Bookmark the Wisconsinosity home page!   wisconsinosity.com

map provided by Delorme mapping software

choose another county

1 Giant Red Cardinal Carved From Tree location:   Darlington roadside oddity / chainsaw creation Was this yard totem created in support of the local school sports teams (nicknamed "Redbirds") or was the homeowner a ornithologist with a particular fondness for the Northern Cardinal? Don't even try suggesting that there was any preference for a professional football team other than the beloved Packers. Even if it is true, we shall pretend it is not.   in yard on south corner of Galena Street (Highway 23) and Hill Street.	Roadside America www.roadsideamerica.com Roadside Architecture www.agilitynut.com State Trunk Tour www.statetrunktour.com
2 Bloody Lake Black Powder Shoot and Rendezvous location:   Woodford event photos courtesy of Yellowstone Flint & Cap Club website "Live history at it's best! Black powder shoot and Indian encampment participants re-create the early 1800s in period costumes with authentic clothing, weapons, food, and shelter. Frontier games include tomahawk and knife throwing, shooting, and fire-starting competitions." – section from Explore Wisconsin website   2995 County Road Y Woodford, WI 53504 hours: held the first full weekend in May Also listed in the Paranormal Sightings section below	Yellowstone Flint & Cap Club yellowstoneblackhawkpark.webs.com Wisconsin Historical Society www.wisconsinhistory.org Virtual Tour www.geocities.com/old_lead/ “Bloody Lake 2009” video by Roger Bindl
3 Scrap Metal Dinosaurs location:   Darlington  /  Cuba City (Grant County) roadside oddity / scrap metal art A Darlington brontosaurus...or is it a brachiosaur...or is it an apatosaurus...or do you even care? More oxidizing dinos standing in a field. It seems that dairy cattle have strange pasture pals in southwestern Wisconsin these days. Four man-made dinosaur skeletons can be seen near Darlington, the creators being related to the man who built similar scrap dino's near Hazel Green in Grant County. Another steel stegosaurus adorns a yard in rural Cuba City. You best run, Bossie. The rare Cuba City Stegosaurus.  Stegosaurus 28057 Center Drive Rd. Cuba City, WI 53807  Four Dinos 20038 Holland Rd. Darlington, WI 53530	Wisconsin State Journal article "Fields Of Dreams They're Not, Unless You're In Jurassic Park" or archived (here)
4 Cow Flasher Statue in front of Crazy Cow Saloon Cattle Fountain at the Belmont Travel Center location:   Belmont roadside oddities The above photo shows a stone fountain topped off with a smiling mother Holstein looking down lovingly upon her many calves as they lie in a ring surrounding her. The photo on the right will haunt me for the rest of my days.   102 W. Mound View Ave. Belmont, WI 53510	Official Site www.belmonttravelcenter.com Roadside America www.roadsideamerica.com
5 1889 Lafayette County Soldiers & Sailors Memorial location:   Darlington memorial Talk about being put up on a pedestal... The life-size figure of a civil war soldier stands on a 56-foot-high pedestal in Veterans Memorial Park. I hope that soldier isn't afraid of heights.   on Main Street south of the courthouse	Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War www.suvcw-wi.org
6 The Ubersox Thunder Lizard location:   Darlington roadside oddity / scrap metal art Yet another Jurassic-era visitor in rural southwestern Wisconsin. This metal dinosaur stands at the end of a farm's driveway.   15245 Highway 23 Darlington, WI 53530	Thinking the Lions www.thinkingthelions.com
7 Lighthouse Silo PRIVATE PROPERTY location:   Cuba City (Grant County) roadside oddity / unique architecture photos courtesy of Starcruiser Hovercrafts No, this out-of-place tower was not built to guide corn harvesters on foggy autumn nights. Vernon Weber of Weber Hovercrafts (which has a cool story of its own) took a neighbor's silo and transformed it into a nautical icon with a view of the surrounding farmland.   25641 County Road Q Cuba City, WI 53807	Starcruiser Hovercrafts www.idealuniverse.com/hover/ David Ottenstein Photography davidottenstein.com
8 Giant Shark Head at Thuli Family Creamery location:   Darlington roadside oddity photos courtesy of Thuli Family Creamery Ted Thuli adorns his creamery's property with an unlikely mascot: the massive maw of a great white shark. Not a real one, mind you, but a prop built for the "Jaws" movie premiere. "This shark really has nothing to do with dairy! But it makes for good photos. It is from the original movie premier of Jaws in 1974. Ted bought it in 1999 in La Puente CA and brought it back to Darlington, where it has been a "landmark" also making an appearance on American Pickers." – section from official Facebook page   west of intersection of Main Street & Ann Street	Official Site thulifamilycreamery.com Facebook (official) State Trunk Tour www.statetrunktour.com Cheese Underground (blog) cheeseunderground. blogspot.com Flickr www.flickr.com Republican Journal article "Pickers' make a stop in Darlington"
9 Barn Quilts of Lafayette County location:   all over Lafayette County barn art photos courtesy of Barn Quilts of Lafayette County website Over 70 colorful 'quilts' have been placed on barns and other buildings scattered through the county, thanks to the Barn Quilts of Lafayette County project. A map is available for download on their website. "The BARN QUILTS OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY Project honors the unique agricultural experience of Lafayette County by calling attention to our barns, which are vital to the economic well being of our rural communities, and the comfort and artistic beauty of handmade quilts. The project provides a unique opportunity for groups and individuals to work together to cover Lafayette County in a blanket of barn quilts." – section from Barn Quilts of Lafayette County website   locations can be found on the Barn Quilts of Lafayette County website	Official Site barnquiltsoflafayettecounty.com Facebook (official) The Examiner article "More to see in Lafayette County - barn quilts!"

1 Badger Mine and Museum location:   Shullsburg mine / museum "Take a guided tour of the Badger Mine & Museum. Descend 51 steps with your tour guide into a hand-dug 1827 mine. Marvel at the small side tunnels and wonder how men could crawl into such confined places and still work. See the recreated shops and exhibits of the early mining town. Gaze at the early mining tools, ore specimens and learn the methods used to extract lead with the pick, gad and black powder." – section from Shullsburg Official Site   279 W. Estey Street Shullsburg, WI 53586 hours: Memorial Day thru Labor Day (daily) 10am – 4pm	Shullsburg Official Site www.shullsburgwisconsin.org Mining History Association www.mininghistoryassociation.org Journal Sentinel Online article "Digging into region's rich mining past" or archived (here) book: "Wisconsin Curiosities" by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook Globe Pequot Press  (2nd ed., 2004) page(s) 220 (3rd ed., 2009) page(s) 213 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com book: "Wisconsin Underground" by Doris Green Trails Media Group, Inc. (2000) page(s) 69 – 72 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

1 Shullsburg Gravity Hill optical illusion location:  Shullsburg A great example of how the landscape around can can distort your sense of direction...or is it really that simple? Some have implied that the area is rife with paranormal properties. Cars roll "uphill" when parked facing "downhill". The image on the right shows the sought-after fence during a nighttime visit.   Take County Road U out of Shullburg past the water tower. Continue about a mile until you see a sign that reads "Rennick Road". The road descends down a small hill. At the bottom of the hill is a farm lane with a rusty gate. Stop your car there, place it into neutral and watch what happens.	Unexplained Research www.unexplainedresearch.com Magnetic Hill Worldwide www.eureka4you.com book: "Weird Wisconsin" by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks Barnes & Noble Books (2005) page(s) 225 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com book: "Wisconsin Curiosities" by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook Globe Pequot Press  (2nd ed., 2004) page(s) 221 – 222 (3rd ed., 2009) page(s) 213 – 214 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com “Dave & Cathy on Gravity Hill.wmv” video by DWCA1353
2 White-Haired Beast Observed (1970) bigfoot location:  Benton "About 15 people saw a 7-foot apelike creature with white hair, pink eyes and claws." – section from The W-Files report	The W-Files www.w-files.com
3 “The School House Specter” PRIVATE PROPERTY ghost location:  Blanchardville In the book "Driftless Spirits," author Dennis Boyer tells of a schoolhouse-dwelling ghost that continues an old teacher's routine. A recent email from the current owner of the schoolhouse-turned-residence indicates that the old specter hasn't been seen or heard since their arrival over a decade ago. Please respect their privacy. "He starts in the early morning, about 4 a.m., with lighting of kerosene lamps. You can see the glow through the dirty windows. Then you can see smoke rise out of the chimney as he starts a fire to warm the school. Next the squeaky pump creaks when he fills the water bucket. All this usually occurs without seeing him. Although a few people claim to see a shadow." – section from the book "Driftless Spirits"	book: "Driftless Spirits" by Dennis Boyer Prairie Oak Press (1996) page(s) 114 – 117 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
4 “Spirit of the Blood Lake Rendezvous” ghost location:  Woodford In the book "Driftless Spirits," author Dennis Boyer tells of the mascot ghost that appears off and on at this yearly event. "But fear him not in his pained wanderings. He is but a kindred spirit to we humble people gathered in our tents and lodges. Wherever honest folks gather in camps in these valleys, you will find the Spirit of the Bloody Lake Rendezvous. You mayna always see him. He may be but a wee presence—a wisp on the wind. But he's always there. Seeking the warmth of our company and craving a hot cup of coffee." – section from the book "Driftless Spirits" Also listed in the Roadside Attraction section above	book: "Driftless Spirits" by Dennis Boyer Prairie Oak Press (1996) page(s) 117 – 120 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
5 Small, Triangular-Shaped Crop 'Circle' (1981) crop circles location:  Blanchardville "When Robert Johnson found a small, triangular-shaped patch of dead alfalfa in his field near here on Saturday, he didn't figure it would stir up a debate. He was wrong, because it did." – section from The W-Files report	The W-Files www.w-files.com
6 “A Ghostly Glossary” ghost primer location:  Benton In the book "Driftless Spirits," author Dennis Boyer tells of a visit with a cataloger of the ghost world near Strawbridge. "Then you have your more specialized spirits. Mainly ones that haunt individuals, families, or groups with some odd event in common. These are your phantoms, specters, and manes. They are persistent, far-traveling, and often vengeful. Usually there is a hint of murder or other evil-doing here. You might call this your headless horseman type." – section from the book "Driftless Spirits"	book: "Driftless Spirits" by Dennis Boyer Prairie Oak Press (1996) page(s) 120 – 124 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
7 Alleged Alien Abduction (1988) aliens location:  Shullsburg "I awoke to find those big head big black eyed grays looking in on me through the windows of the truck. The eyes felt like they were piercing right through me." – section from The W-Files report   "On the state line road" "About 30 miles from Iowa"	The W-Files www.w-files.com
8 “Darlington's Courthouse Ghost” ghost location:  Darlington In the book "Driftless Spirits," author Dennis Boyer tells of the controversial beginnings of this local landmark and the spirits that accompanied its early days. "I've seen the ghost. So have many others. And it doesn't really bother most people. Mostly it appears in the upper windows at night. Or cruises the ground floor hall. But the ghost is also a curse. A curse on those who have not admitted and rejected this dark past." – section from the book "Driftless Spirits"   626 Main Street Darlington, WI 53530	Shadow State beethoven23.tripod.com book: "Driftless Spirits" by Dennis Boyer Prairie Oak Press (1996) page(s) 124 – 127 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
9 Blanchardville UFO Sightings ufo location:  Blanchardville "The girl told the dispatcher that when she and her siblings went to the barn to tell their mother, the lights followed them. The kids got scared and went into the basement where they heard tinkling noises." – section from UFO Wisconsin 08-17-1988 report	UFO Wisconsin (listed in Iowa County) www.ufowisconsin.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. "A gentleman's body having the head of a rat was made out right by Apple River Canyon State Park looking frightening. When the ghost was perceived it disappeared into the air. Nevertheless, it is unquestionably a scary phantom that you wouldn't wish to encounter at midnight." – section from Ghosts of America website	Ghosts of America www.ghostsofamerica.com

1 First Capitol Museum location:   Belmont historical site / museum "Tour two of Wisconsin's First State Capital buildings, restored to recall the days when the State Legislature met here for 46 days in 1836. The Council House, where frontier lawmakers wrangled over passage of 42 bills, has been refurbished in the style of the period. A museum in the Supreme Court Building depicts life in the 1830's on the Wisconsin frontier." – section from Explore Wisconsin website  (about 3 miles northwest of Belmont) 18904 County Highway G Belmont, WI 53510 hours: Memorial Day thru Labor Day (Wed - Sun) 10am – 4pm	Wisconsin Historical Society www.wisconsinhistory.org Portal Wisconsin 1. www.portalwisconsin.org 2. (with 360° video) www.portalwisconsin.org You Tube "First Capitol - The Birthplace of a Great State" book: "Odd Wisconsin" by Erika Janik Wisconsin Historical Society Press (2006) page(s) 93 – 95 buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
2 Lafayette County Historical Museums location:   Darlington museum / historic structure(s) "What You Will Find at the Lafayette County Historical Society: archives containing genealogical information and research materials (open to public), many displays centered on the lives of Lafayette County citizens, fourteen original oil paintings by LaVerne Kammerud (the paintings depict farm life of the early to mid 1900’s), military items – Civil War Exhibit , businesses, beauty salon and barber shop, medicine and pharmacy, children’s nursery, farm, home and rural schools, Florence Bennett and other local art work and much more. What You Will Find at the Depot Museum: railroad artifacts, model trains, Florence Bennett oil paintings of LaFayette County Depots, old Railroad maps from 1874, 1898 and 1905, many more displays in attached annex." – section from the official website  Carnegie Building 525 Main Street Darlington, WI 53530  Railroad Depot S Washington St. Darlington, WI 53530	Official Site www.lafayettehistorical.com Portal Wisconsin www.portalwisconsin.org
3 Swindler's Ridge Museum location:   Benton museum "Located on the town’s Main Street, Swindlers’ Ridge Museum is home to artifacts and historical memorabilia from Benton and from the surrounding area. Included is memorabilia from the lead-mining industry that once was so prevalent in and around Benton." – section from City of Benton website   25 W. Main St. Benton, WI 53803 hours: Memorial day thru Labor Day (Fri - Mon) 10am – 4pm	City of Benton www.bentonwi.us
4 1851 Village School House Museum location:   Benton historic structure(s) / museum "Benton is fortunate to have a part of its educational history preserved in the 1851 Schoolhouse Museum, the first schoolhouse built in the village limits. At the time of its construction in 1851, the schoolhouse was located near the corner of Main and Park Streets, and although it was a public school, Dominican nuns were among its teachers until 1886." – section from City of Benton website   Village Park on Catherine Street Benton, WI 53811 hours: open on Labor Day & Memorial Day weekends or call for appointment	City of Benton www.bentonwi.us
5 Jenkynsville Primitive Stone Church location:   Cuba City (Grant County) historic structure(s) "A small stone church built in 1861 and a collection of five stone buildings are all that remain of Jenkynsville. Located four miles north of Benton, this abandoned mining village was first settled in 1837. Homecoming services are held on the last Sunday in June. Call to schedule a visit." – section from Explore Wisconsin website   9629 County Road H Cuba City, WI 53807	Primitive Methodist Church www.primitivemethodistchurch.org
6 Mazzuchelli Rectory Museum & Grave location:   Benton museum / historic structure(s) "The Mazzucheli Rectory Museum houses memorabilia associated with the life of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, the well-respected pioneer priest who served as pastor of Benton’s St. Patrick Church for the last 15 years of his life. Italian-born Samuel Mazzuchelli came to America in 1828, at the age of 22. Following his ordination, he was assigned to be missionary priest of the entire Northwest Territory—a region that covered over 52,000 miles of untamed frontier and included the far reaches of Mackinac Island and Sault Ste. Marie....Father Mazzuchelli died of pneumonia in 1864 and is buried in St. Patrick Church Cemetery. In 1993 Pope John Paul II declared Father Mazzuchelli venerable, the first step toward canonization as a saint. Father Mazzuchelli’s first rectory has been restored and now houses the Mazzuchelli Rectory Museum." – section from City of Benton website   237 E. Main St. Benton, WI 53803 or hours: Call for hours.	City of Benton www.bentonwi.us Suite 101 article "Father Samuel Mazzuchelli Rectory and Grave Site"

COUNTIES guide updates links & books city index attractions index  contact

updated 08-18-2013  •   all images and content excluding those attributed to others are property of Wisconsinosity.com