TikTok-famous truck driver’s 50-foot NYC model just debuted at a museum, but his next plan is even crazier

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.

According to the NY Post, The idea came from a childhood memory. Macken remembered visiting the Queens Museum in first grade to see the famous Panorama miniature model of New York City. Years later, in his 40s, he watched a documentary about the city and decided to build his own version. He started by carving Rockefeller Center because he loved the art deco style of 30 Rock from his childhood visits to see the Christmas tree.

One person’s vision shaped by childhood memories and personal connections

Macken used cheap materials like balsa wood, Styrofoam, and Elmer’s glue to build everything. He created his own measuring system where one millimeter equals 10 feet. Before Google Maps became common in the mid-2010s, he used books and took his own photos during trips to Manhattan. For some areas, he didn’t need any help. Building the Queens section was his favorite because he knew those streets very well.

The museum contacted Macken last summer after his TikTok videos went viral. Elisabeth Sherman, the deputy director and chief curator, had trouble finding him through phone records and had to reach him at a bar near Albany where he was speaking. Sherman likes that the model shows the “hand of the artist.” She explained “It’s not so exact that it feels like a machine could have made it and I think that lets all of us in: It tells us that this is one person who is sharing his perspective.”

The model includes personal touches and historical details. Macken added handwritten notes, like marking his grandmother’s home in Breezy Point. He even left a misspelling of the “Verazanno” Bridge, joking “It wouldn’t be me if I did [correct the spelling].” He also included the Twin Towers in the skyline because he could see them from his window when he lived in Queens as a boy. 

While some stories from New York City involve darker aspects of urban life, Macken’s work celebrates the city’s beauty. He said “I wanted to make sure I kept the World Trade Centers there because those were the buildings closest to me.”

Macken still works on the model for about two hours every night. Even though it’s now in a museum, he plans to keep building after the exhibit ends. His next goal is to expand it to a 90-foot square replica that covers the entire tri-state area, including Nassau and Westchester counties. He thinks this will take another 10 or 12 years. 

The exhibit opens as NYC’s mayor-elect recently made headlines with a surprising White House visit. For Macken, working on the model helps him relax. He said “After I’m done with everything at night, before I go to bed, I go down [to my basement]. It just relaxes me.”