Wilson, North Carolina recently unveiled its hip new Whirligig Park and you’re going to want to see this in person. The amazing park features the artistic works of Wilson native Vollis Simpson and is the brand new home of one of the city’s biggest happenstance attractions: the colossal windmills Vollis Simpson crafted in his lifetime and that were previously displayed on his farm 11 miles outside of town.
The backstory behind this park, and its featured artist, is nearly as interesting as the towering 50 foot tall works of art that spin, twirl, jingle and amaze without fail all day, and all night, long.
A sort of amusement park just for the eyes and ears, Wilson's Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park has been in the works for many years and is finally open to the public. Prior to being moved and restored, these colossal fun windmills were over on Simpson's farm and, over time, had become the biggest tourist attraction Wilson had to offer.
Seen below, by 2010, the whirligigs on the farm had gotten a bit too much for Simpson to manage and maintain. By then, Simpson was 91 and the structures had become too much for the former machine shop repairman to take care of.
So the community in Wilson got together and saved their famous attraction by creating the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park in the heart of town over on Goldsboro Street. (Simpson, who passed away at 94 in 2013, is pictured in the photo below.)
Plans were drawn and the powers to be got busy disassembling, repairing, restoring, and moving the big works of art over to the new park. Years and years of planning and work later... the park is now open and one of the busiest new attractions in all of North Carolina.
And the giant creations that once stood cramped inside an overgrown field at Simpson's farm are now the focal point of this fun new park that is set to host a variety of events year-round, as well as the Wilson Farmers & Artisans Market.
The popular Farmers & Artisans Market is open every Wednesday and Saturday from March through October. It's a fantastic way to spend the morning at the market and enjoy the whirligigs that surround the park.
If you are among the hundreds of thousands of people who traveled to Wilson during the last many decades to see his towering artwork made from recycled engine parts (and frankly, a little bit of everything else, too), then you will love seeing them fully restored and in this new venue created by the City of Wilson to honor one of its most prominent visionary citizens.
The Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park is located at 301 S. Goldsboro St., Wilson, NC 27893. Admission is free and the park is open daily, 365 days a year, from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Learn more on the official website for this hip new park.
For more fun roadside art found in North Carolina, keep reading here!
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