Truck driver spends decades carving a scale model masterpiece of New York City

Clifton Park, New York — In the outpouring of 2004, a motortruck operator named Joe Macken descended his basement stairs successful Clifton Park, New York, with a elemental idea: to spot if helium could physique thing chill retired of balsa wood.

He decided connected a miniature replica of the RCA Building successful New York City's Rockefeller Center. He enjoyed the process truthful overmuch that the adjacent day, helium built different building. And past helium conscionable kept going.

He says determination was ne'er a constituent that helium felt helium had gone excessively far. Not adjacent erstwhile helium built each of Rockefeller Center, each of Midtown, each of Manhattan, past each of New York City. 

Macken municipality sprawled his mode to a retention installation due to the fact that his basement was excessively tiny to clasp it all.

Each 1 of the squares successful his miniature instauration represents astir 1 quadrate mile of New York City.  And for much than 2 decades, they have conscionable been piling up.

"I was conscionable going to look astatine it," Macken said of his program for the miniature city. "I don't cognize what I was going to bash with it. I had nary plans. I mean, I ne'er imagined it being successful a museum."

For the archetypal time, Macken's "Little Apple" is going connected show successful the Big Apple, astatine the Museum of the City of New York successful Manhattan.

Joe Macken with his standard exemplary of New York City astatine the Museum of the City of New York successful Manhattan. February 2026.  CBS News

The exhibit, which opens Feb. 12, includes each 5 boroughs, each tract and stadium, and each span and building. It consists of astir 1 cardinal structures carved by Macken.

Macken noted that done it all, helium has been supported by his wife, Trish. He described it arsenic "a miracle" that she has been truthful knowing of his obsession.

When informed by CBS News that her hubby plans connected doing this for respective much decades, Trish joked, "Alright, helium mightiness not person shared those details with me."

Macken ne'er acceptable retired to make a masterpiece. Yet present a masterpiece lies earlier him, due to the fact that greatness is truly thing much than a cardinal tiny steps, and occasionally, a spouse to astatine slightest tolerate the journey.

"I'll conscionable support going," Macken said. "I'll physique each of New York authorities if I person to. It'll ne'er beryllium finished, ever."

In:

• Art
• New York City