choose another county

  was at: Highway 14 heading south out of Viroqua in front of Nate's Restaurant
804 S. Main Street
Viroqua, WI  54665

"History buffs far and wide enjoy memorable visits to Old Tool Shed Antiques...to view the extensive collection of historic farming and homesteading tools and implements of all kinds."
- section from the Genoa Tourism website

  612 Main Street
Genoa, WI  54632
(608) 689-2066

hours:
(Thurs - Mon)  9:30am – 5pm

The tiny community of Retreat's annual parade traditionally runs the course of the town and then doubles back for another round past the parade-goers.

  From De Soto, head northeast on Highway 82.  Turn right on County Road N.  Follow 1 mile into Retreat.
(608) 648-2345

hours:
held late September / early October

"Lock and Dam #8 is an integral link in the upper Mississippi navigation system. The Lock and Dam consist of main and auxiliary locks, roller gates, tainter gates, and a dam extending to the Minnesota shore. Over 2,000 small pleasure boats, from canoes to cabin cruisers, and hundreds of river barges lock through this Lock and Dam annually...A look-out platform allows visitors to observe the locks in action, riverboats and barges queuing-up for passage, rising and dropping with the water level, and tow boats deftly maneuvering their gigantic barges through the locks."
- section from Viroqua Official Site

  ¼ mile south of Genoa on west side of Highway 35
(608) 689-2625

hours:
April thru November  (Dawn until Dusk)

  317 S. Main St.
Viroqua, WI  54665
(608) 637-7700

  northwest corner of Highway 14 (S. Main Street) & Maple St.

A reference is made in the book "Self-Made Worlds" concerning the work of Wilbur Best, which sounds like it could be some sort of yard art environment.  Any further information would be appreciated.  Email here. 

  S7375 Highway 14
Readstown, WI  54652

"Vernon was created on 1851 as Bad Ax County (Changed to Vernon, 1862) from Crawford County. The County Seat is Viroqua. The County was named for a stream therein, tributary to the Mississippi. Bad Ax was a translation of the French voyageur term, La mauvaise hache, but the origin of the name is unknown. The inhabitants of the county felt that this name created an unpleasant impression; it was thereupon, at the suggestion of Judge William F. Terhune, changed to Vernon, implying the greenness of its wheat fields, arid carrying a suggestion of Washington's home at Mount Vernon."
- section from My Wisconsin Genealogy website

"If you love trains or love someone who loves trains...this is the bed and breakfast for you. Our caboose is easy to find, just ask anyone! In case you need directions, we are located just south of Viroqua on Hwy. 27 and County J in lovely Vernon County. Whether you want a memorable family vacation or a romantic weekend getaway, the Viroqua Short Line Bed and Breakfast is the ideal choice for lodging and fun!"
- section from the official website

Hairless Creature Attacks Dog  (1992)

Whisker's Old Time Inn

  500 Main St.  (next to Big River Inn)
Genoa, WI  54632
(608) 689-2652

hours:
(Fri - Sat)  6am – 9pm  /  (Sat - Sun)  7am – Noon

The Big River Inn

  500 Main St.  (next to Whisker's Old Time Inn)
Genoa, WI  54632
(877) BIG-RIVR

Orange Ball in Sky  (1999)

"The ball circled the hill at the same height for five minutes, before it stopped and shot straight up into the sky."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

"The Kickapoo Polka Band"

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of the sound of a mysterious polka band heard throughout the area centering around Potts Corners.

Strange Odors & Uneasy Feelings in House  (2004)

"Hillsboro Exorcist"

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of a man who dedicated his life to eradicating the region of evil through unconventional means.

Hillsboro UFO Sightings

"Betty Pliner described the object as having '...a million lights all around it, and they were all blinking. I thought it was beautiful. They never quit flashing...they just kept flashing.' "
- section from UFO Wisconsin 10-12-89 report

St. Charles Cemetery

Paranormal activity has been reported in or near the cemetery.

Bright Blue Light in Sky  (1995)

"Couple see a 'bright blue, flickering light' through clouds."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

"...I started watching what looked like a satellite in the center of Persious going due N.E. when I realized there were two other 'satellites' in front of it which made a backwards flying triangle (base first) covering about a half a degree of sky."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

"Wildcat Mountain Sentinel"

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of a specter seen protecting the area where suspected treasure is hidden.

Coon Valley Trolls

In the book "Giants in the Land", author Dennis Boyer tells of the five trolls that cause mischief and mayhem in the townships of Christiana, Coon and Hamburg.

"Ghosts of America" Haunted Location Reports
(take with a grain of salt)

The reports on this site are presumably fiction, using random Wisconsin place names in the stories listed there.  Even so, you might get a kick out of reading them.

DiSciascio's Restaurant

"Barn Dance"

In the book "Spooky Wisconsin", we learn of a young man heading out for a visit to a backwoods tavern only to be distracted by the sight of a strange social gathering in an unlikely place.

The Fairchild House

"Today the Historical Society office and genealogy room is on the first floor. Obituaries, census, grave stone inscriptions, ancestor charts, maps, and area family and history books are just a few of the items accessible for genealogical research. The second and third floors house various exhibits of Vernon County History including the Tobacco exhibit, an important agricultural product in Vernon County for many years and the Astronaut Mark Lee Space exhibit."
- section from the Vernon County Historical Society website

  410 South Center
Viroqua, WI  54665
(608) 637-7396

hours:
• mid-May thru mid-Sept  (Tues - Sun)  Noon – 4pm
• mid-Sept thru mid-May  (Tues - Thurs)  Noon – 4pm