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Statues of Hiawatha
& Eagle
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"Standing
guard over the junction of the Mississippi, Black and La Crosse Rivers,
this impressive 25-foot, 25-ton sculpture by artist Anthony Zimmerhakl
reflects on the majestic marriage of these waters. Legend has it that
where three rivers join, no natural disaster will befall. Here, to date,
this legend has remained true."
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section from Explore
Wisconsin website |
in Riverside Park (at west end of State Street), overlooking the merging of the three rivers
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Explore La Crosse
1. www.explorelacrosse.com
2. eagle www.explorelacrosse.com
Roadside Peek
www.roadsidepeek.com
Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com
World's Largest Roadside Attractions
www.wlra.us
Thom.org
www.thom.org
Photo Wisconsin
www.photowisconsin.com
UW La Crosse
murphylibrary.uwlax.edu
book:
"Midwest Marvels"
by Eric Dregni
UofM Press (2006)
pages 366 - 367
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 179
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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| World's Largest Six-Pack
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| King Gambrinus Statue
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location: La
Crosse |
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record
holder / roadside oddity |
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Outside
City Brewery stands the Six-Pack, now covered in professional graphics
and no longer painted like its Old Style predecessor. The statue of King
Gambrinus, patron saint of brewers, stands across the street.
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Written
on the sign near the Six Pack: |
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(22,200
barrels of beer or 688,200 gallons of beer)
• enough beer to fill
7,340,796 cans
• placed end to end these
cans would run 565 miles
• would provide one person a
six pack a day for 3,351 years |
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Written
on the plaque near King Gambrinus: |
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Gambrinus,
whose real name was Jan Primus, was a valiant soldier of
the 13th century. This knightly Duke was an honorary
member of the Brussels Brewers Guild and is generally
referred to as the inventor and the king of beer. |
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City Brewery
formerly G. Heileman Brewing
(Stroh Brewery Company)
925 South
3rd St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 785-4200 |
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tours given Monday
through Saturday
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City Brewery Official Site
www.citybrewery.com
Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com
World's Largest Things
1. www.worldslargestthings.com
2. www.worldslargestthings.com
World's Largest Roadside Attractions
www.wlra.us
Roadside Architecture
1. Giant
Six-Pack
2. King
Gambrinus
Thom.org (photo of old six-pack)
www.thom.org
UW La Crosse
murphylibrary.uwlax.edu
Journal Sentinel Online
article "World's
Largest...has home somewhere" or (here)
Ohio Barns
www.ohiobarns.com
book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 82 - 83
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004) page 211
(3rd ed.,
2009)
page 202
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press,
Inc. (2001)
pages 42 - 43
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at
Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Roadside America"
by Mike Wilkins & Ken
Smith & Doug Kirby
Fireside / Simon & Schuster (2nd ed., 1992)
page 178
buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book:
"Midwest Marvels"
by Eric Dregni
UofM Press (2006)
pages 375 - 376
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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Paul Hefti's
Yard Art
private property
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photos courtesy of Narrow
Larry |
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Unfortunately,
the charming yard and home of Paul Hefti no longer exists. Soda
bottles and other common items were once incorporated into Mr. Hefti's
lawn decor, but sadly, all is gone. |
was at: 515 Adams St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
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Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com
Grotto Communications
www.grottocom.com
Narrow Larry
www.narrowlarry.com
Shimon Lindemann
www.shimonlindemann.com
Interesting Ideas
www.interestingideas.com
Detour Art Atlas
detour.webdatabases.net
Wisconsin Academy Review
digicoll.library.wisc.edu
book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)
pages 209 - 212
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press,
Inc. (2001)
page 44
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at
Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
pages 50 - 51
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book:
"Rare Visions and Roadside
Revelations"
by Randy Mason, Mike Murphy, and Don
Mayberger
Kansas City Star Books (2002)
pages 58 - 60
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book:
"Miracles of The Spirit: Folk,
Art, and Stories from Wisconsin"
by Don Krug & Ann Parker
University Press of Mississippi (2005)
pages 148, 187 - 194
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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Over 6500
dolls and doll accessories. |
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1213 Caledonia Street
La Crosse, WI 54603
(608) 785-0020
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hours:
(Mon - Sat) 10am –
5pm
(Sundays) 11am –
4pm
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Find
Articles
La Crosse Tribune
article "Dolls aren't just
for little girls anymore"
book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)
pages 212 - 213
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
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24-Hour Prayer
at Perpetual
Adoration Convent |
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"The
Mother House of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, the
Chapel of Angels is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the
United States. Since August 1st, 1878, at least two Franciscan Sisters
have maintained a 24-hour prayer vigil for the Church, community and the
world. Featured on Charles Kuralts On The Road in 1978."
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section from Explore
LaCrosse website |
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Saint Rose Convent
715 South Ninth Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 784-2288
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tour hours:
(Mon - Sat) 9am – 10:45am & 1pm –
3pm
(Sundays) 1pm – 3pm
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Official
Site
1. www.fspa.org
2. chapel tour www.fspa.org
Minnesota Public Radio
news.minnesota.publicradio.org
book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press,
Inc. (2001)
page 45
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at
Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Odd Wisconsin"
by Erika Janik
Wisconsin Historical Society Press (2006)
pages 175 - 176
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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Grotto of the
Blessed Virgin
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location: La
Crosse |
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grotto
/ religious shrine |
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This site
was designed by Paul Dobberstein, creator of the Dickeyville Grotto, and
sadly demolished in 1994. All that remains is a statue of the Holy
Virgin and a few decorative urns. The rest of the grotto was taken
down to giant Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa. |
was at: Saint Rose Convent
715 South Ninth Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 784-2288
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Detour
Art Atlas
detour.webdatabases.net
book
"Sacred Spaces and Other Places"
by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi
School of Art Institute of Chicago Press (1993)
pages 23 - 25
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Miracles of The Spirit: Folk,
Art, and Stories from Wisconsin"
by Don Krug & Ann Parker
University Press of Mississippi (2005)
pages 4 - 6
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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Polar Bear
Statue on Roof
at Paul's Heating & Air Conditioning
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This La Crosse icon will
be moving away sometime in late 2009 as Paul's Heating & Air
Conditioning has outgrown their George Street location. Owned by
cousins Peter Schneider and Mike Schneider, the fiberglass bear will
accompany its real-life stuffed counterpart to their new digs at 1241
Oak Forest Drive in Onalaska. |
1513 George St.
La Crosse, WI 54603
(608) 784-0751
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Official
Site
www.paulsheating.com
Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com
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There is nothing like
eating at an old-fashioned drive-in. Rudy's is a prime example of
this precious gem of the restaurant world, complete with roller-skating
waitresses and real draft root beer. Make sure to check out their
official website (linked at right) to hear their fantastic jingle. |
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1004 La Crosse Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 782-2200
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hours:
March thru October (daily)
10am – 10pm |
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Official
Site
www.rudysdrivein.com
Facebook Fan Page
www.facebook.com
The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com
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2nd
Statue of King Gambrinus |
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There's apparently enough
room in this town for two kings. This one was created in 1980 to
stand outside of the Heileman Corporate Headquarters, but this building
is currently for sale. |
100
Harborview Plaza
La Crosse, WI 54603
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Sculpture
in Metal
www.sculpture-in-metal.com
GBK Photo
www.gbkphoto.com
Murphy Library
murphylibrary.uwlax.edu
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"Elsie"
the Giant Cow Head
at Houghton's Fine Food &
Cocktails |
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Irish-themed Houghton's
reopened after a devastating fire gutted the original restaurant in
2007. Tip your cap to Elsie before tipping back a pint of
Smithwyck's. |
1002 Jackson St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
(608) 784-9770
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La Crosse
Tribune
article "Houghton's
reborn" (archived)
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Giant
Golf Bag & Skis
at Northland Golf & Ski |
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I have no idea who could
use this size of golf club, but I sure wouldn't want to be his
caddy. The bag & clubs appear to be around 15 feet tall. And
the skis are almost big enough to fit even Paris Hilton's feet.
(You see, Paris has size 11 flippers. Seriously.) |
2137 George St.
La Crosse, WI 54603
(608) 784-8333
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Bookmark the Wisconsinosity home page! 
122 4th St. S.
410 Veterans Memorial Drive
