MISSOURI STATE SYMBOLS   COWBELL CAPITAL   Belle

In 2026, Gov. Mike Kehoe signed HB2576 and SB1544, doubly designating the town of Belle in Maries and Osage Counties the official cowbell capital of Missouri.

Rep. Bennie Cook originally submitted House Bill No. 3407, which proposed this particular symbol. That bill failed to receive a floor vote, but identical language was added to both HB2576 and SB1544.

Belle, Missouri is the “Cowbell Capital” because it is home to possibly the world’s largest cowbell. Jim and Wendy Zumwalt were looking for ways to bring more visitors to the small town. They were inspired by statues such as the World’s Largest Rocking Chair. Wanting to create a large statue, Jim Zumwalt came up with the idea for a giant cowbell. The bell was built in 2024, in part by Zumwalt. The completed cowbell is 15 feet tall, built out of five-foot-tall steel panels. On top of the bell is a metal cutout of a longhorn. The total bell weighs 6,340 pounds. The bell also has a clapper that is a 380-pound wrecking ball. Visitors to Belle can find the cowbell sculpture off Missouri Highway 28 in town.

 

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Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo)

§10.288. City of Belle, official cowbell capital. – The city of Belle is selected for and shall be known as the official “Cowbell Capital” of the state of Missouri. (L. 2026 H.B. 2576 merged with S.B. 1544)

approved 13 July 2026
effective 28 August 2026

 

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Photo Gallery:

Click on an image below to enlarge and read a caption. This will open a new window in the Missouri State Symbols Flickr album.

 

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Additional Resources:

“The Cowbell in Belle, Missouri.” Missouri Division of Tourism Website, 22 October 2024.

McCarty, Jim. “Belle’s Big Bell.” Rural Missouri, 16 May 2025.

 

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