Wisconsin Outdoor Museums That Are Too Weird For Words
Wisconsin has some of the strangest outdoor museums you’ll ever see. Forget boring exhibits behind glass – these places are filled with giant metal creatures, concrete sculptures, and bizarre collections that live outside.
I’m taking you on a tour of seven wild spots that prove Wisconsin doesn’t do ordinary.
1. James Tellen Woodland Sculpture Garden – Sheboygan, WI
Hidden in the woods, James Tellen’s creations surprise you around every corner. He transforms natural materials and found objects into mysterious figures that blend perfectly with the forest.
This isn’t your typical sculpture garden with manicured lawns. Everything here feels organic and magical, like the trees themselves decided to become art overnight.
2. Dr. Evermor’s Forevertron – Mecca, WI
The world’s largest scrap metal sculpture towers before you like something from a mad scientist’s laboratory. Dr. Evermor (real name Tom Every) built this 320-ton masterpiece from salvaged industrial parts and Victorian-era equipment.
Legend says it’s a retirement vehicle designed to launch him into space. Whether you believe that or not, you’ll stand there speechless.
3. FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard – Sparta, WI
Where do giant roadside dinosaurs go when they retire? Right here, to this bizarre collection of massive fiberglass molds.
You’ll walk among towering sharks, enormous animals, and oversized characters that once attracted highway travelers across America. It’s like visiting a retirement home for things that were never alive but somehow feel nostalgic anyway.
4. Jurustic Park – Marshfield, WI
Imagine walking through a prehistoric world made entirely of scrap metal. Artist Clyde Wynia welded together dragons, birds, and mysterious beasts from his imagination starting in the 1990s.
Each creature tells a story from a fictional Iron Age natural history. You can wander freely among these towering metal animals that seem almost alive in the sunlight.
5. Painted Forest – Woodland, WI
Ernest Hüpeden spent years painting every surface of this small church with elaborate murals. While technically indoors, the building sits in a rural outdoor setting that adds to its mysterious charm.
Biblical scenes mix with Wisconsin landscapes in colors that still pop after decades. Standing inside feels like being wrapped in someone’s vivid religious vision.
6. Wisconsin Concrete Park – Phillips, WI
Fred Smith spent years creating over 200 concrete figures that now fill this open-air wonderland. Glass bottles, mirrors, and random objects cover every sculpture, making them sparkle like nothing you’ve seen before.
The scenes show everyday life, but there’s nothing ordinary about them. Walking through feels like stepping into someone’s wildest dream turned solid.
7. Rudolph Grotto Gardens – Rudolph, WI
Father Philip Wagner built this spiritual wonderland using stones, gems, and glass collected from around the world. What started as a simple grotto grew into acres of intricate religious shrines.
Every surface glitters with embedded treasures and careful craftsmanship. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the obsessive dedication poured into every corner of this place.
