
Sparta, Wisconsin bills itself as 'The Bicycle Capital of the Nation.' It also happens to be the hometown of pioneering astronaut Donald 'Deke' Slayton. Both sources of local pride are honored in one compact location, the
Deke Slayton Memorial Space and Bike Museum. It's an odd, informative and fun little place to spend an hour or two.
The 4000 or so artifacts packed into the facility include Deke Slayton's astronaut suit from Mercury 7, a lunar sample collected on the Apollo 17 mission, and a genuine Pietenpol AirCamper airplane. There are also items chronicling the aviation heritage of Monroe County.
...