With a name like the Deke Slayton Space and Bicycle Museum, employees often get questions about the unusual combination of items in the collection.
The Deke Slayton Museum has the only piece of moon rock in Wisconsin. Steve Gardiner / RiverTown Multimedia
“We have three groups of people visiting,” said Alyssa Young, executive director. “We are attracting space enthusiasts. We attract cycling enthusiasts. And then we get people who are just curious because they say it’s the strangest combination and they just want to see what it’s all about.”
The museum houses an incredible collection of space-related items and information because Deke Slayton, one of the first seven Mercury astronauts, was born and raised in Sparta and graduated from the local high school.
The Deke Slayton Museum showcases dozens of types and styles of bicycles, showing their development throughout history. Steve Gardiner / RiverTown Multimedia
The city is also called the biking capital of America because the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, which runs through the city and connects to several other bike trails in the area, is considered by many to be the first of the popular rails-to-trails bike paths created in America.
“We are charting the history of transportation,” Young said. “The Wright brothers ran a bicycle shop, and when they got into aviation, they often used bicycles on their first planes. Monroe County has a wealthy aviation history and several other astronauts have lived in Wisconsin.
This museum exhibit explains the origins of the eight astronauts who call Wisconsin home. Steve Gardiner / RiverTown Multimedia
The Deke Slayton Space and Bicycle Museum is located on the second floor of the former Masonic Temple in Sparta. The lower level houses the Monroe County Museum of Local History, so visitors can easily see both museums.
“Deke was a small-town farm boy who grew up to be an astronaut and fulfilled his big dream,” Young said. “He was a huge inspiration to an entire generation, probably two generations of people, who worked at NASA.”
At the bottom of the Deke Slayton Museum building is a second museum, the free Monroe County Museum of Local History. Steve Gardiner / RiverTown Multimedia
A few blocks from the museum building on Water Street, visitors can find the Chamber of Commerce building, which is housed in a former train depot. It is a convenient starting point for cyclists wishing to ride the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, maintained and managed by the Wisconsin DNR. There are three railway tunnels along the route, which are a favorite place for many cyclists.
Anyone who wants to ride the trail needs a pass, which costs $5 a day or $25 a year. Passes can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce or at self-service kiosks at many trailheads.
Since 2018, two sections of the trail between Wilton and Elroy have been closed due to damage from severe storms. The sections are scheduled to reopen at the end of 2021. If anyone wants to ride the bike trail, please visit the website at dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/elroysparta for more information. Even with trail closures, there are more than enough miles to keep any cyclist cheerful.
The Elroy-Sparta State Trail is a well-maintained crushed gravel trail considered America’s first rails-to-trails bike trail. Steve Gardiner / RiverTown Multimedia
Reporter Steve Gardiner retired this spring but still writes articles from time to time. Readers can contact him through the newsroom at [email protected].
