North Freedom, Wisconsin: Forevertron

Better visit now, while you still can. Dr. Evermor has been in a rest home for a few years after suffering strokes. Lady Eleanor runs the place now, but she's looking for a buyer. She says they have to vacate their current space behind the salvage yard, so she's looking for someone to buy all the sculptures and move them to a new location.

I agree with other tips that this is one of the best sites I've seen recommended by Roadside America. My son and I visited about 5 years ago and spent hours looking around and talking to Lady Eleanor. The Forevertron is amazing, but there's so much else to see (I loved the fantastical full orchestra). I began to look at rusted metal and "junk" in a new way that afternoon.

Best of all, small sculptures were available for sale and now two of Dr. Evermore's creatures live in my garden.

Tya Every Kottler (daughter of Dr. Evermor and Lady Eleanor Every) wrote to us to report that Dr. Evermor's Sculpture Park is open. The sculptures we recently reported removed were the ones visible along the frontage of Hwy 12. "All of Dr. Evermor's other sculptures are still in their original location behind Delaney's Surplus. Lady Eleanor still has the art park open everyday except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If the weather conditions or temperatures are extreme, she will be closed."

"Winter time is one of the most spectacular times to view the Forevertron," Tya noted.

This was my second visit to the Forevertron, after stumbling across it 20 years ago. I visited this time with my 6-year-old son, and I would urge anyone with a love of art and/or a school-age child to do the same - there is not just an impressive amount of work here, but also a unique experience that encourages exploration and hands-on play. There are several kinetic and musical sculptures, and very little appears to be off limits. Keep in mind, though, that this site is not the usual sanitized museum experience - parents are recommended to keep a close eye on younger children.

Eleanor Every was watching the site when we visited, and provided a very warm welcome. She didn't appear to mind in the least when my son wandered into the converted van she uses as an office, and even offered to loan us umbrellas when it started sprinkling.

The unique location behind a (quite good) surplus store only adds to the atmosphere. Visiting in April, when the weather was good, we more or less had the site to ourselves. Please do not forget to use the donation box!

By far one of the best sites we visited thanks to Roadsideamerica.com. So many pieces to see. There is a conductor and a life size orchestra, little armies, birds, all kinds of imaginative things. Very cool place, definitely worth the visit, we will be back!

If you don't see it, keep looking -- it is barely visible tucked away behind the surplus store. The path to it is very small.