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Sparta

map provided by Delorme mapping software

 

 

attractions & oddities

resources

 

1

Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center

Cranberry Festival

 

location:  Warrens
museum / event


      

click to enlarge

photo courtesy of lifedynamix.com

"Did you know Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries? If you’re curious about how cranberries are grown, you’ll want to visit our Exhibit Hall where you can learn all about this “berry” unique crop. Through storyboards, video, sound recordings, static and interactive displays, the Exhibit Hall details the historic and contemporary aspects of Wisconsin’s No. 1 fruit crop."
- section from Official Site


  204 Main Street
Warrens, WI  54666

                   

hours:
• April thru October  (daily)  9am – 5pm
• November thru December  (Tues - Sat)  10am – 4pm

Official Site
www.discovercranberries.com

Cranberry Festival
www.cranfest.com

Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association
www.wiscran.org

Uncommon Days
www.uncommondays.com

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  page 234

(3rd ed., 2009)
  pages 224 - 225
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 62 - 63

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Sidetracked in Wisconsin"
by Mary Bergin
Itchy Cat Press (2006)
pages 44 - 45

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

 

2

F.A.S.T. Corp.
Fiberglass Statue Factory

 

location:  Sparta
creator of many fine roadside oddities 

      


"FAST Corp. of Sparta (FAST stands for Fiberglass Animals Shapes and Trademarks) does business around the world, and few companies like it exist. A survey of the lot yields a sprawling collection of fiberglass fun: large cows, alligators, elephants that double as children's slides. You're even allowed to walk through this menagerie of critters, as long as you behave and don't climb on anything."
- section from MKE Online website


  Click here for MORE PHOTOS


  Fiberglass Animals, Shapes & Trademarks (FAST Corp.)
14177 County Highway Q
Sparta, WI  54656

          

FAST: Fiberglass Statue Mold Field
posted by Roadside America

double-click to enlarge video

 
web links

 

Official Site
www.fastkorp.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

CNB-Scene
www.cnb-scene.com

Weird U.S.
www.weirdus.com

MKE Online
www.mkeonline.com

Thom.org
1. www.thom.org
2. www.thom.org

Tom Goetz
www.tomgoetz.com

New Low
www.newlow.org

Roadside Architecture
1. www.agilitynut.com
2. www.agilitynut.com
3. www.agilitynut.com

Commonplace Book
www.commonplacebook.com

Journal Sentinel Online
article "Back Road Bonanza" or (here)

The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com

 

books

 

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 66 - 67
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird U.S."
by Mark Sceurman & Mark Moran
Barnes & Noble Books (2004)
page 199
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  pages 224 - 225

(3rd ed., 2009)
  pages 216 - 217
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 59 - 60

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Midwest Marvels"
by Eric Dregni
UofM Press (2006)
pages 401 - 404
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Great Little Museums of the Midwest"
by Christine Des Garennes (2002)
Trails Books
page 27

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com  

 

 

 

3

World's Largest Bicycle Statue
& Ben Biken, the High-Wheeler Bicycle Man
in sparta, the "bicycle capital of america"

 

location:  Sparta
roadside oddity / record holder / self-designation

"This seat is cutting off the circulation to my seeds."

The 30-foot-tall fiberglass sculpture of a derbied velocipedist riding his massive penny-farthing is the main fixture at Evans-Bossard Park, where the annual Ben Biken BBQ Bash is held in the fall www.benbikenbbq.com

  in park on southeast corner of Highway 16 & Highway 21

World's Largest Roadside Attractions
www.wlra.us

Fast Corp
www.fastkorp.com

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

Tom Goetz
www.tomgoetz.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

World's Largest Things
www.worldslargestthings.com

Bikes & Berries
www.bikesandberries.com

Sparta Official Site
www.spartawisconsin.org

The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com

Journal Sentinel Online
1. article "World's largest . . . has home somewhere" or (here)

2. article
"Essentially, we're in quite a state" or (here)

Ohio Barns
www.ohiobarns.com

book:
"Midwest Marvels"
by Eric Dregni
UofM Press (2006)
page 403
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird U.S."
by Mark Sceurman & Mark Moran
Barnes & Noble Books (2004)
page 199
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

4

Black Squirrel Capital of the World

Black Squirrel Festival

 

location:  Norwalk
self- designation / event

Fireworks and a tractor pull accompany the event, but perhaps they should consider a Birdfeeder-Tearing-Apart Contest.

  festival is held on the 2nd weekend of August in Norwalk Village Park

Roadside America
1. www.roadsideamerica.com
2. black squirrels

Elroy-Sparta Trail
www.elroy-sparta-trail.com

 

 

5

Paul and Matilda Wegner Grotto

 

location:  Cataract / Sparta
grotto / graves / yard art

      


"The Wegner Grotto features a collection. of primitive glass and concrete art works restored and given to the people of Monroe County by the Kohler Foundation.; including the "Glass Church." where weddings have been. held, the Peace Garden, a ship, wedding cake, and animal sculptures."
- section from Explore Wisconsin website


  Click here for MORE PHOTOS


  (From Sparta, take Highway 71/27 north for 9 miles.  Take Highway 71 west as it splits from Highway 27.  The Grotto is ¼ mile from the split.)
7788 Daylight Road
Sparta, WI  54656

For more info, call the Monroe County Local History Room

                   

hours:
(Daylight Hours)  Memorial Day thru Labor Day

web links
 

Kohler Foundation
www.kohlerfoundation.org

Minnesota Museum of the Mississippi
www.mnmuseumofthems.org

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Narrow Larry
www.narrowlarry.com

Portal Wisconsin
(includes 360º panoramic video!)
portalwisconsin.org

New Low
www.newlow.org

Interesting Ideas
www.interestingideas.com

Bike Sparta
www.bikesparta.com

Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Culture
1. csumc.wisc.edu
2. csumc.wisc.edu

Grottos of the American Midwest
ww2.lafayette.edu/~niless/

Detour Art Atlas
detour.webdatabases.net

Journal Sentinel Online
article "Back Road Bonanza" or (here)

Monroe County Historical Room
www.monroecountyhistory.org

Art in Wisconsin
www.artinwisconsin.com

The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com

 

books

 

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 170 - 171
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  pages 194 - 195

(3rd ed., 2009)
  pages 185 - 186
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 37

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book
"Sacred Spaces and Other Places"
by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi
School of Art Institute of Chicago Press (1993)

pages 72 - 85
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Midwest Marvels"
by Eric Dregni
UofM Press (2006)
pages 404 - 406
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations"
by Randy Mason, Mike Murphy, and Don Mayberger
Kansas City Star Books (2002)
page 61
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Miracles of The Spirit: Folk, Art, and Stories from Wisconsin"
by Don Krug & Ann Parker
University Press of Mississippi (2005)
pages ii, 169
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

 

6

Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bike Museum

Deke Slayton Statue

 

location:  Sparta
museum

Trust me, there are not many graphics of astronauts riding bicycles floating around out there on the internet.  Thank God for this one.  picture courtesy of losethetrainingwheels.org

               


"The Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bike Museum is dedicated to enhancing an understanding and encouraging an interest and appreciation in the history of bicycling and the life of astronaut Donald 'Deke' Slayton."
- section from Portal Wisconsin website


  200 W. Main St.
Sparta, WI  54656

                      

hours:
• Summer: (Mon - Sat)  10am – 4:30pm  /  (Sundays)  1pm – 4pm
• Winter: (Mon - Fri)  10am – 4pm  CLOSED ON HOLIDAYS
 

Official Site
www.dekeslayton.com

NASA
Deke Slayton biography

www.jsc.nasa.gov

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Portal Wisconsin
www.portalwisconsin.org

Bike Sparta
www.bikesparta.com

book:
"Great Little Museums of the Midwest"
by Christine Des Garennes
Trails Books (2002)
pages 11 - 13

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

7

Spartan Warrior Statue

 

location:  Sparta
roadside oddity

It's no surprise that, in this town of fiberglass figure manufacturers, the local high school is graced with a striking representation of its mascot.

  in front of:  506 N Black River St.
Sparta, WI  54656

Spartans!  Prepare for glory!
School Official Site
spartahigh.spartan.org/

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

Flickr photo by Mykl Roventine
www.flickr.com

The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com

Ohio Barns
www.ohiobarns.com

 

8

The Real 'Gasoline Alley'

 

location:  Tomah
cartoon inspiration / event

"Frank King was the creator of the comic strip 'Gasoline Alley'...The year 1919 saw the the first 'Gasoline Alley' comic strip, whose characters grew up right in the public eye and included names of Tomah people and places. In 1958, King was named 'Cartoonist of the Year'. Frank King Died June 24, 1969. His cartoon strip is still published today!"
- section from Tomah Byte Trail

  Superior Avenue has been designated 'Gasoline Alley'

Gasoline Alley Day is held in August

photo courtesy of Tomah Schools
Comics Page
Gasoline Alley comic strip

www.comicspage.com

Tomah Official Site
(click on "City Info", then "Tomah Tidbit" from main page)
www.tomahwisconsin.com

Tomah Byte Trail
www.tomah.com

Tomah Schools
www.tomah.k12.wi.us

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 61

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com  

 

9

Amish Main Street

Largest Amish Community in Wisconsin

 

location:  Cashton
amish community

"Technically, it's Highway 33 near Cashton, but there are so many Amish homes in a row, almost every one offering rugs or quilts or furniture or dressed rabbits or something, that you'll find making time rather impossible. And that's good. Just don't go on Sunday. They still take it seriously."
- section from Journal Sentinel website

  Highway 33 near Cashton

Bikes and Berries
www.bikesandberries.com

Amish.net
www.amish.net

Down a Country Road
www.downacountryroadamish.com

Bike Sparta
www.bikesparta.com

 

10

Little Falls Railroad & Doll Museum

 

location:  Cataract / Sparta
museum

"Sixteen hundred dolls, from German dolls of the 1800's to today's Barbie are displayed.  Through a guided tour, the historical dolls bring back childhood memories, while today's popular dolls foretell the future."

"Inside the Railroad Museum, model trains in many gauges are running.  Showcases contain model steam locomotives - many in brass. A telegrapher's office and lanterns from many railroads are on display, and a collection of memorabilia from when steam was king is on the walls. Of special interest is the Gallery of Railroad Art. Also at the the Railroad Museum is a reference library of over 1,000 books and magazines, some dating back 100 years."
- sections from Official Site


  (2 miles east of Cataract on County Road II)
9208 County Hwy II
Sparta, WI  54656

                          

hours:
April thru October
(Thurs - Mon)   1pm – 5pm

Official Site
www.raildoll.org

Explore La Crosse
www.explorelacrosse.com

Bikes & Berries
www.bikesandberries.com

Bike Sparta
www.bikesparta.com

 

11

Giant Cowboy Mouse Statue

 

location:  Oakdale
roadside oddity

Well, you've made it past Janesville, Madison, and Wisconsin Dells without so much as a howdy.  Now you're halfway to Eau Claire and you're finally getting a proper welcome to the state.  But I bet you didn't expect it to come from a 30' cheese rustling rodent.

  Road Ranger Citgo Travel Center
I90-94 Exit 48
Oakdale, WI
  54649

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Flickr photo by Brettsky
www.flickr.com

Road Ranger Stores Official Site
(no mention of mouse)
www.rangerstores.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 183
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

12

Giant Cheese Slice Sign
at Humbird Cheese Store

 

location:  Tomah
roadside oddity

This Big Cheese sign is virtually identical to the one outside their sister store in Wisconsin Dells (Market Square Cheese).  Now that's art!

  2010 Eaton Ave.
Tomah, WI  54660

Official Site
www.humbirdcheese.com

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

 

13

Giant Cheeseburger Sign
at Chopper's Drive-In

 

location:  Sparta
roadside oddity

Because the owners dropped the A&W franchise, the A&W Root Bear statue is now gone, but a large fiberglass burger sits atop the sign pole in all its mouth-watering glory.

  100 W Wisconsin St.
Sparta, WI  54656

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

 

14

Smiling Cow on Front Lawn
at Englert Enterprise

 

location:  Sparta
roadside oddity

The closer you get to Sparta, the more fiberglass statues & advertising gimmicks you will see dotting the landscape.  Perhaps with FAST Corp. located conveniently nearby, the luxury of frivolous fabricated fiberglass forms is too much to resist.

  18297 Highway 27
Sparta, WI  54656

 

15

Big Pheasant Statue
at Dealer Direct Auto

 

location:  Sparta
roadside oddity

Manufactured by FAST Corp., no doubt.  I'm not sure what a ring-necked pheasant has to do with automobile sales, but hey, whatever works.

  118 W Wisconsin St.
Sparta, WI  54656

 

16

The "Twilight Zone" and the Witch of Melvina

 

location:  Melvina
business with character / local personality

     


"The Magical, Mystical & Mysterious...Haunted Store...Owner High Priestess Magdalene Rose...Where Halloween is everyday of the year...All ancient spirits welcome."
- section from advertising sign

A town with a population of under 100 is not the type of setting you would commonly associate with a modern-day witch.  Then again, you might.  Magdalene Rose is probably considered the local eccentric, judging by the look of her property.  Well, someone's got to make life interesting for the rest of us.  As of October 2008, the store has not been opened for business.

  403 Central Drive
Melvina, WI  54619

La Crosse Tribune
1. article "Melvina woman a witch with heart" or (here)
2. article "Witch hunting in Melvina" or (here)

 

17

Caboose Cabins

 

location:  Sparta
unique motel

      


"It all started with an idea to turn a caboose into a cabin near the Sparta bike trails. Most of the other renovated cabooses that I'd seen looked more like a motel room than a caboose on the inside. We wanted to keep the interior and exterior of the caboose looking like it did when it was in service so people could see what a working caboose looked like. Of course we added all the comforts of home! The renovations are complete and we invite you and your family to enjoy a stay in one of the most unique places you will ever experience!"
- section from the official website

  1102 S. Water St.
Sparta, WI  54656

Official Site
www.caboosecabins.com

 

18

Graffiti'd Cow Statue
at Mill Creek Dairy

 

location:  Tomah
roadside oddity

Looks like the pesky neighbor kids are at it again.  Bossie's been tagged with another layer of turf-marking hood gibberish.  Milk-hating hoodlums steal away under the cover of night, leaving behind their desecration of Wisconsin's most sacred symbol.  Well, second most sacred symbol.  If the vandalizing scum would have torn down a Packers flag, they'd already be flayed, splayed and displayed on the owners' barn wall.

  6443 US Highway 12
Tomah, WI  54660

 

 

 

sighting / phenomenon / morbid curiosity

resources

 

1

"A Grave and a Ghost in a Soap-Store Basement"

   
 
ghost
location:  Sparta

An embedded tombstone in basement wall may be connected to sightings of a ghost.  The soap store ( Natural Scentsations) it is located in has since closed.

UPDATE:  The building is now home to Matousek & Laxton Law Office.  No word if the ghost moved out.

  123 N Water St.
Sparta, WI  54656

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 233 - 235 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"The Haunting of Sparta"
by Joe F. Cook
Prell Books (2004)
pages 17 - 32, 63 - 65
look for it on eBay

 

2

Tomah UFO Sightings

 
UFO
location:  Tomah

"When I turned to focus on it what I saw is very hard to describe. It seemed like a patch of the sky had a wavy transparent distortion, somewhat oval shaped and moving within itself. It made no sound at all."
- section from UFO Wisconsin 08-05-99 report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

3

Farmer Spots Odorous Beast  (1976)

 
bigfoot
location:  Cashton

"It was described as being about 8 feet tall, very broad shouldered, with long dark hair all over its body and having an almost human face.
It stood erect and walked on two feet. Even at a distance of 25 or 30 yards, the creature had a distinct foul odor.
The farmer and the creature stared at each other for several seconds, neither one moving until the farmer's dog — a large collie-shepherd mix — ran at the intruder."

- section from BFRO article
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization)
1. July 2004 article
2. November 11, 1976 article
3. November 17, 1976 article

 

4

Egg-Shaped Craft Observed  (2002)

 
UFO
location:  Sparta

"Object desending (sic) slowing downward into cloud and slowly dropping beneath cloud. When looked at through binoculars, light way too bright to make out object."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

5

Devils Monument  (stone pillar)

 
hellish moniker
location:  Oakdale

The Weird Wisconsin website ponders the multitude of Devil-related place names in Wisconsin

Weird Wisconsin
www.weird-wi.com or archived (here)

 

6

Odd Lights Seen Over Glendale  (1997)

 
UFO
location:  Glendale

"They were very scared... In fact, my 80-year-old father-in-law was shouting on the phone at one point."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

7

Cow-topped Headstone

 
grave
location:  Wilton

A farmer's grave topped off with an effigy of Bossie.  This probably should be listed above in the blue "attractions" section...unless you're scared of cows.

  South Ridge Lutheran Cemetery
on County Road P south of Wilton

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 255 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

 

"Arthur"

 
ghost
location:  Sparta

What was at first a terrifying spectral presence in a home becomes a kind guardian for the family living there.

book:
"Haunted Wisconsin"
by Michael Norman & Best Scott
Trails Books (revised 2001)
pages 198 - 201

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"The Haunting of Sparta"
by Joe F. Cook
Prell Books (2004)
pages 66 - 72
look for it on eBay

 

9

"The Helpful Stranger"

 
ghost
location:  Sparta

At a family's time of greatest need, an elderly man appears to assist them, but disappears afterward.

book:
"The Bookcase Ghost"
by Elizabeth Matson & Stuart Stotts
Midwest Traditions (1996)
pages 19 - 23

buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

 

"Ghosts of America" Haunted Location Reports
(take with a grain of salt)

 
ghosts
location:  statewide

The reports on this site are presumably fiction, using random Wisconsin place names in the stories listed there.  Even so, you might get a kick out of reading them.

"The ghost of a severely mangled huntsman pulling a dead cougar was observed striding through an apartment near Sparta. This is one of those ghosts that is noticed often around here. In any event, this ghost sure is terrifying; one that you shouldn't go trying to find."
- section from Ghosts of America website

Ghosts of America
www.ghostsofamerica.com

 

11

"The Haunting of Sparta"

 
ghost
location:  Sparta

This hard-to-find book contains a unique collection of paranormal incidents that have taken place in and around the Sparta area.  In addition to the stories from this book referenced elsewhere on this page are these accounts:


  "The Doctor is In"  (pages 1 - 6)

"Computer Ghost"  (pages 43 - 46)

  "The Man in Black"  (pages 7 - 9)

"Toys Aren't Us"  (pages 47 - 50)

  "Basket Case"  (pages 11 - 13) "The Victorian Housekeeper"  (pages 51 - 56)
  "Grandma Ghost"  (pages 15 - 16)

"Pine Street Ghost"  (pages 73 - 80)

  "Farmer Ghost"  (pages 39 - 42)

"Club Haunt"  (pages 81 - 94)

book:
"The Haunting of Sparta"
by Joe F. Cook
Prell Books (2004)
look for it on eBay

 

12

"The Sasquatch of Leon"

 
bigfoot
location:  Leon

In the book "The Haunting of Sparta" is the story of two siblings who spot a hairy biped while fishing in the 1970's.

  near Leon Creek in the township of Leon (3 miles south of Sparta on Highway 27)

book:
"The Haunting of Sparta"
by Joe F. Cook
Prell Books (2004)
pages 33 - 38
look for it on eBay

 

13

"The Orange Ball"

 
UFO
location:  Sparta / Melvina

A strange glowing sphere has been observed in at least 3 separate incidents around Sparta and Melvina.

  near County Road BC west of Sparta; also near Rolling Hills Rehabilitation Center; and also south of Melvina

book:
"The Haunting of Sparta"
by Joe F. Cook
Prell Books (2004)
pages 57 - 62
look for it on eBay

 

14

"The Bigfoot of Big Creek"

 
bigfoot
location:  Cataract

"It was bluish-gray in color and taller than a person.  Once it saw us, it ran down the hill through the woods in a zigzag sort of way."
- section from "The Haunting of Sparta"

  Big Creek is located northwest of Cataract

book:
"The Haunting of Sparta"
by Joe F. Cook
Prell Books (2004)
pages 95 - 99
look for it on eBay

 

 

 

taste of local history

resources

 

1

Monroe County Local History Room

 

location:  Sparta
museum

"...offers changing history exhibits and special programs. The Research Library is an essential resource to the genealogist and local historian. Resources include: church, cemetery, school, and government records; thousands of historic photographs; county newspapers and maps; and Census records..."
- section from Bikes & Berries website


  200 W. Main St.
Sparta , WI  54656

                         

hours:
(Mon - Fri)  9am - 4:30pm  /  (Saturdays)  10am  – 4:30pm
(also first Thursday of each month)  9am - 9pm

Bikes & Berries
www.bikesandberries.com

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press  (
3rd ed., 2009)
pages 217 - 218
buy it at
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

Little Red School House

 

location:  Tomah
museum

"...this delightfully preserved one-room school house lets visitors step back in time to discover how the students of years past were taught."
- section from Tomah Official Site


  Gillette Park on Superior Avenue

                            

hours:
Memorial Day thru Labor Day  (daily)  1pm – 5pm

Tomah Official Site
(click on "Attractions", then "Little Red School House" from main page)

www.tomahwisconsin.com

 

3

Fort McCoy Historical Center

 

location:  Tomah / Sparta
museum

"Founded in 1909, the fort...has more than 1,100 buildings and encompasses approximately 60,000 acres. Fort McCoy has also opened a History Center, a World War II Commemorative Area and Military Equipment Park. History Center and Commemorative Area buildings are open by appointment only for groups of 15 or more. A narrated one hour driving tour of Fort McCoy is also available for groups."
- section from the Bikes & Berries website

  Entrances to the installation are located off of Highway 21, 9 miles west of Highway 12
Call to arrange tours:

Official Site
www.mccoy.army.mil

Bikes & Berries
www.bikesandberries.com

 

 

4

Tomah Area Historical Society Museum

 

location:  Tomah
museum

"This museum catalogs the history of Tomah with displays from Tomah native son, Frank King, creator of the nationally syndicated comic strip "Gasoline Alley", along with. exhibits on. the development of Tomah's businesses and industries including the early railroad and lumber years, agriculture and cranberry operations. "
- section from the Explore Wisconsin website


  1112 Superior Ave.
Tomah, WI  54660

                      

hours:
mid-May through mid-October  (Tues - Sat)

Tomah Official Site
(click on "Attractions", then "Local Museums" from main page)
www.tomahwisconsin.com

 

More Monroe County historical attractions listed at:

Explore Wisconsin

                 

Bikes and Berries

 


updated 09-28-09  •  all images excluding those attributed to others are property of Wisconsinosity.com