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Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park

An oddly poignant self-built sculpture park celebrating American lore

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Category Outsider Art, Strange Statues, Outsider Architecture

Image of Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park located in

The untrained eye married to the compulsion to create can produce the most strangely moving art. The Wisconsin Concrete Park is one such outdoor museum housing 237 concrete sculptures built by the self-taught outsider artist Fred Smith. Smith was a retired lumberjack who didn't sculpt his first figure until the age of 65.

The park's subjects, which are decorated mostly with shards of broken glass from beer bottles, are figures from American folklore, tradition, historical events and nature, ranging from Native Americans to miners, and from soldiers to woodland creatures. Smith created this concrete walk through American history unmotivated by money or fame, but built the masterwork, in his words, "for all the American people everywhere. They need something like this."

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Hours Open daily during sunlight hours. To arrange guided tours for groups, call ahead for an appointment (suggested donation for group tour: $50)
Website Fred Smith
Address N8236 South Hwy 13, Phillips, Wisconsin, United States
Cost Price of Admission is free, but donations for site preservation are appreciated.

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North-central Wisconsin, south of Phillips, Hwy. 13

Comments

Anonymous February 3, 2012

Excuse me, Anonymous, but it not Wisconsin or the people of Wisconsin who are union-busters, it is our hopefully-soon-to-be ex-governor, who has turned his back on the people he supposedly works for. Gov Walker can go to hell. But as for the topic at hand, I once drove through Phillips where this museum is located, having no idea it was even there. Didn't have time to stop, but will definitely make a point of it the next time I'm in the area, thanks for posting it!
Anonymous March 29, 2011

Union-busting Wisconsin can go to Hell!