I love living in Virginia. The state is not only stuffed with rich history, but interesting facts some locals don't even know. And I know that because I asked a bunch of people. I'm not sure what made me wonder about Mount Trashmore and how it received its name. Maybe it's because I was driving by earlier and never asked myself about the origin story.
But that's why I'm here now!
Though Mount Trashmore is a lush, well-maintained park now in Virginia Beach, it was once a heaping mound of approximately 35 feet of construction waste from the 1980s to 1993 (It was opened in 1974). The city of Virginia Beach sits on what's called a water table, which makes it impossible to bury trash because you couldn't dig further than ten feet without hitting the water table.
With nowhere to put the waste, trash piles started to rise.
Director of the Virginia Department of Health Roland E. Dorer was the one to suggest turning the trash heap into a city park. He had quite the dream for the park, with picnic areas, an amphitheater, hiking trails.
There are also seepage points around Mount Trashmore to avoid gas build-up of the trash underneath and keep the Virginia Beach residents safe. Back in 1992, there was even a terrifying hoax. On April Fool's Day, some idiot radio hosts for WNOR-FM 99's morning program (Henry "The Bull" Del Toro and Tommy Griffiths") said on-air methane had collected beneath Mount Trashmore, and it was ready to explode. The prank tied up phone lines for hours and caused mass panic around Hampton Roads.
As for the name, "Mount Trashmore" wasn't even the first choice. It was a nickname given by locals that happened to stick, though many people begged for a name change.
So, whenever you happen to pop by Mount Trashmore, whether you're a local looking for a fun day out or vacationing and finding all the hot spots in Virginia Beach, remember you're kind of stomping on a big 'ole pile of trash.
Do you like the name "Mount Trashmore"? Do you think it should be changed?
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