Weird Wisconsin: Your Travel Guide to Wisconsin's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets

Weird Travel Guides

by Linda S. Godfrey, Richard D. Hendricks

As all good Wisconsinites know, there is a lot more to the Badger State than, well, badgers. We have cows, cheese, the Packers, bratwurst, lakes, the Packers, polkas, cornfields, and the Packers. But Wisconsin is also filled to the brim with weirdness. And the best chroniclers of our state's odd folks, strange beasts, and local legends are Linda S. Godfrey and Richard D. Hendricks, both firm believers that Wisconsin is one of the most bizarre states in the whole nation. So grab a hunk of cheese and start browsing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, History, Paranormal, Folklore, Humor, Adult

272 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2005

Reviews

[Cheryl]

Not as much of a travel guide as I'd have liked. No map to help one plan a trip, seldom even a clue in what quadrant of the state a location is in. And a lot of the weirdness is just haunted roads etc. So, I didn't read every word (though I did read at least one sentence or picture caption on every page).

I will have to find out where New Glarus is, and check if the artists' assorted painted cows are being kept up; I might want to see them. Burlington's Tall Tales Trail also intrigues (wherever the heck Burlington is). And maybe Dr. Evermor's sculpture park south of Baraboo (but I know where that is, and it's not close to my family).

Closely skimmed March 2024

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wonder where you can walk into a Muscallunge's mouth? Ever wonder where the best folk and outsider art are off the beaten path? Ever seen the beast of Bray Road? This book compiles snippets of intriguing art, museums, cryptids, ghosts and their residences in Wisconsin. Some of these places I definitely know about (House on the Rock!) and many new ones have been found. My only qualm is they only hinted at the Goat Man story around Holy Hill in one sentence, but really never talked further about the Colgate and Erin town areas. There are quite a few glass and metal artisans along the rustic deemed Monches Road there, too. If a new edition is made these parts should be further explored.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Wisconsinite, I may be a little biased towards this book. However, I'm still of the opinion that it's GREAT. It's not often that you find books that focus on weirdness for weirdness' sake; especially ones that focus on the Midwest. Traditionally, we're thought of as mild-mannered, plain people living in an average area. Of course, this book tosses that notion out the window. Such oddities as the Beast of Bray Road (a werewolf-like monster), Ed Gein (the inspiration for numerous slasher films), and numerous other bizarre things prove that Wisconsin is, well, weird.

[Gabby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm ready for my road trip to Wisconsin! Good pictures, but this book should be organized more rationally (let's say by city) than it currently is (by topic).

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of tall-tales, mysteries, local legends, spooky locations, real history, and personal accounts that captures the wonder (and horror, and mystery) of both the local long-time resident or the not-so-average tourist just passing through Wisconsin. I personally loved this book as a resident and it's one I often find myself turning back to for the fun of it. I do wish some of the individual writings were more comprehensive, but otherwise it is a an ode to the stranger goings-on of a state with such a wide and diverse culture. If you're a Wisconsin resident, you'll love this.

[Tara Wirkuty]

I want this book removed from being sold. The story of Calvin Blood is %100 FALSE. HE DIED OF GANGRENE AND WAS OLD!! ALL TO GET A SCARE BECAUSE HIS NAME WAS BLOOD! JUST LOOK AT HIS DATE OF BIRTH AND WHEN HE DIED. THEN READ THE FAKE STORY. UGH!!!! STOP SELLING THIS BOOK. AUTHORS don't even check anything. Just to make a buck off someone else! CALVIN BLOOD WAS MY FAMILY MEMBER. I know for certain of this bull shit story.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked some of the stories and others were really stupid and boring. I should have researched this series a little more before I bought these books. The UFOs and Ghosts are just stupid. The roadside stuff and building histories were interesting. (Same review for all of the Weirds I've read so far.)

[Wilhelmena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over all I enjoyed this book, although I could not get through the roadside oddities. I was bored. But for the the whole book I loved it

[Noah Reinders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I take immense pride in living in Wisconsin and this only strengthened it. I want the Boobooshaw to sign my copy since he apparently lives by my high school.

[Jennifer Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting stories. May have to visit some of these places. Filled with many tourist ideas and attractions.

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although this type of book is usually fun for me to read, I struggled getting through this one. I think it's just that I didn't care for the writing style.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting stuff really

[William Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books!!!!

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

NOT a travel guide. A collection of odd stories and news clippings that mention a place in Wisconsin.
Ghost hunters might love this book.

[jzmcdaisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've seen the weird face on the front of this book panicking at me from bookstore shelves for a while now. My friends from South Carolina loaned me this book, and I wanted to see everything in my weird home state that I didn't know about. I've been in the Giant Muskey, been to the sculpture park, and I've seen the taxidermy animal bar. Most of the oddball art projects people left behind as their legacy were briefly interesting, but I wouldn't go out of my way to visit too many of them. What really interested me from this book were all the local legends about ghosts, aliens and cryptids. A lot of them are interesting enough to read, but ultimately they're all unfounded. At least the Bloody Bride and Beast of Bray Road are particularly good highlights. I had fun with this, but it's far from the most riveting thing I've read this year.

[John Brahm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book which features many oddities and folklore of Wisconsin . However, the part of the book that devolved into ghost stories and the paranormal with dubious antidotes was tedious.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say that I was disappointed in this book on a number of levels. I would give it a one star for what it is versus what I was looking for, which was a guide to off beat sites in Wisconsin. What it is is a book filled with things that are haunted and there is a bit of the sensational about it that I really do not care for. It chronicles some unusual statues, which is the only section that pulled it up to the two star rating that I ended up giving it, but overall, take it out of the library rather than owning it would be my advice.

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, Wisconsin, you do have your oddities, don't you? This isn't a book to read so much as to skim or sample, but I did read it cover to cover; sometimes the stories are just too interesting to stop. However, this book just about lost me at the beginning when, on page 28, Cthulhu was presented as the entity for which the walled city of Aztalan existed, around 1320 a.d. Really? The fictional character and legend made up by H. P. Lovecraft? We all have to suspend disbelief a bit to read about local legends, but that is a rather blatant leg-pulling.

[Sherry (sethurner) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely local interest here. This is essentially a scrapbook of the odd, strange, nasty, interesting and haunted places and people in Wisconsin. Trouble for me is that Ed Gein is mixed in there with folk artists who create concrete parks. It's a read hodge podge, and many of the anecdotes were from email addresses. Still, it made for an interesting afternoon finding the familiar and unfamiliar in the Badger state, I just wouldn't buy it.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to find some cool destinations to take the kiddos to when I checked out this book. Rather, it is more a collection of odd stories/legends circulating in certain communities. Only a handful provided enough clues to actually find the sites. I would imagine these same stores could be duplicated for any state. Well, maybe not the chapters on Ed Gein and Jeffrey Dahmer....

[Chy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born and raised in Wisconsin this book was a fascinating read. I loved reading all the creepy stories and unusual aspects about this state I call home. My only complaint about this book is that I wished there was more focus on the supernatural/creepy ghost stories about this state and less on the oddities such as museums and road side attractions.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read that peaked my interest in checking out a few new places in Wisconsin. However, many stories from Baraboo and Wisconsin Dells were missing, which was disappointing. It was also a little creepy, so I probably shouldn't have read it before bed!

[Chris Munz-Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great combo of fact and ridiculous to make this a fun book. Also lots of pictures so that people of all ages can enjoy it. The only downside to the book is you have to google the places if you want to see them. There are no addresses :0(

[amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun and breezy read.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncanny Radio co-host Godfrey's work on this book makes it well worth reading. A must-read for anyone interested in the strange and the supernatural.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say, I love weird stuff, if it has cement grottos dedicated to the virgin Mary and Jesus Christ, and the rather large walk in Muskie, then this is the book of curious things is for you.

[Jennifer Littlesoldier]

Interesting to know some of this stuff

[Mary Zinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trust me, this book lives up to its name. It has provided me with many family road trip destinations!

[Anthony Ventrello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Besides being the land of cheese and Wisconsin Dells there is much weirdness there. Who knew that this is the state that makes all those cool roadside statues?

[Lori Cuene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Fan! Love this! Great writing,fun discoveries!