- Find the turn: Stay left at the Y marked for Bartlett Lake. The figure is on the left, over the hill, at the Tonto Hills entrance.
- It is a neighborhood gate: Park so you do not block the road. The sculpture marks a residential entrance. Do not climb it.
- Who looks after it: ABC15 reports that the Tonto Hills Volunteer Fire Department maintains the statue. Atlas Obscura describes it as department property.
- Time needed: A roadside stop. There is no visitor center at the figure itself.
Kachina Woman monument FAQ
Where is the Kachina Woman monument?
At 42027 N Old Mine Rd, Cave Creek, AZ 85331, at the entrance to the Tonto Hills community near Carefree. From town, go about 6 miles east on Cave Creek Road, stay left at the Bartlett Lake sign, and look on the left over the hill.
Who made the kachina monument?
The Smithsonian inventory names Phillips Sanderson as sculptor and Carl Ludlow as engineer. Atlas Obscura gives the sculptor's name as Raymond Phillips Sanderson and says Ludlow assembled the figure around 1970. The Smithsonian survey dates it to about 1962.
How tall is it, and what does it show?
Roadside America and Atlas Obscura list it at 39 feet. ABC15 describes it as nearly 40 feet and about 14.5 tons, and says it represents a Hopi corn maiden dancer. The Smithsonian survey describes painted concrete and steel in turquoise, red, white, grey, and black.
Does it cost anything, and when can I see it?
It is free to view from the roadside. Roadside America lists the hours as always. It stands at the entrance to a residential community, so park without blocking traffic and stay off the sculpture.
Is it officially the world's tallest kachina doll?
It is widely called the world's tallest or largest kachina doll. Roadside America says "we think," and ABC15 says it is believed by some to be the largest. Those sources do not cite a certified world record.
Sources: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Tonto Hills Kachina (1993 Arizona survey); ABC15 Absolutely Arizona; RoadsideAmerica.com; Atlas Obscura; U.S. Census Bureau address match for 42027 N Old Mine Rd. Last checked October 2026.