We love places like this and had heard about it for years so when we were plotting our return to Madison from Bayfield we noticed that one route home goes right through Phillips. Nice! This place is right up there with Dr Evermore's Forevertron as a piece of Wisconsin Americana/ funky/ oddity art. Fred Smith gave us a real gem in this park and the good folks at the Kohler Art Museum saved it for the rest of us to enjoy. The shear number of pieces in this collection is amazing - supposedly over 200 (I did not count). The detail in the pieces is very interesting as is his choice in subjects for his sculptures. The place is free but worthy of a donation. The house was open when we were visiting and the worker inside was full of stories and information. If you are even somewhere remotely close you must stop! read more

Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park - Statues - Art Galleries Near Me - Phillips, Wisconsin

I was excited to go to the WI Concrete Park for the first time in many years. My husband had never been, and my adult son hadn't been since he was a wee one. The fact that the park is free blows my mind. The craftsmanship of each of the pieces is the definition of impressive. You do not have to slate a lot of time for your visit, so if you are just passing through Phillips, I highly recommend this truly unique stop! read more

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What isn't 5 star about this place?!? A must stop if you're passing by!!! Also there are bathrooms on site. read more

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This is an amazing place! It is one of several locations in Wisconsin that was created by a self-taught artisan. Fred Smith (1886-1976) started working as a lumberjack at the age of 12, which he continued to do until he retired in 1948. He purchased this homestead about 1903, raised Christmas trees and in 1936, he built and and started operating the tavern next door. While operating the tavern, he collected tons of bottles and other pieces of glass. (He seems to have had a fondness for Rhinelander Shorties and Plymouth car parts.) After he retired, at the age of 65, he was restless and began to build concrete sculptures. He used glass from his tavern, objects that he found (like automobile tail light lenses and trim pieces, mirrors, insulators, reflectors and other objects to reinforce and protect - but mostly to adorn - his concrete creations. Smith's first creation in the park is a stone barbecue, built to commemorate the Cleveland Indians defeating the Boston Braves in the 1948 World Series, with silhouettes of the teams' mascots. He continued to build sculptures for the next 15 years. "Nobody knows why I made them," Smith once said, "Not even me. This work just came to me, naturally. I started one day in 1948 and have been doing a few a year ever since." There are over 230 sculptures in the park, all created by Fred Smith. The sculptures honor the history of the area, including Native Americans, immigrants, fellow lumberjacks, local myths and legends, animals, local and national events of significance, and things that were of personal significance or interest to him. He made a Ben Hur tableau after seeing the film and a statue of Sun Yat Sen after seeing "her" [sic] in a magazine. There's Paul Bunyan, a tableau honoring Iwo Jima and a statue of his friend, J. Chiann, a fellow 'jack who thought Rhinelander Export was the best beer ever made. When asked why he sculpted Sacajawea, he said, "The woman didn't need no compass. She was the one that opened up the whole country. That's why I got so many Indians here. I like Indians because they're damn smart people." His last tableau, before his health deteriorated enough to prevent further work, was the Budweiser wagon, complete with a Dalmatian and a team of eight Clydesdales. The sculptures have been restored by the Kohler Foundation, as has the work of other self-taught artisans. Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park is an amazing place. If you are a student of art, appreciate amateur artisans or are even interested in Wisconsin history, this is a necessary visit. You must visit if you happen to be in the area because, as Fred Smith said, his park is "...for all the American people everywhere. They need something like this." read more

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One of the odd, unique places in Wisconsin that a lot of people don't even know exists. It can easily be found along side the road on the East side driving to Park Falls. The workmanship of the brilliant artisan is something to be admired and shared. We donated money and walked the park and looked at every individual piece. What amazing talent. Highly recommend checking it out. read more

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Neat place, and definitely worth a stop along the road to see if you're in those parts. I don't know that I'd drive way far out of the way to see this, then again, I'm not an artist, or even artistic for that matter. One thing I would like to point out, is that this place is NOT child friendly. There is a big sign that cautions against children touching the art. For good reason, there is a lot of glass sticking far out of the concrete art. Beautiful, yes, safe if a kiddo trips and falls on any of it, NO. Even an adult tripping and falling near any of it would likely result in severe lacerations... read more