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So you’re driving along and you see a giant cow or a giant elephant or a giant mouse. These fiberglass beings speckle the landscape of America in odd locations, beckoning tourists to take a moment to stop. But, you might wonder, where did they come from?
If a fiberglass character has popped up anywhere in the last 15 years, chances are it came from F.A.S.T.: Fiberglass Animals, Shapes & Trademarks.
Billing themselves as “the premier manufacturer of fiberglass statues” F.A.S.T. in Sparta, Wisconsin produces an unprecedented number of these roadside creatures.
Since 1983, when artist Jerry Vettrus bought out Creative Display, F.A.S.T. has created fiberglass statues for thousands of companies around the world. Their catalogue contains hundreds of molds, but they also specialize in creating unique sculptures used for retail displays, water parks, school mascots, landmarks, and more.
But F.A.S.T. isn’t just a factory; it is a garden of fiberglass ripe for exploring. Outside of the F.A.S.T. headquarters lay hundreds of fiberglass creatures in various stages of doneness and the yard is open for anyone to walk through and explore. It is a fascinating adventure browsing taped-up horses in raw gray next to gloriously painted pirates. F.A.S.T. is truly a site to behold.
Site: F.A.S.T. Corporation
Location: 14177 County Highway Q, Sparta, WI
Cost: Free to see
Hours: Daylight Hours
Date: August 29, 2008
