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Driving through Colgate, Wisconsin, you might spot roadside signs directing you toward something called "Spectacular Sculpture." You must go. The signs will take you to a six-acre outdoor gallery in southeastern Wisconsin showcasing the metal work (and private property) of artist Paul Bobrowitz, open to the public daily from 9:00am-5:00pm. Though it isn't exactly trespassing, there is a strange surprise element to driving down Paul's long driveway. There are armies of metal creatures: nymph-like spokes that spin in the wind like yard toys, kooky contraptions repurposed from old tires and wire, and hefty beasts that rise from the ground like brutalist art. There is a seemingly endless collection of artwork, which Paul's website sorts into categories of monumental, whimsical, kinetic, and wall.
If the signs on nearby roads aren't enough to get you to the right area, the address is N93W29174 Woodchuck Way in Colgate, WI. It is found near Holy Hill, thirty minutes Northwest of downtown Milwaukee.
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In the 1950s, they were functioning sand filtration silos with underground catacombs with sand banked knee-high at the corners. In 1987, they were long abandoned and sold to the District, where they would sit for thirty-seven years as nothing more than a spot for DMV urbex. In 2024, they were renovated into a public park for families— and not only that, but a sand silo-themed playground. If urbex is nothing more than a playground for grunge adults, McMillan Reservoir is a rare success story. After over three decades of decay, it would have been a typical urbex storyline for the park to be bulldozed to make space for something new and clean. Instead, the district chose to preserve the silos and catacombs. As quoted in this Washington Post article at the time of the renovation: It gives the 6.2-acre park somewhat of an otherworldly feel, an unlikely cross between industrial and recreational. From the indoor pool, you can peer through the glass windows into the eerie catacombs, which once held sand for the city’s 20th-century water filtration system. The city leaned into the theme: The playground has a sandpit, a slide that pays homage to the shape of the silos, and a miniature play “regulator house” that mimics the brick control rooms next to the old sand towers. To visit, you can enter McMillan Sand Filtration Site into your GPS. It's located at the corner of Michigan Avenue and North Capitol Street in Washington, D.C. OverviewIf you're looking for a way to explore some underground tunnels that aren't illegal (imagine!), there's no better place than the Pedway. Chicago has a huge network of connected paths that will take you almost anywhere in the business district. Click here to see where it can take you - and enjoy traveling through a less-crowded, less-frigid Chi-town! (Disclaimer: Pictures above aren't mine... I ended up just taking video footage. See below!)
OverviewNext time you're by Storms Driving Range, walk around to the back and take a right to see the most well-built tree-house in town. A second, smaller one lies nearby as well. Coordinates: 43.042407, -88.109729
DirectionsNote from August 2024: The address to this site has been lost! On my next trip to Wisconsin, I'll try to relocate -- but from Google Maps, my best guess would be to park at 1235 W Canal St and make your way toward the grain silos.
 OverviewMix picturesque Italian architecture with modern art exhibits and you'll find Milwaukee's most underrated gallery. Villa Terrace is part museum, part marvel, all gorgeous. Go after hours and climb the fence to walk the gardens or stop in during a quiet time to walk the halls, peruse the art, and escape onto the rooftop.
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