Joe Macken, a truck driver from upstate New York, has turned his hobby into a museum exhibit. His handmade replica of New York City is now on display at the Museum of the City of New York. The show is called He Built This City: Joe Macken’s Model and runs through the summer starting Wednesday.
Macken became popular on TikTok thanks to his Gen Z daughter, who shared videos of his work. His videos got millions of views online. The 63-year-old admits the project got bigger than he expected, saying “This is a hobby that got out of control.” Macken started building the model in 2004. Over the last 20 years, he has made around 800,000 tiny buildings, including skyscrapers, apartments, bridges, and boats. The replica now measures 50 feet long.
