Attractions

Old Country Cheese LLC

Hwy. D off Hwy. 33E.–South 4 miles

608.654.5411

One of only a few cheese factories left in the USA that handles only fresh can milk. They bring in 120,000 pounds of milk a day from 230 Amish milk producers. Watch the cheese being made and then visit the newly improved factory gift store to try a sample of their cheese. They also have Amish-made furniture and quilts, and many locally made craft items.

St. Mary's Ridge Church

608.823.7906

The oldest Catholic parish in Monroe County. Ornate altar, Italian statues of various saints, stations of the Cross with original German script. Call for a guided tour.

Paul and Matilda Wegner Grotto

HWY. 71

608.269.8680

Located north of Sparta on State Highway 71 just west of Highway 27. Featured in "Weird Wisconsin". A grass roots Folk art exhibit of structures and sculptures made of concrete and broken glass, restored by the Kohler Foundation. Open free of charge May through October. Call for information on group tours and weddings.

The Little Falls Railroad & Doll Museum

9208 Cty. II

608.272.3266

Telegrapher's office, lanterns, railroad art, train displays and memorabilia from when steam was king. German dolls of the 1800s, to today's Barbies and the president's wives in inaugural gowns. Gift shop, picnic area, outdoor garden railroad and caboose tours.

Kendall Depot

608.463.7109

Built in 1900, this restored building in the village of Kendall serves as headquarters for the Elroy-Sparta Recreation Trail and has been designated a State Historical Place. There is a railroad museum with railroad and bike trail memorabilia and souvenirs, a historical mural and historic pictures of the railroad and local communities

Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bicycle Museum

200 W. Main St.

608.269.0033

Visit a progression of transportation with exhibits sharing the history of bicycles, aviation, and aerospace. Antique and collectible bicycles, a quarter scale model of the Wright Flyer, a 1932 Pietenpol Aircamper airplane, the history of Mercury 7 Astronaut Deke Slayton and an actual piece of the moon. Children's activities. Gift Shop. Summer hours: Mon.-Sat., 10-4:30. 1-4. Winter hours: Mon.-Fri.10-4 or by appointment. dekeslayton@centurytel.net

F.A.S.T. CORP.

608.269.7110

Located on Hwy. 21 East This nationally known company builds unique slides and large fiberglass animals for many different companies throughout America. Known as the Sparta Zoo!

Fort McCoy Army Installation

608-388-2407

Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. It’s superb location, quality terrain and four-season climate provides units with year-round training. Fort McCoy offers recreational opportunities, tours and events available to the general public.

Historical and Architectural Heritage Tour

111 Milwaukee St.

800.354.2453

A self-conducted tour of Sparta that you can take by walking, biking or driving. Pick up a brochure at the Sparta Chamber of Commerce office.

Mathews, Inc.

919 River Road

608.269.2728

Located in Sparta, Wisconsin, Mathews, Inc. currently employs a staff of over 300 people and operates three local facilities to a diverse line of archery equipment, bow components and accessories for authorized retailers all over the world. As the inventor of Single Cam Technology, Mathews has been responsible for a multitude of innovations that have transformed the archery industry—enhancing performance by quantum leaps while also reducing complexity. www.mathewsinc.com or call 608.269.2728 for tour Information.

Monroe County Courthouse

608.269.8705

Located in Sparta, the courthouse square on the west edge of the downtown district dates to 1895 with the impressive red stone building being on the National Register of Historic Places.

Monroe County History Museum

200 W. Main St.

608.269.8680

Monroe County History Museum and Library. Interactive displays documenting the heritage, culture and way of life in Monroe County. The Library is for research only and the collection focuses on the genealogist, family history and Monroe County history. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9am-4:30pm; First Thurs. till 9pm; Sat. 10am-4:30pm;closed holidays. Call for special events and programs. Tours available. mclhr@centurytel.net.

Sparta Butter Fest

Memorial Park

800.354.2453

June 9-12, 2011. June 7-10, 2012. 4 Day Festival. Family entertainment. Carnival, arts and crafts, flea market, cow milking contest, quilt show, lip sync contest, car show, lumberjack show, games, beer tent and a great selection of food items. Top notch family entertainment. Gigantic parade on Sunday, at 12:30 p.m. Something for everyone.

Sparta Butter Fest

Memorial Park

800.354.2453

Sparta Free Library

124 W. Main St

608.269.2010

Library staff welcomes you to explore Sparta's Carnegie-built free library located at the historic four corners of Sparta. Relax and warm up in the winter or cool down in the summer with a magazine or light reading in the ambiance of the library's Reading Room. Access the free Wi-Fi outside around the fountain or inside the library, look up ancestry information using Ancestry.com, or check your e-mail, social media on library computers.

World's Largest Bicycle

Corner E. Wisconsin St. & S. Water St.

800.354.2453

Corner of East Wisconsin Street and South Water Street. This 30 foot fiberglass structure was manufactured in Sparta by the F.A.S.T. Corporation and erected in 1997. The gentleman riding the high wheel bike is Ben Bikin. Stay by and see what he has to say.

Chief Tomah Historical Marker

608.372.2166

Tomah wayside park on U.S. 12 north with a historical marker honoring the Menominee tribe's Chief Tomah and an army tank for children to explore.

Little Red School House

608.372.2166

Located in Gillett Park near downtown Tomah, the 1864 school house displays school- era items and furnishings and is open free to the public during the summer.

Tomah Public Library

608.374.7470

A 1916 building placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The library is located along Superior Avenue, just north of the downtown business district.

Veterans Administration Medical Center

608.372.3971

Expansive hospital complex north of Tomah near U.S. 12 and County Trunk E that has many historic buildings dated to 1892. Site previously served as an Indian School to 1937.

Grandpa Nick's Petting Farm

27124 Concord Ave.

608.378.5140

78 acre farm hidden among the cranberry beds of Warrens. We love to have people come to our farm and enjoy the quiet serenity of farm life. Meet the animals, stroll in the woods, or picnic by the playground. Open April - Oct. Weekends, 9 am - 5 pm. Summer hours: Wed. - Sun. 9 am - 5 pm.

Warrens Cranberry Fest

608.378.4200

39th Annual Warrens Cranberry Festival, September 23-25, 2011. Bring your group! One of America's biggest festivals brings more than 110,000 visitors to the "Cranberry Capital of Wisconsin". Cranberry marsh tours Friday and Saturday. More than 1,300 booths of arts and crafts, antique and flea market, and farm market items. Enjoy fall produce--flavored honey, candy, Amish noodles, apples, fresh cranberries, juice, jams, jellies, and those mouth watering cranberry cream puffs. E-mail: cranfest@cranfest.com. Call for more information or check out the website at www.cranfest.com.

Wetherby Cranberry Co.

Hwy. EW, 4 miles east of Warrens

608.378.4813

Unique tour of a cranberry marsh. Cranberry Blossom Tour Day, June 25th. See cranberry vines in bloom, 9am-noon. Fresh cranberries available late Sept. through mid-November. Historical cranberry mills. Experience The cranberry harvest the first Sat. in Oct. Each year from 9am to noon at the public harvest day. Bus group tours available by appointment.

Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center

204 Main St.

608.378.4878

Visit our Exhibit Hall to learn how cranberries are grown and harvested. Browse our Gift Shop featuring Wisconsin-made cranberry products or treat yourself to a dish of cranberry ice cream or a slice of cranberry pie in our Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor. Open 10 am - 4 pm daily, May 1 through July 31. 9 am - 5 pm, Aug. 1 through Oct. 31. Seasonal hours rest of the year.

Wilton Village Campground

608.435.6666

Five blocks from Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. Public campground. Swimming pool, electricity, bathhouse, playground. Wood Turtle Days, August 04, 2011 - August 07, 2011 villageofwilton@centurytel.net