Jurustic Park

Jurustic Park is one of Wisconsin’s strangest outdoor attractions: a sprawling sculpture garden north of Marshfield where rusted metal dragons, dinosaurs, insects, fish, and other bizarre creatures appear to have escaped from some forgotten prehistoric ecosystem. Created by Marshfield artist and retired attorney Clyde Wynia, the park is built around his deliberately absurd story that these are extinct “Iron Age” creatures excavated from the nearby McMillan Marsh. The sculptures are actually Wynia’s imaginative creations, assembled primarily from salvaged and discarded metal and displayed throughout the wooded property. The result is part folk-art environment, part roadside attraction, and part elaborate deadpan joke.

Jurustic Park began taking shape in the 1990s after Wynia started making metal creatures simply because he could, eventually turning his property into an ever-expanding outdoor gallery. Some sculptures are enormous, while others are packed with small mechanical details, moving parts, and deliberately ridiculous characters. Wynia’s storytelling is as much a part of the experience as the sculptures themselves, and if he happens to be around, visitors may get an impromptu tour filled with the dry humor and bizarre explanations that have become part of Jurustic Park’s identity. His wife, Nancy Wynia, adds another layer to the attraction through the on-site Hobbit House, where she creates and sells hand-blown glass, fiber art, jewelry, and other handmade pieces.

Located at 112021 Old Sugarbush Lane, Jurustic Park is a must-stop for anyone hunting down weird Wisconsin attractions, outsider art, unusual roadside destinations, or places that simply could not exist anywhere else. Individual admission is free, while guided group tours are available by appointment. The park is generally open during the spring, summer, and fall, with current posted hours typically running from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays opening at noon; because this is an owner-operated attraction, it is smart to confirm before making a special trip.