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Swiss-Themed Town of New Glarus
"America's Little Switzerland"
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| Wilhelm Tell Festival |
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location: New Glarus
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| town with character / self-designation / event |
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"Located in the rolling hills of south central Wisconsin, New Glarus is surrounded by farms and woodlands like those of Glarus, Switzerland, homeland of New Glarus' first settlers...Enjoy the European atmosphere of the Swiss chalet-style ARCHITECTURE in the restored downtown as you explore the many retail shops, restaurants, and pubs."
– section from the official website
Since 1938, the people of New Glarus have presented Schiller's 'Wilhelm Tell', paying honor to the famous Swiss Archer. In addition to the play, enjoy yodeling, alphorns, dancing, an art fair, parade and all the wonderful cuisine and beverages that New Glarus has to offer.
– section from the official festival website
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 hours:
Wilhelm Tell Festival is held Labor Day weekend
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Midwest's Largest Urinal
at Glarner Stube Bar & Restaurant
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location: New Glarus
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| record holder |
| A literal translation of Glarner Stube from German into English means "Glarus Room" or "The Living Room of New Glarus". But inside their famous Herrentoilette (men's room) is claimed to be the Largest Urinal in the Midwest (42"h x 25"w x 16"d), which is a noticeable improvement over the normal 37"h x 18"w x 8"d. Those European-style brews do run straight through you. |
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518 1st Street
New Glarus, WI 53574
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| A unique headstone marks grave of a young girl killed in 1967 while on a senior class trip. Read the book "Weird Wisconsin" for more details. |
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cemetery is just outside Brodhead
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book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page(s) 247
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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| Chalet of the Golden Fleece |
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location: New Glarus
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| museum |
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"'Unique' is the best way to describe this collection of one-of-a-kind antiques and treasures. Edwin Barlow, founder of the Wilhelm Tell drama in New Glarus, built the Chalet in 1937 as his private residence. A world traveler, Barlow always returned with additions to his ever-expanding collection. The Chalet is an authentic copy of a Swiss Bernese mountain chalet."
– section from Portal Wisconsin website
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618 2nd St.
New Glarus, WI 53574
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hours:
May thru Oct (daily) 10am – 4pm |
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| Swiss Cheese Capital of the U.S.A. |
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| Cheese Days |
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location: Monroe
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| cheese pride / event / self-designation |
Monroe is sometimes called "Cheese City USA," a moniker that has been appended to the city of Marshfield in Wood County also. Of all the varieties of cheese produced in this area, Swiss is king. The early 19th Century saw the arrival of immigrants from Switzerland to Green County, bringing their cheesemaking prowess with them.
In even numbered years, Monroe hosts the Cheese Days Festival, which marks its 100th anniversary in 2014. There's even a Cheese Days song that you can find on the official website and a Cheese Days mascot named "Wedgie" with his own Facebook page. |
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hours:
Cheese Days is held the 3rd week of September in even numbered years.
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| postcard for Baumgartner's Cheese Store |
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location: Monroe
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| cheese pride / tavern with character |
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| photo courtesy of She's on the Run |
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| photo courtesy of 125 Beers |
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| Aside from the delicate Swiss option, Monroe also offers a more pungent cheese for the not-so-faint-of-palate: Limburger. Chalet Cheese Cooperative is the only plant in America still producing the aromatic treat. For the adventurous, a Limburger sandwich with onions is available at Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern (what a great combination). |
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Chalet Cheese Co-Op
N4858 County Road N
Monroe, WI 53566
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Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern
1023 16th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
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web links
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books & video
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book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004) page(s) 159 – 160
(3rd ed., 2009) page(s) 152 – 153
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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book:
"This is Wisconsin"
by Robert E. Gard
Stanton & Lee (1969)
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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“My Wisconsin Stories -- Limburger Sandwiches”
video by bemoretunedin
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“The State Trunk Tour visits Baumgartner's”
video by ericinmke
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| Historic Cheesemaking Center |
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location: Monroe
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| museum / cheese pride |
"Housed in a relocated and meticulously restored 1880's Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Depot, the Historic Cheesemaking Center showcases the rich history of the cheese industry. Displays of cheesemakers' tools and tales, a replica of the interior of a late 19th century cheese factory and other artifacts of the area's cheese-making history are sure to fascinate and entertain."
– section from Explore Wisconsin website
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2108 7th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566
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hours:
• March thru November (daily) 9am – 4pm
• December - February (Thurs - Sat) 11am – 3:30pm
• closed major holidays |
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| photo courtesy of official site |
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| Shed Festooned with Small Objects |
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location: New Glarus
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| yard art |
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| Fred G. Zimmerman covered his garage and birdhouse with thousands of small shards of glass, stones and other items embedded in the concrete. Several designs are created this way, including an American flag, flowers, a Swiss flag, a star and a shield bearing the date '1939'. |
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1319 Second St.
New Glarus, WI 53574
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book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page(s) 128 – 129
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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book:
"Sacred Spaces and Other Places"
by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi
School of Art Inst. of Chicago Press (1993)
page(s) 62 – 63
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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| photos courtesy of official site |
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"A barn in Southern Wisconsin that was home to a herd of dairy cows has been transformed into a toy train museum. The barn is owned by Wisconsin & Southern / Wisconsin & Calumet Engineer Buck Guthrie. He is a lifelong collector of American Flyer Trains as well as other toy trains."
– section from the official website
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W9141 Highway 81
Argyle, WI 53504
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hours:
(daily) 10am – 5pm |
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web links
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books & video
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“The Toy Train Barn - Argyle, Wisconsin”
video by perickson920
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“Toy Train Barn near Argyle Wisconsin”
video by toddlange1
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| "Car Crash" Through Garage Wall |
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location: New Glarus
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| roadside oddity |
| Yes, those old Chevy Impalas are lengthy, but this one fits inside the shed just fine. |
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east of town on County Road W at intersection with County Road CC
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location: Cadiz
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| local folklore |
In the book "Giants in the Land," author Dennis Boyer tells of a dairy cow, specially-bred for size by a Swiss farmer, that exceeded all anticipations and preparations.
"It had the height of the biggest draft horses and weighed over five thousand pounds. It was thicker than a rhinoceros. The legs were as thick as utility poles. And, ach, what a head. It took a half bushel of oats in one mouthful."
– section from the book "Giants in the Land"
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book:
"Giants in the Land"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1997)
page(s) 120 – 123
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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| Quilt Barns of Green County |
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location: all over Green County |
| barn art |
| A multitude of large quilt patterns have emerged on the sides of barns across the countryside, fueled by the efforts of locals Lynn Lokken and Kris Winkler, who began their barn quilt project in 2008. Large sheets of plywood are painted with original patterns before being attached to participating barns. Tours are available via bus or by directions of the quilt barn locations, which number over one hundred! |
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Go to the Green County Barn Quilts website for barn locations
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| photo courtesy of Green County Barn Quilts |
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Green County Barn Quilts
www.greencountybarnquilts.com
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Journal Sentinel Online
article "Patchwork of quilt squares dots Green County" or archived (here)
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Wisconsin State Journal
article "On Wisconsin: Barn quilts becoming tourism draw" or archived (here)
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| photos courtesy of jimmywayne on Flickr |
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New Glarus shows pride in their dairy industry with fifteen distinctly-painted bovines that grace the village's streets. Take some time and try to find them all (including the pair of bovines that strayed down to Monroe). You can find another herd of cow statues grazing in the city of Thorp in Clark county.
"The New Glarus 'cow parade' got its start when two New Glarus shopkeepers saw a cow parade in the airport in Zurich, Switzerland. One year later, Chicago's Cows on Parade was a big hit. Since the cows are manufactured in Zurich, and since New Glarus is located in dairy country, the painted cows seemed a perfect fit. Cows were imported from Switzerland and were painted with unique designs by area artists. Today, the cows reside in various places around town."
– section from New Glarus tourism brochure
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scattered around New Glarus & Monroe (right-click to download the 3mb flyer here) You can also download New Glarus' Visitors Guide from their website (swisstown link at left). It includes a more current list of cows.
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| Louie's Roadside Sculptures |
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location: Monroe
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| scrap metal art / roadside oddities |
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| photos courtesy of Google Street Maps |
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| Just north of Monroe, you will find a handful of scrap metal creations on the property of retired farmer 'Louie' Waelti. Whimsical birds sit on their metal perches, unnerved by slow-driving passersby. 'John Deere Zilla' looks as if it could be a new model of farm implement built to chase away crop-eating varmints. A steel dinosaur skeleton guards a nearby hill (perhaps the burial mound of its mistress?). Lastly, but not leastly, the Tin Man relaxes with a brew as the wind-powered rocking machine does his rocking for him. |
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The sculptures are located along a 1/3 mile stretch of Aebly Road, as long as they haven't been removed during the winter months.
N3337 Aebly Road
Monroe, WI 53566
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Bookmark the Wisconsinosity home page! wisconsinosity.com
old Oak south of Brodhead on Halfway Tree Road
The playground is located in Brodhead.
612 7th Avenue
