One day, when his children were grown, Nick Engelbert retired from farming and began creating concrete and mosaic art. By the 1950s, his rural Wisconsin yard was decorated with around 40 concrete sculptures. Today, you can visit Engelbert’s Grandview and see his handiwork up close! His sculptures have been beautifully restored and maintained, making Grandview a folk art environment and front yard masterpiece. If you’re road-tripping through Wisconsin, make sure to detour to this delightful gem!
Location: W9493 State Road 39, Hollandale, WI 53544
Hours: Open seasonally, sunrise to sunset.
Cost: Free, but donations are appreciated.
History
Nick Engelbert was born in Austria in 1881 and fled Europe during the Austro-Hungarian war. He settled in Wisconsin as a dairy farmer and, like so many amazing self-taught artists, didn’t begin making art until later in life. Inspired by the Dickeyville Grotto, Engelbert began transforming his home in 1937 after retiring. Using concrete, glass, shells, and paint, he created colorful statues of animals, historical figures, and mythical creatures. In his 70s, no longer able to make sculptures, he turned to painting and created over 200 oil paintings before his death in 1962.
After his death, the property became overgrown and the sculptures began to deteriorate. The Kohler Foundation stepped in to restore the site, eventually donating it to the Pecatonica Educational Charitable (PEC) Foundation, which maintains it to this day. Now visitors can walk through the yard and admire Engelbert’s work up close. Since 2024, Grandview is on Wisconsin’s Register of Historic Places.
What’s Nearby?
Wisconsin is full of outsider art, natural beauty, and top tier road-side attractions.
- House on the Rock (Spring Green, WI): A dazzling and overwhelming complex filled with bizarre collections and the world’s largest indoor carousel.
- Dr. Evermor’s Forevertron (North Freedom, WI): A massive steampunk-inspired sculpture park featuring the world’s largest scrap metal sculpture. Open seasonally.
- FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard: A field of giant discarded molds from largest fiberglass statue manufacturer in the country.
