See the World's Tallest Day of the Dead Skeleton

Standing a little more than 109 feet tall—roughly the height of an 11-story building—the colorful "La Catrina" figure in Mexico City broke the previous record of 92 feet set in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in 2023. See the World’s Tallest Day of the Dead Skeleton, Made From Steel, Fiberglass, Papier-Mâché and 70,000 Marigolds. The towering figure is surrounded by thousands of marigolds.

Daniel Cardenas / Anadolu via Getty Images A massive female skeleton dressed in a long purple gown took center stage during Mexico City’s recent Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations—and set a new world record in the process. The towering figure known as La Catrina stood in the city’s main square, the Zócalo, as friends and families gathered to honor and remember their deceased loved ones during the annual holiday on November 1 and 2. More than 140 people with the Xibalbá art workshop, led by director Carlos Camilo Báez, helped bring the project to life, using steel, fiberglass and papier-mâché to create La Catrina and her 88-foot-long dress.

The statue is surrounded by a large memorial altar, or ofrenda, featuring an estimated 70,000 marigold plants grown in the city’s Xochimilco borough, Andrew Paul reports for Popular Science. The temporary installation was originally scheduled to stand through November 2. Mexico City’s mayor, Clara Brugada, revealed on social media that the statue will remain on view through November 11.