Oshkosh, Wisconsin: Weird Statues and Oddball Art Junk

Just a recent pic of what is in around M. Schettl Sales Inc. Great!

Mel Schettl opened his home improvement business here in 1973. The property that surrounds the building is littered with hundreds of larger-than-life statues: a moose, a bull, a bulldog; King Kong, Bugs Bunny; dinosaurs, mythological creatures; and weird metal sculptures like a robot stegosaurus and a shark on wheels. "It's something that's just kinda grown," says Mel. "We don't build the stuff. We consign with different artists to build it for us -- fiberglass, steel, glass -- over 200 sculptures so far. Anything to get attention, I guess." Visitors recommend stopping by at night to better appreciate the creepiness of the place. Says Mel: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

This was one weird place, dude. We stopped by after seeing it mentioned on Roadsideamerica.com. Huge lawn ornaments, wild metal art pieces and just plain junk, all for sale with prices placed prominently. If you have a need for a ducky, flamingo or swan two-seated water vehicle, this is the place for you! Not only can you get a metal shark, fiberglass monkeys, wingless airplane, and glass cart full of small plaster lawn ornaments, you can also get sinks and bathroom fixtures. In the hardware building, you will find the usual hardware store stuff mixed liberally with living room and bedroom furniture, lamps, tacky metal rockets hanging from the ceiling, and life-size fiberglass statues of football players and movie stars. No kidding. Good prices, too.

In July, while we were wandering along Wisconsin Route 110 about four miles west of US 41, near the burg of Butte Des Morts, we also came across that most astounding place - Schettl's Freight Sales (and Ace Hardware!)

This store has the most amazing collection of so-tacky-it's-way-beyond-cool stuff littering the front yard and the indoor warehouse, including giant figures of moose, dinosaurs, pigs, cows, elephants, sundaes, whales, Elvis, happy hot dogs, and other things guaranteed to bring a grin to the most grizzled road warrior. Best of all, according to the staff, this ain't no museum - most of them are for sale (with price tags clearly marked), and the rest are allegedly for rent!

M.Shetl Freight Sales, off Hwy 110 between Fremont and Oshkosh. I have no idea if this guy really sells things, but his place is downright creepy. Overflowing with huge statues of every type: cows, a moose, a shark several frightening "human" like statues with even more campy bric-a-brac in the trees, on the ground, everywhere. If you want the full effect, you have to stop by at night. Everyone fully expects a knife wielding maniac to be roaming around. If you are heading towards Oshkosh on 110 from Fremont, watch the right side of the road and you can't possibly miss the dozens of larger than life, out of place statues.