Mars Flying Saucer

There is some debate over whether the town of Mars, Pennsylvania, was named after an early resident, Judge Samuel Marshall, or the Red Planet itself, but one thing’s for sure, residents sure aren’t running with the courthouse theme. 

Business names around town include Mars Hardware, Mars Gourmet, and Mars National Bank, and alien figures peek from windows all over town. The high school sports teams are the Fightin’ Planets, and even the official borough stationary has flying saucers and little green Martians on it.

But one resident’s contribution outdid all the rest. In the early 1990s, there were UFO and crop circle reports in the area. Around that time, an actual flying saucer appeared downtown, painted grey. Currently in the town square, it is occasionally moved around, and occasionally painted more decoratively.

Constructed from two oil tanks and weighing nearly 3,000 pounds, the Mars Flying Saucer has escaped the fate of many such attractions since it is very difficult to steal. It is durable and looks like something out of a mid-20th century science fiction movie. The saucer is a popular place to hang out and even sit on for residents and a popular stop for tourists. How popular it is among actual aliens remains, unfortunately, a mystery.