When Indianapolis resident Brendan Dudas noticed a stubborn rock jutting out of the ground near his house, he worried it might ruin his lawnmower. So, with time to spare during his summer break from teaching, he decided to dig it up.
“I’d been staring at this boulder sticking out of my yard for a while,” recalls Dudas, 31. “Being bored on summer vacation, I thought, ‘Why not just dig it out?’ I figured it wouldn’t be that hard.”
Inspired by a TikTok account, @TheLawnTools, which showcased people unearthing yard boulders with ease, Dudas assumed it would be a quick project. But as he began digging, he soon realized this was no ordinary rock.
@buildsbybrendan This boulder has been staring at me and taunting me for YEARS. Now it’s the most epic lawn ornament in the entire neighborhood! #BoulderSaga HUGE shout out to Lift It Cranes! Visit the link in our bio and use them for your next project! #rock #holes #boulder #crane #lawn #holes #dig ♬ original sound – Disney Commercials
The more dirt he shoveled into buckets, the bigger the stone seemed to grow. No matter how deep he went, the edges kept going, making him wonder just how massive it really was.
Dudas began documenting the process on TikTok, with viewers chiming in with advice—some even suggesting he bring in a crane. He hesitated at first, worried the rock might extend beneath his or his neighbor’s foundation. But after much trial and error, he eventually hired a crane company.
What they uncovered stunned everyone: the slab of rock weighed over 10,300 pounds and was estimated to be 10,000–15,000 years old, dating back to the end of the last Ice Age.
Instead of discarding it, Dudas turned the giant boulder into the focal point of a new landscaping design. He surrounded it with mulch, native plants, smaller stones, and even plans to install lighting so it can be admired at night.
“Digging up this boulder set off a chain reaction,” he says. “It pushed me to completely redo my yard—one project at a time.”
His effort didn’t just transform his own property. Neighbors, inspired by his determination, also began sprucing up their outdoor spaces. “I’ve seen people out mowing, edging, and gardening who never used to before,” he adds. “It’s contagious.”
Though he has no plans to search for more hidden boulders, Dudas is enjoying his Ice Age discovery—now a permanent landmark in his front yard.
