The Concrete Park In Wisconsin Is The Stuff Of Childhood Dreams
By Ben Jones|Published September 28, 2022
×
Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
There’s an amazing dream world that’s just waiting to be discovered in Wisconsin, and it’s a place like no other. Untold bags of concrete mix, combined with the quirky and playful mind of a folk artist, spawned a wonderland of creatures. Wisconsin Concrete Park is an unusual themed park that is a must-visit spot in northern Wisconsin that never fails to bring smiles to visitors of all ages. Here’s what you need to know.
Wisconsin Concrete Park is located in Phillips, a community in Price County. The community began as a logging town and today draws large numbers of tourists seeking outdoor beauty and one very quirky attraction.
The park was the brainchild of former lumberjack Fred Smith. He was not formally trained as an artist, but he used his hard work and imagination to create more than 200 sculptures.
Smith began building the sculptures in 1948 and continued until he had a stroke in 1964. His sculptures are created with concrete and decorated with glass beer bottles and other found objects.
You may recognize a few familiar faces, including Abraham Lincoln, Paul Bunyan, and Ben-Hur. Other figures just look like ordinary residents of northern Wisconsin.
While Smith died in 1976, his well-built sculptures aren’t going anywhere. A storm once damaged many of the sculptures, but they were restored with a grant from the Kohler Foundation, and the property is now a county park. Learn more about the Wisconsin Concrete Park on the park’s website. While you’re in the area and have your camera out, you may want to seek out this incredible covered bridge.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.