In 2026, the butter cow got a new, even cooler home! Enjoy air-conditioning, more space to roam, and plenty of delicious ice cream and milkshakes in the renovated Dairy Building. The team of sculptors pent approximately 400 hours creating the display, including about 365 hours sculpting inside the new 45-degree cooler located at the center of the Dairy Building. Beginning with wood and steel frames, the artists layer butter by hand before carefully smoothing and refining each sculpture.
In 1903, the first-ever butter cow-and-calf sculptures were featured at the Ohio State Fair when they were entered into a butter-sculpting contest sponsored by The Ohio State University and the Dairy Processors of Ohio. The subjects of this early contest were not restricted to specific subject matter, but the life-size cow sculpted by A.T. Shelton & Company, distributors of Sunbury Co-Operative Creamery butter, became such a popular attraction that it later became a permanent attraction.
Eventually, the butter cow and calf found a permanent home in the Dairy Building, which was built in 1925. New cow and calf sculptures have become a time-honored tradition. They are created each year, along with a mystery sculpture that reflects the positive ideals and cultural trends in Ohio.