Ever look outside the car window to see the world’s largest penny or goats on a roof? What about the world’s tallest grandfather clock or the world’s heaviest ball of Twine? The world’s largest talking cow, perchance?
If you’re road tripping through Wisconsin, there are a handful of wacky attractions to stop at along the way. Grouped by region, here are some oddball pitstops for your trip:
Northern Wisconsin
The Hodag, Rhinelander: The hodag, a “terrible brute” with a dragon’s body, horns and sharp teeth, was created by timberman Eugene Shepard in 1896. Area high schools even use this creature as their mascot. Rhinelander has several hodag statues, but one of the biggest sits outside the chamber of commerce, 450 W. Kemp St.
World’s Largest Penny, Woodruff: Built in 1953, this massive concrete penny was built after local students collected 1.7 million pennies to help build the area’s first hospital. The attraction is 10 feet in diameter, 16 inches thick and weighs over 17,400 pounds. It’s across from the Howard Young Medical Center, on the northwest corner of Hemlock Street and Third Avenue. Less than a block away is the Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb Museum, 923 Second Ave., which highlights her story and dream of building the area’s first hospital.
World’s Largest Talking Loon, Mercer: Claire’ d Loon, a 16-foot-tall, 2,000-pound fiberglass loon, is about 30 miles northwest of the penny. By pressing a button at its base, you can hear four distinctive loon calls. This was installed in 1981 at 5150 N. Highway 51, in front of the Mercer Chamber of Commerce as an homage to Mercer’s claim as the Loon Capitol of the World.
World’s Largest Soup Kettle, Laona: Free “Soup Sundays” were an annual August tradition for the Russell family in 1919. Even though the giant kettle is no longer used, you can still see it on Highway 8, south of Mill Road, and the Lions Club preserves the soup tradition. This year’s event is planned for Aug. 1.
Wisconsin Concrete Park, Phillips: 230 sculptures of people, animals and more sit in a county park at N8236 Highway 13. The sculptures are made of concrete, broken bottles and other random materials by artist and retired lumberjack Fred Smith. He took 16 years to create the sculptures, wrapping up in 1964. The park is free, but donations to the nonprofit that supports its maintenance and preservation are appreciated.
World’s Heaviest Ball of Twine, Lake Nebagamon: This ball of twine now weighs over 24,000 pounds. South of Lake Nebagamon in Douglas County, James Frank Kotera, or “JFK,” started making the giant ball in his backyard at 8009 S. Oakdale Road in 1979.
North-Central Wisconsin
World’s Largest Talking Cow, Neillsville: Chatty Belle, a 16-foot-tall and 20-foot-long fiberglass Holstein, was created for Wisconsin’s exhibit in New York’s 1964 World’s Fair. Her home is now 1201 Division St., Neillsville, near the Wisconsin Pavilion. To get her talking, insert a quarter into a box at her base.
Jurustic Park, Marshfield: Retired lawyer Clyd Wynia created metal sculptures to tell stories of creatures that came from McMillan Marsh, and gives tours of the grounds around his house and studio to visitors. Admission is free to the public, but a fee is charged for guided group tours. It’s at 112021 Sugar Bush Lane, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. most days. Learn more at www.jurustic.com.
45×90 Geographic Marker, Rietbrock: This northern Marathon County geographical marker claims to mark the center of the northern half of the Western Hemisphere. The marker pinpoints where the 90th meridian of longitude crosses the 45th parallel of latitude, and can be found at 5651 Meridian Road, northwest of Poniatowski.
Western Wisconsin
World’s Largest Bicyclist, Sparta: In the self-proclaimed Bicycle Capital of America, a 32-foot-tall statue of “Ben Bikin” sits on a 19th-century penny-farthing bicycle. It’s at 101 E. Wisconsin St., about a half-mile north of the Elroy-Sparta State Trail’s western trailhead (considered the country’s first rail-trail).
World’s Largest Six Pack, La Crosse: A collection of aging tanks, covered in vinyl to resemble a product of La Crosse Lager, sits outside City Brewery, 925 S. Third St. The six-pack used to sport G. Heileman Brewing Co.’s Old Style beer branding until that brewery closed in 1996.
FAST Fiberglass mold yard, Sparta: Many odd attractions on the road (including some on this list), were made at this factory, which has hundreds of molds from past jobs. They’re behind the factory at 14177 County Highway Q.
Southwestern Wisconsin
World’s Largest Cone Top Beer Can, Potosi: A silo reaching 40 feet was repurposed to look like a 1950s Good Old Potosi cone-top can. It’s about 100 miles south of La Crosse, where the brewery was the first to make a cone-top can in 1935. It stands across from Potosi Brewing Co.
Dickeyville Grotto, Dickeyville: A grotto and religious shrines made of stone, mortar and brightly colored objects, like glass and sea shells, were made by Father Matthias Wernerus from 1918 to 1931. He was the priest at the Holy Ghost Church next door. Find it along the Great River Road at 305 W. Main St.
Gravity Hill, Shullsburg: To experience this uphill-rolling optical illusion, follow Judgement Street as it turns into County Highway U. Look for the GH on the side of the road, south of Rennick Road. If the area is clear, stop and put the car in neutral to see the car roll uphill.
Grandview Folk Art Environment, Hollandale: The exterior of Nick Engelbert’s farmhouse is covered in concrete with glass, beads, buttons and seashells pressed in. Engelbert added 40 concrete sculptures to the yard. He started the project in 1937, and the site is now protected by a nonprofit. The grounds are found at 7351 Highway 39, and are open during daylight hours year-round.
Northeastern Wisconsin
Sputnik IV crash site, Manitowoc: On Sept. 6, 1962, a 20-pound piece of the Soviet satellite Sputnik IV landed in a spot now marked by a brass ring in the middle of Eight Street near the Rahr-West Art Museum. While the piece went back to Russia, one of two replicas is in the museum. Sputnikfest, a space-themed festival, occurs every September in this town. This year’s event is Sept. 12.
World’s Tallest Grandfather Clock, Kewaunee: A 35-foot, 10-inch tall clock is found at a trailhead for the Ahnappee State Trail along the harbor in downtown Kewaunee (322 Milwaukee St.). It was built as a gift to the city in 1976, but in 2014 it was restored and moved to its current location.
Goats on a roof, Sister Bay: A few goats have called Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant, 10698 N. Bay Shore Drive, home since 1973. The goats graze on grass on top of the restaurant when the weather permits, usually from May to October. To check if the goats are out, the restaurant has a goat cam on its website: aljohnsons.com/goat-cam.
Contact Elena Metinidis at emetinidis@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giant talking cow, rooftop goats and other wacky Wisconsin roadside attractions
Reporting by Elena Metinidis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Elena Metinidis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
