7 Playfully Peculiar Towns In Wisconsin
While Wisconsin is synonymous with dairy farming, craft brewery heritage, and freezing cold winters, the state is also home to a collection of towns with quirky characteristics and curious customs you won't encounter elsewhere. By fully embracing and freely displaying their oddities, these unconventional gems expose tourists to novel experiences, some of which leave them with more questions than answers.
In a state where tradition and small-town charm run deep, these offbeat communities remind visitors that “normal” is highly overrated. So, whether you want to immerse yourself in the fantasy world of wizards in Wisconsin Dells or obsess over the paranormal in Prairie du Chien, here are playfully peculiar towns in Wisconsin worth visiting.
Wauwatosa
This vibrant suburb outside Milwaukee excites visitors with the rare opportunity to worship inside a UFO-themed church. The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is an iconic landmark in Wauwatosa that immediately grabs your attention. This is thanks to its quirky saucer-shaped design with sleek curves, akin to a UFO. Its 106-foot-wide dome and pristine interior make it unlike any other chapel in the country. Designed by the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, the building is listed on the NRHP and remains a stark visual spectacle in the region.
Wauwatosa offers nature lovers a quiet sanctuary to relax and unwind at Hoyt Park, which features lush surroundings and a picturesque pathway straddling the banks of the Menomonee River. Alternatively, you can embrace a modern shopping and dining experience at the Mayfair, which houses more than 150 brand-name retail stores and restaurants.
Wisconsin Dells
The "Waterpark Capital of the World" offers more than its world-class amusement parks; it also thrusts guests into a world of adventure and fantasy at the unconventional Wizard Quest. This family-centric attraction invites you to solve riddles and figure out challenging situations while navigating a maze of hidden passageways, obstacles, and traps. The 30,000-square-foot maze also allows participants to interact with live characters through computer-interactive games that bring the world of fantasy into reality.
Wisconsin Dells is also home to the historic H.H. Bennett Studio and Museum, which hosts an unusual event dubbed the Phantom of the Photography Studio. This pays tribute to the art of spirit photography, which involves capturing the spirit of the deceased in a photograph. Lastly, you can't leave the town without trying out its waterparks, and there is no better option than Noah's Ark Waterpark, which sits on 70 sprawling acres and features over 50 water slides.
Sister Bay
Sister Bay is a charming destination in Door County, loved for its relaxing waterfront, small-town feel, and delectable dining scene. While the village houses several eateries and diners, Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant is by far the most recognizable. This eccentric restaurant stuns visitors with a rare sod roof, where you see a herd of goats grazing nonchalantly while gazing at the humans below. After recovering from the uncommon scene, patrons sit down inside the eatery for delicious Swedish fare, with favorites like meatballs and Swedish pancakes on the menu.
Sister Bay Beach is a popular escape for vacationers in the town. Boasting a 600-foot beach with powdery sands and stunning water views, it is often jostling with sunbathers, swimmers, and beachcombers. Meanwhile, a laid-back luxury sail with Sister Bay Scenic Boat Tours treats first-timers to a beautiful perspective of the town from the water.
Sparta
This tiny town in Monroe County stands out for its unusual cemetery of fiberglass sculptures made by a local company. The FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard is an accidental park with curious sculptures of giant shark heads, skulls, animals, birds, and other abnormal molds. Spread across acres of a grassy, open field, the deserted nature of the site and eccentric design of the sculptures instill an eerie feeling in guests as they walk through the site. For many newcomers, the area looks like an experiment gone bad.
The imposing statue of "Ben Bikin" is another notable landmark in Sparta. It features a giant sculpture of an English gentleman on a classic bicycle, which honors the community's cycling heritage. Sparta also welcomes guests to the Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bike Museum to check out an awesome collection of dozens of bikes highlighting the evolution of transportation.
Shullsburg
Shullsburg makes it to the most peculiar towns in Wisconsin due to the mysterious Gravity Hill. This gravity-defying stretch of road operates against the laws of physics, with cars seeming to roll up the slope when left in neutral gear. However, this is one of the many occurrences at the site that seem to defy logic. While these may have tourists questioning their perception of reality, it can be explained as an optical illusion due to several topographical elements in the surroundings.
The Water Street Commercial Historic District provides a rare look into Shullsburg's old days. Just outside town, find the Gratiot House Farm Bed & Breakfast, a Georgian-style limestone house highlighting the formative years. Elsewhere, you can sample the town's dairy heritage with a taste of freshly made cheese at the Shullsburg Creamery.
Burlington
Like any other town, city, or village in America, Burlington celebrates Halloween, only that it takes the celebration to a whole new level with a wave of eccentric events. Popularly known as Burlington Spooky City, this fun festival features more than the normal trick-or-treating. The "Coffin Races" leave a lasting impression on tourists, and see participants racing with elaborately painted and decorated coffins to the finish line. Furthermore, the Spirit Walk in the evenings takes guests through participating bars.
Burlington is also known for its playful museum attractions. The Spinning Top and Yo-Yo Museum reminds visitors of a classic childhood toy and the tricks they performed with a vast collection of yo-yos. Meanwhile, those who fancy live performances can catch a moving play or musical at the landmark Malt House Theatre.
Prairie Du Chien
One of the oldest towns in Wisconsin, Prairie du Chien showcases its enduring heritage through a network of historical markers and outdated traditions. Spiritualism practitioners and enthusiasts often gather inside the 19th-century Villa Louis Historic Site for the Spiritualism in the Victorian Era. This paranormal-centric event explores a Victorian practice that involved communicating with the dead. Visitors learn the rituals involved, browse spiritualism paraphernalia, and explore the legacy of America's first spiritualist during this otherworldly spectacle.
A trip to Victorian-era Prairie du Chien awaits at Fort Crawford Museum. This restored fort displays an array of artifacts that chronicle military and local history. History aside, the town invites guests to revel in its splendid outdoor scenery on the grassy lawns of Lawler Park and admire spectacular panoramas of the Mississippi River.
From the coffin races in Burlington to the UFO church in Wauwatosa, these eccentric towns in Wisconsin go against the grain with their unapologetic quirks and offbeat traditions in the United States. They offer more than just roadside curiosities. They celebrate the unusual in ways that foster community spirit and spark curiosity. Whether you are in search of the bizarre, the humorous, or the downright puzzling, these towns prove that the Badger State's charm isn’t just in its cheese, but in its wonderfully weird corners.
