FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard | Strange and Romantic Wisconsin Road Trip Find

Have you ever driven past something and you turn your head so fast wondering if you saw what you think you saw? That’s what happened to us when we drove past the FAST Fiberglass mold graveyard.

While checking out the western part of Wisconsin to see what unusual photo opportunities were available, Sparta is a great place to start.

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Road Trips are a great escape for the summer. Every weekend, you can be out discovering something different. Use our Road Trip Essentials Checklist to be prepared for when a road trip opportunity presents itself.

While on a road trip to Sparta, Wisconsin, we discovered a graveyard during a recent Summer Staycation. Not someplace we would normally find ourselves having to check out, but this graveyard was so intriguing.

If you have traveled through Wisconsin on some of the many two-lane roads and visited any of the quaint out-of-the-way towns, played miniature golf, or enjoyed eating ice cream while seated by one of those huge ice cream cone sculptures, I’m sure you have seen at least one of the many creations made by FAST Fiberglass.

The creations I’m talking about are “not” the flimsy blow-up ones we sometimes see. I’m referring to the larger-than-life characters, that look real and are outside or on top of some businesses. The ones that, when you drive past, grab your attention and make your head quickly turn back around to see if you really saw what you think you saw.

Those creations always amaze me, and yes, I’m one that needs to stop and take a picture. It’s even more fun when I can get Gary to pose with them. I used to create sets for children’s plays and activities, so these creations grabbed my attention.

I discovered that many of them came from FAST Fiberglass, which is located right here in Wisconsin. I instantly saw a road trip in our future. I wasn’t expecting all that we discovered that day.

What is FAST Fiberglass

FAST could be considered the birthplace of roadside attractions. It is the largest producer of outdoor sculptures. FAST started in the late 1950s and was known as Sculptured Advertising. It later became known as Creative Display Inc. and in 1983 changed its name to FAST Corp., which it is known by today. FAST stands for Fiberglass, Animals, Shapes, and Trademarks Corp.

If I had just seen the name, I would have been a bit confused: Animals…Shapes? When I think of fiberglass, I think of canoes, boats, surfboards, bathtubs, showers, truck toppers, or car fenders. I wouldn’t have thought of animals and characters as being made of fiberglass.

FAST Fiberglass is responsible for many of the water-park slides, characters, movie props, statues, landmarks, and restaurant mascots. FAST creations can be found throughout all 50 states.

What does FAST Fiberglass do?

FAST Fiberglass specializes in creating over-the-top attention-grabbing, even world record-holding figures and items. Ones like you might see outside restaurants and gas stations, drive-in mascots, and water-park slides. We discovered we had visited a couple of their very impressive creations and hadn’t even known it.

Gary standing in the mouth of the World Record 143-foot Musky made by FAST for The Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin.

Here are some of their other well-known creations:

• Marcs Big Boy
• A & W Rooty Bear
• The Bobbleheads at the L.A. Stadium
• The 30-foot tall Eyeball that was on display in Pritzker Park in downtown Chicago and is now on display in Dallas, Texas
• The world record 143-foot Musky at the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin
• The Chick-Fil-A cow
• The Jolly Green Giant
• The giant sea creature that is displayed in the House on the Rock

In talking with Ryan, the owner of FAST, it seems fiberglass creation skills run throughout the small town of Sparta, and has for many years. FAST is not the only fiberglass company around. Farm Fiberglass and others are also in the area. FAST is the largest and most well-known.

It also sounds as if they all have a good working relationship. Ryan was uncertain if the rumor of the giant sea creature at the House on the Rock was built by FAST, another company in Sparta, or a collaborative project by more than one business.

What is the fiberglass process at FAST?

When we first arrived at FAST, it was a Saturday afternoon on one of the hottest Wisconsin days of the year, and there was a gentleman working. I went over to get a picture and in talking with the gentleman found out it was Ryan, the newest owner of FAST.

Ryan may be the “new” owner of FAST but was not new to the fiberglass business. It sounds like it runs in their family. Ryan’s dad had once worked for FAST.

I asked Ryan about the process of creating the amazing creations we all come to know and love. I don’t think I was prepared for the complexity of the process.

• An artist first creates a sketch of the desired design.
• Then, an artist creates a clay sculpture of the sketch
• A 3D scan is done of the sculpture
• A digital file and model are created from the scan
• The design is blown up to its true size
• The full-size design is sliced into pieces
• Those pieces then run through a 3D printer and are printed out of blocks of Styrofoam
• All of the pieces of the Styrofoam puzzle now need to be assembled
• Once the puzzle is assembled, fine sanding makes sure all of the seams are gone, and the fine details are present.
• Once the foam model is perfected, the foam is coated and sprayed with fiberglass.
• Once the fiberglass is hardened, it is cut into pieces. Those pieces are what caught our eye when driving past FAST.
• Those fiberglass pieces are what make up the mold for the creations.
• The molds are assembled back together and the inside is sprayed with a coating and then fiberglass.
• Once hardened, the mold pieces are removed, and a fiberglass creation is waiting to be finished.
• The piece now needs to be fine-sanded to remove any seams.
• The piece is primed, painted, and sealed.

This process leaves you with a creation that will last a long time and can withstand almost anything. Most of the repairs needed, if any, are due to vandalism. Such as the sad case of the Giant Eyeball Sculpture that is currently on display in Dallas, which was crafted by FAST and on display in Chicago before going on to Dallas.

It must be a sight to see some of the many masterpieces done by FAST being transported to their permanent home. Has anybody seen a fun creature on the back of a semi-truck lately?

What a creative team it must take from start to finish, and what fun it must be to see a project of this size go from someone’s vision to full-size and sometimes larger-than-life reality.

The FAST Fiberglass Mold Graveyard

FAST Fiberglass welcomes visitors on a daily basis. Anyone who wants to stroll among their bizarre collection of molds in the field is welcome to do so. It would be very hard to drive past Fast Fiberglass and not want to stop and take a look around. It is a common occurrence to have cars and tour buses stop for photo opportunities.

Signs are posted at the entrance of the molds’ final resting grounds. Welcoming guests to walk around and enjoy but it also warns you to look and wander at your own risk and to watch out for hornets and bee’s nests.  

Scattered in the field behind their barn (turned into a workshop), is this amazing, almost eerie collection of molds leftover from nearly every job they have ever done. There is a very good reason for all of those molds to be still hanging around.

When a job is completed the company keeps the molds, which are bigger than the finished piece itself. Molds can be used, changed, and repurposed.

When we stopped at a small-town drive-in with a bear mascot on display we noticed a similarity to the A & W Rooty Bear. This is a great example of repurposing.

A lot of work goes into making the molds and it makes sense to repurpose them when you can. One L.A. Dodger Bobblehead mold could be used to make other L.A. Dodgers just by changing the features and personalizing the painting. A baseball, basketball, or football mold can be personalized for any team by being painted with the team names and colors.

I can’t help but wonder if they created the giant bobblehead we saw at Milwaukee’s Bobblehead Museum.

FAST stores all of these molds in the field behind their shop. Over the years, hundreds of these giant molds have accumulated.

Visiting FAST Fiberglass Graveyard was so much fun. In comparison, we visited the Neon Graveyard in Las Vegas, Nevada. It offered a similar experience but with neon lights. The Neon Graveyard is a collection of discarded neon signs from the Las Vegas Strip.

We found signs in the Neon Graveyard to be fun and quirky much like that at the FAST fiberglass graveyard.

Driving past, at first glance, it looks as if the field was leftover from some ancient time. The molds over the years have weathered and taken on the look of old stone.

Today, there are hundreds of giant fiberglass molds scattered all across the area in a variety of shapes. It was fun to wander through the field and pick out molds from figures that we recognized.

If you find yourself on Highway 21 just south of Sparta, Wisconsin, this site is something you won’t miss and will definitely want to stop and check out.

Additional fun things to do in Sparta

Sparta, Wisconsin, may be a small town, but it offers a variety of fun and quirky attractions.

Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bicycle Museum celebrates the life and achievements of Sparta native Deke Slayton, who was one of the original NASA astronauts.
Ben Bikin’ Sculpture Park, which features over 30 metal sculptures depicting people and animals on bicycles. While you are there check out the World’s Largest Bicycle.
Elroy-Sparta State Trail, a 32-mile biking and hiking trail that runs through the beautiful Wisconsin countryside.
Monroe County Local History Room & Museum is a great stop, featuring exhibits on local history and genealogy resources.

Finally, visitors can’t leave Sparta without stopping by the world’s largest bike shop, the Sparta-Fort McCoy Schwinn Cyclery. With so many fun and quirky things to see and do, Sparta is a great place to visit on a road trip.

Where to eat in Sparta

Sparta, Wisconsin has a variety of dining options, from casual cafes to Wisconsin supper clubs.

For those looking for a classic Wisconsin supper club experience, the Club Oasis is a great choice, serving up classic dishes like prime rib and Wisconsin fish fry.

Other popular options include Jake’s Northwoods, which offers hearty comfort food in a cozy atmosphere, and Slice of Chicago, a local favorite for pizza and Italian dishes. When visiting Sparta we’re sure you can find something to satisfy your taste buds in this charming Wisconsin town.

Where to stay in Sparta

Sparta is a small town in Wisconsin with several interesting things to do and see. You may want to stay overnight before continuing on with your road trip. Either of these two hotels can offer you a welcome night’s sleep.

Best Western Plus Sparta Trail Lodge

Best Western Plus Sparta Trail Lodge is a modern hotel that offers comfortable rooms and amenities, including an indoor pool and hot tub, a fitness center, and a complimentary breakfast.

It’s located close to the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, making it a great choice for those looking to explore the area. The hotel also has excellent reviews from past guests, with many praising the friendly staff and clean, well-appointed rooms.

Franklin Victorian Bed & Breakfast

Franklin Victorian Bed & Breakfast is a charming bed and breakfast in a historic Victorian home that offers guests a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. It has received numerous accolades, including being named the #1 Bed and Breakfast in Wisconsin by TripAdvisor.

The rooms are beautifully decorated and feature antique furnishings, while guests can enjoy a delicious homemade breakfast each morning.