When people think of traveling in Wisconsin, a few places immediately jump into the mind—Door County, Lambeau Field, and Madison. However, scattered throughout the state are fascinating roadside attractions that, if you are feeling adventurous, are naught but a small trip off the main road. Next time you’re traveling across the state, don’t be afraid to venture through these places that my family has discovered through the years. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
Some pictures and information courtesy of Roadside America and Atlas Obscura.
1. Rock In The House, Fountain City
This one is pretty self-explanatory—it is, quite literally, a rock that rolled into a house. While the concept itself may seem staged, it truly isn’t. On April 24, 1995, a 55-ton boulder rolled down a hill and crashed into the house, which was then owned by Dwight and Maxine Anderson. Less than a month later, a real estate investor named John Burt bought the house and turned it into an attraction, where visitors can go see the house, which has been left in the same condition as it was seconds before the boulder crashed into it. On display are newspaper clippings of other Fountain City disasters, including a rock rolling onto a house in the exact same spot as where this attraction now stands in 1901. Additionally, Fountain City is beautiful, and the roads themselves are a reason to visit!2. Ed Gein’s Grave, Plainfield
Certain members of my family have an unhealthy curiosity related to cemeteries. This find can be attributed to my brother, and while not technically an attraction, there is a sort of morbid charm to being able to say you visited Ed Gein’s grave. Ed Gein, a
3. Jurustic Park, Marshfield
Did you know that during the Iron Age, a variety of iron creatures lived in the McMillan Marsh near Marshfield? I didn’t
4. F.A.S.T., Sparta
The Fiberglass Animals, Shapes, & Trademarks Corporation, or simply FAST, is the birthplace of many of the oversized creations you see gracing the sides of roads and the tops of buildings. FAST has been responsible for many things over the years, including a 12-foot-tall human heart slide for the Children’s Museum in Appleton, a 25-foot-tall monkey, and a 30-foot-tall cyclist whose home is just a little way away in the “Bicycling Capital of the World,” Sparta. Visitors are encouraged to walk around the yard and view all the works in progress scattered throughout, and even pop into the workshop to see what the current project is!5. Chatty Belle, Neillsville
Built for Wisconsin’s exhibit
6. Walls Of Wittenberg, Wittenberg
For some reason, this has always been one of my favorites, and
7. Prairie Moon Sculpture Garden/Museum, Cochrane
In 1959, self-taught artist Herman Rusch—who was then 74 years old—built his first concrete sculpture, a planter. By the end of 1974, he had created nearly 40 sculptures, incorporating everything from bricks and iron wheels to seashells, crockery, and glass. Also featured are the works of artists Fred Scholsstein and John and Bertha Mehringer. The gardens, located right off Prairie Moon Road, are open year-round, and the museum is open by appointment.
8. Paul And Matilda Wegner Grotto, Sparta
Emigrating from Germany in 1885 and settling in La Crosse, the Wegners owned a farm and raised five children until 1916, when they turned the farm over to their children. After visiting the Holy Ghost Park of Father Mathias Wernerus in Dickeyville (also known simply as the Dickeyville Grotto, which I haven’t, unfortunately, been to yet), the
9. Rudolph Grotto Gardens, Rudolph
In 1912, Father Philip Wagner was in Europe studying for the priesthood. When his health started failing him, he visited the Our Lady’s Shrine in Lourdes, France, and promised to Mary that, if his health were restored in order to allow him to be ordained, he would someday build her a shrine. Slowly he got better, and the Rudolph Grotto was formed. Assigned to the St. Philomena’s Church in Rudolph, he realized that the place he was looking for was on the new parish grounds, and he started his work, no matter the fact that he didn’t even know how to mix mortar. Edmund Rybicki, a 12-year-old, began to help Father Wagner, and in 1928 the first shrine was completed. Also on the grounds is the Wonder Cave, which is a fifth-of-a-mile passageway featuring 26 shrines based off the catacombs of Rome. The last project of the Grotto was completed in the spring of 1983. For more information, please visit www.rudolphgrotto.com.10. Queen Of The Holy Rosary Mediatrix Between God And Man Shrine, Necedah
Finally, and perhaps one of theIf these types of things aren’t your cup of tea, stayed tuned for my next few articles, in which I’ll discuss things to do in Door County, and natural attractions in our state such as beaches, State Parks, and rock formations!