The tilted white tower along Wisconsin Dells Parkway is a novelty facade built to mimic a leaning building, part of a roadside tradition of eye-catching structures meant to pull in passing tourists. Wisconsin Dells has marketed itself as a vacation destination since the late 1800s, when H.H. Bennett's images of the Wisconsin River gorge drew early sightseers to the area. That tourism economy later expanded into water parks and novelty architecture built to be noticed from the road rather than entered or lived in. Structures like this one function as informal landmarks, helping travelers orient themselves among the dense strip of motels and attractions along the parkway.
Taken July 2024