Joe Macken
Joe Macken | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 or 1963 (age 63–64) Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Miniature model maker |
| TikTok information | |
| Page | |
| Years active | 2025–present |
| Followers | 285 thousand |
| Last updated: June 10, 2026 | |
Joe Macken (born 1962/1963)[1] is an American miniature model maker. He is best known for handmaking a miniature model replica of New York City. He was dubbed as the "man who built New York City" by The New York Times.[2]
Macken was born in Queens, New York.[3] In 2003, he handmade a miniature model of New York City bridges out of popsicle sticks, wanting them to look "hybrid".[4] He moved to Clifton Park, New York in 2004, where he handmade numerous miniature models in his basement.[1] Aside from modeling making, he works as a truck driver.[3][5]
In 2025, Macken's TikTok account went viral after he posted a video on the platform, showing off his handmade miniature replica of New York City, garnering over 10 million views. He handmade miniature models of the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Chrysler Building, the Woolworth Building and many others.[2] In 2026, his handmade miniature replica were put on display at the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan, New York.[1][3][4][6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Freeman Gill, John (March 20, 2026). "The Work of Robert Moses? No, It's Joe Macken". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ a b Barron, James (July 24, 2025). "TikTok Loves the New York City He Built Out of Balsa Wood". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ a b c Sheffield, Toria (February 15, 2026). "Truck Driver Spent 21 Years Building Perfect Mini Replica of New York City. Now, It's on Display in a Museum". People. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ a b Demopoulos, Alaina (February 14, 2026). "'I cut out one little house at a time': the trucker who spent decades building a tiny replica of NYC". The Guardian. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ Anderson, Sonja (April 1, 2026). "A Truck Driver Spent 20 Years Making This Astonishing Scale Model of Every Single Building in New York City". Smithsonian. Retrieved June 10, 2026.
- ^ Barron, James (February 10, 2026). "Look for Your Neighborhood in This Mini-New York City". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2026.