I Found a Strange Little Stone Sanctuary in Wisconsin
Spooky Passport
I love finding the obscure places that make you stop and say, “Wait… this is here?” Kinstone was absolutely one of them.
And if you’re strange and unusual, in the great words of Lydia Deetz, you’ll probably understand why I had to go.
Tucked into the bluffs above the Mississippi River in Fountain City, Wisconsin, Kinstone is a collection of massive stone structures, labyrinths, sculptures, and sacred spaces built into the landscape. It is part art installation, part spiritual retreat, part very unexpected roadside adventure.
I found it the way I find a lot of my favorite places: Atlas Obscura.
I was staying in Winona, Minnesota, and realized Kinstone was only about 20 minutes away. It was a weekday, I had some time after work, and the place was closing soon.
Naturally, I went anyway.
The Road to Kinstone
The drive up was already setting the mood.
There was almost no traffic as I wound my way uphill, surrounded by trees and the kind of quiet that makes you suddenly very aware that you’re alone.
Eventually, the paved road gave way to a dirt road and one very simple sign:
Kinstone →
I pulled into the grassy parking area and realized I was essentially the last person there.
Perfect.
The property is described as a sacred space intended to help people connect with nature, themselves, and the world around them. I wasn’t expecting much beyond an interesting place to explore, but when I stepped out of my car, I felt… something.
It was one of those moments where you pause before you even know why you’re pausing.
Maybe it was the setting. Maybe it was the quiet. Maybe it was the altitude.
Or maybe Kinstone was just being Kinstone.
Either way, I stood there for a minute and took it in.
Meeting the Woman Behind Kinstone
I headed into the little gift shop to buy my ticket and met Kristine Beck, the creator of Kinstone.
She was incredibly welcoming and took some time to explain the property and what she had created there. The whole place immediately felt personal in a way that large attractions rarely do.
There was even well water to try, which I had never done before, because apparently my definition of adventure includes drinking mysterious Wisconsin well water.
I picked up some free rocks and origami cranes, bought some homemade jam, and learned that the tour was self-guided.
More importantly, Kristine told me I could take my time even though the gift shop was closing.
So I grabbed my pamphlets, put on my flower-shaped sunglasses, and headed outside.
Exploring Kinstone
The centerpiece of Kinstone is, obviously, the stone.
Massive stones form circles, walls, labyrinths, sculptures, and other structures throughout the property, all integrated into the surrounding landscape. There’s something about seeing them in person that photographs don’t quite capture.
It’s not polished in the way a traditional attraction is.
It feels handmade.
And because I was there alone, I could wander wherever I wanted and take my time with everything.
Then I realized I wasn’t actually alone.
A cat had apparently decided to join me.
I had seen him hanging around the gift shop earlier, but somehow I hadn’t noticed that he had followed me outside. Suddenly he was just… there.
Naturally, he wanted attention.
So naturally, I gave him tummy rubs.
And apparently that was enough to establish our professional relationship because my new feline companion proceeded to follow me around the property.
I had a cat tour guide.
This was a first.
He even contributed a very memorable butt photobomb to one of my photos.
Honestly, some of my favorite travel memories are the completely unplanned ones like this.
The Chapel of Creation
One of the places that stayed with me most was the Chapel of Creation.
The structure has a thatched roof and incorporates wine bottles into the walls, allowing little pockets of light to filter through.
When I stepped inside, the temperature immediately dropped.
After being outside in the heat, the cool air was almost startling. I closed the door behind me and stood there for a while.
Everything became quiet.
It was one of those accidental moments of stillness that travel sometimes gives you — the kind you can’t really schedule and probably wouldn’t have found if you’d been rushing through the property trying to see everything.
For a few minutes, I just sat with it.
And Then There Was a Snake.
Of course there was.
Because apparently my tranquil afternoon at a sacred stone sanctuary needed a plot twist.
It was early summer, so the bugs were very much enjoying themselves. As someone who is decidedly not an outdoorsy person, I was already fighting for my life a little bit.
The tall grass was making suspicious noises.
The sun was intense.
And then, while I was filming and absentmindedly messing with my camera, I looked down.
Snake.
Brown with white spots. Bigger than a garden snake. And for reasons I still don’t understand, it was sitting directly in the middle of the walkway instead of somewhere sensible, like the grass.
I nearly fell over.
At that point, my cat guide was still perfectly happy soaking up the sunshine while I made the executive decision that perhaps my Kinstone adventure had reached its natural conclusion.
I walked…okay, possibly ran…. back to my car.
Why I Remember Kinstone
The funny thing is that the snake, the bugs, the heat, and the strange noises don’t make me remember Kinstone negatively.
If anything, they make the memory better.
Because that’s what I actually love about traveling.
Not every experience is perfectly curated. Sometimes the place is beautiful and weird and peaceful and you’re wearing ridiculous flower sunglasses. Sometimes a cat adopts you. Sometimes you find a snake and immediately reconsider your relationship with nature.
And sometimes you stumble across something because an obscure travel website told you it existed.
Kinstone wasn’t a place I had planned my trip around. It wasn’t on some grand Wisconsin itinerary.
I simply saw it, thought “that looks strange,” and went.
Those are often my favorite places.
Before You Go
Kinstone operates seasonally and offers self-guided visits as well as workshops and other programming connected to art, sustainability, permaculture, and holistic practices.
Kinstone
S3439 Cole Bluff Lane
Fountain City, WI 54629
608-687-3332
According to the information in my original visit notes, Kinstone is open seasonally from May 1 through October 31, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Check current information before visiting, as hours and programming can change.
And if you happen to visit in early summer?
Maybe watch where you step.
Especially if you’re not the outdoorsy type.
Spooky Passport explores forgotten history, local legends, eerie places, folklore, cemeteries, abandoned sites, and the mysteries that make a destination unforgettable. Sometimes the most fascinating stories are the ones waiting to be uncovered.
