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Conwy Suspension Bridge
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The blue spruce on the right symbolizes the spirit of John Denver.
John Denver Sanctuary
Patan Dhoka
Argyll and Bute Hospital
Argyll and Bute Hospital
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Chef Boyardee Statue
Cevapčići at Sarajevo ‘84
Sarajevo ‘84
In this salad, rice gets topped with pinches of toasted coconut, dried fish, finely-sliced herbs and vegetables, bean sprouts, a tiny knot of noodles, crushed black pepper and dried chili. 
Thai-Islam Phochana
With fat chunks of crab meat swimming in a lush coconut milk curry, it's no wonder this dish is so popular.
Raya
Meet boba tea's ancestral cousin.
Kanomwaan Pakee
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Inside Sacré-Coeur Hospital lies an unassuming lab that peers into the mysteries of our sleeping minds.
Inside Montréal’s ‘Dream and Nightmare Laboratory’
Team Kwe's 2024 sculpture “Wenabozho and Dadibaajimad Journey on the River of Souls,” illustrating a traditional Ojibwe story of two figures—Wenabozho and his brother Dadibaajimad—on an otherworldly journey.
5 Stories for Native American Heritage Month
The sophisticated club sandwich combines ham, pineapple, bacon, peanut butter, and avocado.
This Book Contains a Century of Historical Sandwiches
Each fall, amorous male tarantulas prowl the Colorado plains in search of mates, who may or may not kill them.
Why Did the Spider Cross the Road?

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All United States Wisconsin

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Wisconsin

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

Updated October 24, 2024

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Cities

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Milwaukee
Madison
Baraboo
Gary Gygax Memorial.
Lake Geneva
Wisconsin Dells
FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard
Sparta
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  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
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  18. Washington
  19. Waukesha
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  21. Wisconsin Dells
Attractions
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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 168 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 12 Places to Eat in Wisconsin
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

18 Mini Golf Courses You Should Go Out of Your Way to Play

Adventures filled with oversized characters, obstacles, and castles await—all you need to join is a putter and a ball. Yes, we're talking about miniature golf, the Lilliputian game with a big imagination. Since 2012, we—Tom Loftus and Robin Schwartzman—have been documenting the world of mini golf on our website A Couple of Putts. After putting our way through more than 300 courses, we’ve stumbled into becoming experts who design, build, and consult on all things miniature golf. With our keen eye for elements that make courses distinctive and magical destinations, we’ve created this world tour to showcase some of our personal favorites, as well as a few courses on our “must play” list. In keeping with the theme, here are 18 unique courses that span the globe. This wild assortment of putting places offer unique ways to interact with the past and present. Putt when ready!

View Itinerary
The courses may be miniature, but the spectacle is gigantic.

Explore Wisconsin

Architecture 22
Museums 19
Collections 14
Architectural Oddities 13
Sculptures 12
Statues 11
Outsider Art 11
History & Culture 10
Art 9
Roadside Attractions 9
Outsider Architecture 8
Music 8
Unique Restaurants & Bars 4

Wisconsin Leaderboard

Places Added

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Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Wisconsin.

Places Edited

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Places Visited

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Recent Wisconsin Activity

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    has been to Wequiock Falls

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    updated Wequiock Falls

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    faydid

    wants to go to House on the Rock

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    has been to Wequiock Falls

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    wants to go to Dr. Evermor's Forevertron

Stories About Wisconsin

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
Archaeology professor Sissel Schroeder sweeps her iPhone over a dugout at the Milwaukee Public Museum to capture images for a 3D model.

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
A member of the Milwaukee Krampus Eigenheit was one of dozens of furry, horned menaces swatting onlookers with switches during the annual Milwaukee Krampusnacht.

Krampus Is the Christmas Icon We Need—And Maybe the One We Deserve

At Milwaukee’s Krampusnacht, we go in search of the essence of Santa’s unholy enforcer.
by Gemma Tarlach
December 9, 2022

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

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