Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All the United States Wisconsin

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Wisconsin

182 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Wisconsin

Updated April 9, 2025

Email

Cities

Top Cities
Milwaukee
Madison
Baraboo
Gary Gygax Memorial.
Lake Geneva
Wisconsin Dells
FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard
Sparta
All Cities
  1. Baraboo
  2. Chippewa Falls
  3. Fountain City
  4. Green Bay
  5. Hayward
  6. Kaukauna
  7. Kenosha
  8. Lake Geneva
  9. Laona
  10. Madison
  11. Manitowoc
  12. Milwaukee
  13. Neillsville
  14. Peshtigo
  15. Rhinelander
  16. Sheboygan
  17. Sparta
  18. Washington
  19. Waukesha
  20. Wauwatosa
  21. Wisconsin Dells
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

11 Out-of-This-World Places You Can Reach in Your Car

Sponsored by GMC Terrain

The best road trips are those that seem to take you to new worlds: surreal-looking beaches, wondrous parks, and roadside oddities that make you do a double take. For instance, in Wisconsin, a local plumber has rigged a natural aquifer into a series of ice sculptures; in Utah, erosion has created a series of rock formations that look like something between an army of goblins and a series of abstract landscapes; and in New Mexico, rippling white sands stretch out to the horizon as far as the eye can see. The best part? You can reach these—and eight more—places by car (with the occasional walk from the parking lot). So pack some snacks, pull up this itinerary, and hit the road.

View Itinerary
The painted hills create a natural colorscape in Oregon’s desert.

Unusual Attractions in Wisconsin

One of many automated music machines.

Spring Green, Wisconsin

House on the Rock

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.

Madison, Wisconsin

Dapper Cadaver

"Looks so real, it's scary!"
Apostle Island Caves

La Pointe, Wisconsin

Apostle Island Sea Caves

These Great Lakes sea caves accessible by boat in the summer turn into temples of ice reachable by foot in the winter.
The Forevertron by Doc Evermor.

Sumpter, Wisconsin

Dr. Evermor's Forevertron

"World's largest scrap metal sculpture" stands in an outdoor sculpture garden in the middle of Wisconsin.
Cave of the Mounds

Blue Mounds, Wisconsin

Cave of the Mounds

This cave holds a surprisingly colorful variety of geological oddities.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

American Science & Surplus

Robots, lasers, and whoopee cushions, oh my!
FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard

Sparta, Wisconsin

FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard

These molds for fiberglass statues have formed an eerie, accidental sculpture park.
Schoolhouse Beach

Washington Island, Wisconsin

Schoolhouse Beach

This pebble beach is so beautiful that taking its rocks is against the law.
See All 182 Things To Do in Wisconsin

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Wisconsin

Mars Cheese Castle

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Mars Cheese Castle

Wisconsin's most celebrated export gets the royal treatment on I-94.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

SafeHouse

A place to eat for on-the-run agents and espionage enthusiasts.
Goats with sign

Sister Bay, Wisconsin

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant

Restaurant in Northern Wisconsin comes with a unique feature: a grassy roof covered in living goats.
That’s a lot of mustard.

Middleton, Wisconsin

National Mustard Museum

More than 5,000 contemporary and "historic" mustards from around the world.
See all 13 Places to Eat in Wisconsin
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Wisconsin

Architecture 22
Museums 19
Statues 15
Collections 14
Sculptures 14
Architectural Oddities 13
Outsider Art 11
History & Culture 10
Roadside Attractions 10
Art 9
Music 8
Outsider Architecture 8
Unique Restaurants & Bars 4

Wisconsin Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. ianlefk
    10
  2. Emma Kumer
    4
  3. michelle
    4
  4. DenverApplehans
    3
  5. peggysuicide
    2

Places Edited

  1. Collector of Experiences
    38
  2. mocchiatto
    29
  3. Rachel
    20
  4. Martin
    19
  5. Molly McBride Jacobson
    10

Places Visited

  1. kevbot
    75
  2. elvis4444
    73
  3. RKF1
    69
  4. collinqburke
    67
  5. blackfridaybookworm
    65

Recent Wisconsin Activity

  • norajean2317

    has been to National Mustard Museum

  • radercarey

    has been to Rhinestone Cowboy House at the JMK Arts Center

  • radercarey

    has been to John Michael Kohler Arts Center

  • bbqbomber

    has been to National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion

  • brrad

    has been to Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

Stories About Wisconsin

A fish sits on the edge of a hole cut through the ice of Bass Lake in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest.

Ice Fishing in the Time of Climate Change

Wide swings in winter temperature delay ice formation on Midwest lakes, turning a beloved pastime into a dangerous game.
by Kristoffer Tigue
January 27, 2025
With chattering squirrels, chirping birds, and often lush vegetation, cemeteries are full of life—including multiple lichen species.

A Cemetery's Immortal Residents and the Scientist Who Studies Them

Lichens growing on gravestones appear immune to aging. What does their life cycle teach us about death?
by Kate Golembiewski
October 24, 2024
Em Loerzel and her Anishinaabe community in western Wisconsin are bringing Mino and his fellow Ojibwe ponies back to their ancestral land.

The Return of the Ojibwe Pony, the Midwest's Native Horse

A rare breed once on the brink of extinction is making a comeback on their ancestral lands.
by Roxanne Hoorn
July 25, 2024
Maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen documents dugout canoes at the Peshtigo Fire Museum in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, for the Wisconsin Dugout Canoe Survey Project.

Dugout Canoes, the 'Pickup Trucks' of Their Day, Go Digital in Wisconsin

For millennia, people used dugouts for transport and trade. Now, an ambitious project is preserving the canoes virtually and revealing new details.
by Susan Cosier
November 6, 2023
Horse personalities have to be factored in, as well.

Could This Be the Most Midwestern Competition of All?

Just when you thought Wisconsin couldn’t get any more quaint.
by Jennifer Billock
November 2, 2023
Wisconsin’s Wolf River, which flows through the Menominee Indian Reservation, where Indigenous traditions guide sustainable forestry.

In Wisconsin, the Menominee Tribe's Sustainable Forestry Is Visible From Space

The Menominee Tribe's tradition of doing "what's best for the forest" has become a global model for sustainability.
by Fred Pearce
September 11, 2023
Alligator gar can grow to gargantuan sizes.

The World's Largest Freshwater Fish Are Weird and Wonderful

From 600-pound catfish to ancient sturgeon, these giants could be lurking in a river near you.
by Stefan Lovgren
July 31, 2023
However long this snowman effigy, known as the Bӧӧgg, takes to burn will determine the remaining length of winter.

To Banish Winter in This Tiny Wisconsin Town, Burn a Swiss Snowman

The burning of the Bӧӧgg is like a fiery version of Groundhog’s Day, but with fireworks and sausages.
by Tea Krulos
May 2, 2023

Lists Featuring Wisconsin

Blue Sky Mausoleum.
Darwin Martin House Complex.
Skylights on the exterior porch made of red cypress.
A restored Wright house on the Burnham Block.

A 12-Stop Road Trip of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Most Surprising Designs

A UFO-inspired church, a futurist gas station, and more deep cuts.

12

Including Blue Sky Mausoleum, The Darwin D. Martin House, and Kentuck Knob

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.