Wisconsin is where cheese dreams come true and quirky attractions reign supreme.
Buckle up because we’re about to embark on a whimsical journey through the Badger State’s most delightfully bizarre offerings!
1. National Mustard Museum (Middleton)
We’re kicking things off with a real zinger: the National Mustard Museum.
Step inside, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by over 6,000 mustards from more than 70 countries.
It’s like a United Nations assembly, but with way more flavor and far less political tension.
The museum’s shelves are stocked with mustard varieties you never knew existed.
The museum also boasts a collection of vintage mustard pots and antique mustard advertisements.
It’s a feast for the eyes, if not necessarily for the stomach.
And if you’re feeling particularly saucy, you can even take a turn at the Poupon U tasting bar.
2. Mars Cheese Castle (Kenosha)
Prepare yourselves, cheese lovers, for we’re about to enter the hallowed halls of dairy divinity: the Mars Cheese Castle.
Despite its name, you won’t find any little green men here, unless they’re made of moldy Gorgonzola.
This cheese emporium is less of a castle and more of a fromage fortress, complete with turrets and a drawbridge.
It’s as if someone said, “You know what Wisconsin needs? A medieval-themed cheese shop!”
And by golly, they made it happen.
Inside, you’ll find more cheese than you can shake a fondue stick at.
From classic cheddars to exotic imports, if it’s cheese, it’s here.
They’ve even got cheese curds so fresh that they squeak when you eat them.
But the Mars Cheese Castle isn’t just about cheese.
Oh no, they’ve gone full Wisconsin here.
You can also find local beers, wines, and enough sausage to make a cardiologist weep.
It’s basically a one-stop shop for all your artery-clogging needs.
3. Pink Elephant (DeForest)
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, prepare to have your minds blown by the most majestic creature to ever grace the Badger State: the Pink Elephant of DeForest!
This isn’t your average pachyderm.
This magnificent beast stands proudly by the roadside, sporting a pair of glasses that would make Elton John jealous.
Now, you might be wondering, “Why is there a giant pink elephant wearing glasses in the middle of Wisconsin?”
In a world full of boring roadside attractions, this fabulous fella dares to be different.
It’s like the elephant looked at all the other roadside attractions and said, “Hold my peanuts, I’ve got this.”
The Pink Elephant isn’t just a pretty face, though.
It’s also a beacon of hope for weary travelers, a pink lighthouse in a sea of cornfields and dairy farms.
Lost on your way to Madison?
Just follow the glow of this rosy behemoth.
Need a unique backdrop for your next family photo?
Look no further than this bespectacled beauty.
4. Pinecrest Historical Village (Manitowoc)
Pinecrest Historical Village is your ticket to experiencing life in 1800s Wisconsin, minus the cholera and backbreaking labor.
It’s like Little House on the Prairie, but with indoor plumbing and a gift shop.
This living history museum boasts over 25 historic buildings, each painstakingly restored to its former glory.
You can wander through an old schoolhouse or peek into a blacksmith’s shop.
The village is staffed by costumed interpreters who are more than happy to regale you with tales of ye olde Wisconsin.
Just don’t ask them about Wi-Fi or indoor heating because you might short-circuit their 19th-century brains.
One of the highlights is the working sawmill, where you can watch logs being transformed into lumber.
It’s like a lumberjack ballet, only with more sawdust and fewer tutus.
And if you’re feeling particularly brave, you can even try your hand at some old-timey chores.
Nothing says “vacation” like churning butter, am I right?
So, whether you’re a history buff or just someone who enjoys pretending they’re living in a Laura Ingalls Wilder novel, Pinecrest Historical Village is the place for you.
5. The House on the Rock (Spring Green)
We’re about to enter the fever dream that is The House on the Rock.
This place is what happens when an architect, a hoarder, and a carnival barker have a three-way collision and decide to build a tourist attraction.
The House on the Rock is less of a house and more of a labyrinthine complex of rooms filled with… well, everything.
And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING.
From carousel horses to dollhouses, from automated music machines to a 200-foot sea creature battling a giant squid, this place has it all.
The centerpiece of this madness is the Infinity Room, a glass-enclosed structure that juts out 218 feet over the Wyoming Valley.
Walking to the end feels like you’re stepping into the void, which, coincidentally, is also how you might feel about your sanity after touring this place.
But wait, there’s more!
The world’s largest carousel?
Check.
A room full of creepy dolls?
You bet.
A collection of armor that would make a medieval king jealous?
Of course!
It’s like someone took all the world’s yard sales, threw them into a blender, and sprinkled the result across a series of bizarrely designed rooms.
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6. Circus World Museum (Baraboo)
Step right up to the Circus World Museum, where the magic of the big top never dies!
Well, at least it won’t die until March 2025, when this three-ring extravaganza reopens its doors.
Located in Baraboo, the former winter quarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus, this museum is a time capsule of sawdust and sequins.
It’s like someone took all the wonder and spectacle of the circus, bottled it up, and sprinkled it liberally across 64 acres of Wisconsin farmland.
When it reopens, visitors will be able to gawk at an impressive collection of restored circus wagons.
These aren’t your average hay wagons, folks.
These are the Rolls-Royces of the circus world, ornately carved and painted in colors so bright they’d make a rainbow jealous.
The museum also boasts an extensive collection of circus memorabilia, from posters to costumes to props.
And let’s not forget the live performances.
When the museum reopens, you’ll be able to catch daily shows featuring acrobats, clowns, and other circus performers.
It’s all the excitement of the circus without the lingering smell of elephant dung!
7. Mousehouse Cheesehaus (Windsor)
Cheese lovers, rejoice!
We’ve found the mothership, and it’s shaped like a giant mouse.
Welcome to the Mousehouse Cheesehaus, where fromage fantasies come true and lactose intolerance goes to die.
This cheese-tastic wonderland is housed in a building that looks like it was designed by a committee of mice with delusions of grandeur.
The exterior features a massive mouse head complete with whiskers and glasses, because apparently, this mouse is both literate and fashion-forward.
Step inside, and you’ll find yourself in a veritable cheese paradise.
The shelves are stocked with more varieties of cheese than you knew existed.
They’ve even got cheese so strong it could knock out a full-grown elephant.
It’s like Willy Wonka’s factory, but replace all the chocolate with cheese, and the Oompa Loompas with friendly Wisconsinites in cheese hats.
The Mousehouse Cheesehaus isn’t content with just being a cheese shop.
Oh no, they’ve gone full Wisconsin on us.
You can also find local beers, wines, and enough sausage to make a cardiologist weep.
It’s basically a one-stop shop for all your artery-clogging needs.
And let’s not forget about the fudge.
Because nothing says “I’m committed to this cheese thing” like following up your cheese purchase with a pound of chocolate fudge.
It’s all about balance, folks.
8. Dickeyville Grotto (Dickeyville)
Hold onto your rosaries, folks, because we’re about to enter the blinged-out world of the Dickeyville Grotto.
This isn’t your grandma’s garden shrine, unless your grandma was a bedazzling enthusiast with a penchant for patriotic religious iconography.
The Dickeyville Grotto is a testament to what happens when you give a priest too much free time and access to shiny objects.
It’s like someone took a cathedral, shrunk it down, covered it in glitter, and then exploded it across a series of garden structures.
The grotto is a dizzying mix of religious and patriotic symbols, all crafted from an eclectic array of materials.
We’re talking stones, glass, seashells, and pottery shards.
If it’s shiny and can be stuck to a surface, it was probably used here.
It’s as if a magpie and a mosaic artist had a baby, and that baby grew up to be really, really into Jesus and America.
One of the standout features is the Patriotism Shrine, which manages to combine symbols of Catholicism with tributes to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
9. Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant (Sister Bay)
Folks, prepare yourselves for a dining experience that’s so Swedish, it makes IKEA look like a taco stand.
Welcome to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant, where the goats are on the roof and the pancakes are in your belly!
Yes, you heard that right.
There are actual, live goats grazing on the sod roof of this restaurant.
It’s like Old MacDonald decided to open a Swedish eatery and things got a little out of hand.
These goats have become local celebrities, with their own webcam for fans who want to watch them eat grass 24/7.
But let’s not forget about the food!
Step inside, and you’ll find yourself transported to a Scandinavian wonderland.
The menu is a smorgasbord of Swedish delights, from Swedish pancakes with lingonberries to pickled herring that’ll put hair on your chest (or maybe just clear your sinuses).
And don’t even get me started on the Swedish meatballs.
These little balls of joy are so good, they’ll make you want to throw out every IKEA meatball you’ve ever eaten in shame.
The decor is pure Scandinavian kitsch, with enough carved trolls and Dala horses to make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a Viking’s rumpus room.
It’s like Frozen threw up all over the place, but in a charming, appetizing way.
10. World’s Largest Six-Pack (La Crosse)
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to witness the eighth wonder of the world: the World’s Largest Six-Pack!
Located in La Crosse, this colossal collection of cans is proof that Wisconsin takes its beer very, very seriously.
Now, you might be thinking, “A giant six-pack?
That’s just a bunch of big beer cans, right?”
Oh, how wrong you are, my friend.
These aren’t just any beer cans.
These are repurposed storage tanks for the City Brewery, cleverly disguised as the world’s most tempting six-pack.
Standing at a whopping 54 feet high, this aluminum behemoth could theoretically hold 688,200 gallons of beer.
That’s enough to fill over 7 million normal-sized cans, or keep a frat party going for approximately… forever.
It’s like the beer version of Willy Wonka’s chocolate river, only with more hops and less risk of turning into a blueberry.
The best part?
The cans aren’t always sporting the same label.
They’ve been known to change their “outfit” over the years, featuring different beer brands.
It’s like a giant, boozy fashion show!
11. Forevertron (North Freedom)
Hold onto your steampunk goggles, folks, because we’re about to enter the wild and wacky world of Forevertron!
This isn’t your average sculpture park.
It’s what happens when a scrap metal dealer has an overactive imagination and way too much free time.
Created by Tom Every (aka Dr. Evermor), Forevertron is the largest scrap metal sculpture in the world.
Standing at a towering 50 feet high and weighing 300 tons, this behemoth looks like something straight out of a Jules Verne novel that got mixed up with a junkyard.
The centerpiece of this metallic madness is the Forevertron itself.
It’s a contraption that Dr. Evermor claims can launch him into the heavens on a magnetic lightning force beam.
But wait, there’s more!
Surrounding the Forevertron is a menagerie of fantastical creatures crafted from salvaged industrial equipment.
There are giant insects, futuristic birds, and even a band of musical creatures called the Celestial Listening Ears.
It’s like Dr. Seuss and Mad Max had a baby, and that baby grew up to be really, really into welding.
One of the standout features is the Gravitron, a 70-foot-long decontamination chamber from NASA’s Apollo project.
Because nothing says “I’m serious about space travel” quite like having your own decontamination chamber, am I right?
There you have it, Wisconsin’s quirkiest attractions, served up with a side of cheese curds and a cold beer.
Now get out there and embrace the weird!
