‘Man-made’ Wisconsin planetarium takes visitors on wondrous celestial tour

MONICO, Wis. (AP) — About the only thing more remarkable than the Kovac Planetarium is that on a Wisconsin tourism list of seven man-made wonders, it rated only an honorable mention.

Then again, when it’s up against places like the Packers’ Lambeau Field, maybe that’s to be expected. That and the fact that the planetarium is plopped down in an isolated area of north-woods Wisconsin probably worked against it.

Frank Kovac Jr. is the 46-year-old amateur astronomer who built what he says is “the world’s largest mechanical globe planetarium” near Monico. He opened the planetarium in 2007 after 10 years of work at night and on weekends.

Other Wisconsin wonders are the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Noah’s Ark Waterpark, Taliesin, House on the Rock and Wisconsin Concrete Park.