swetsville zoo

This was a great place to spend a few minutes stretching our legs. The creativity was incredible! Enjoyed each piece of art! Would stop here again to stroll around as I'm passing through. No charge for admittance, but they do accept donations, and they are well worth it! Thank you for sharing your art!

Wonderful, fun, hidden gem of a place! Bring a picnic lunch, or romantic dinner and wine, and sit by the river to soak it all in.

Being new to Fort Collins, there are all sorts of things to look for and places to explore. I'm so happy that this was on TripAdvisor! My mom and I stopped by after a trip out of town so it was getting close to sunset. However, the little museum was still open and only a few other people were there enjoying it as well. Wandering around with a laminated list of the names of each piece, we got a few chuckles out of the creativity behind some of them. As a geocacher, a virtual cache made it extra fun to explore while looking for particular pieces. You'll notice all sorts of extra things as you wander around one or twice. Keep in mind, there is NO touching or climbing on the critters/pieces, so be sure to keep an eye on any children (young AND old!) who might be adventurous. For a free (donations welcome), outdoor, and artistic "zoo" with a unique kick to it, I'd say this is a worthwhile spot to visit.

Wow what an imagination created all of these wonderful sculptures. We really enjoyed looking at them. A great stop for anyone!

I love art made from repurposed materials. This outdoor zoo has an amazing collection of creatures frozen in time. Made out of steel and iron, they can remind one of dinosours or aliens or dead darwian creatures. Pleasant walking path that leads to the river. A donation box for the admission.

This one man's impressive project used to be set in the middle of nowhere off of I-25 on the way to Fort Collins or Cheyenne, WY, but now it's squeezed in next to the new Costco, but don't let that discourage you from visiting. Mr. Swets farm sits right on the Poudre River on the east side of I-25, easy to access. Parking and entrance are free, but feel free to donate. Walk into a metal prehistoric world with amazing creatures crafted from junk farm tools, hub caps, bolts and screws. Some of these creatures must be 20 feet tall! The path takes you along the river and through trees, as you search for the creative variety of metal animals. It's a very fun place to take your kids, bring a picnic and enjoy a unique break from traveling. There are rarely more than a few people there.

When we lived in Fort Collins, this was always a stop to bring visitors. You don't need more than an hour to see all the quirky statutes welded from a variety of materials. It's free and then we would go across the street at Walmart to gas up for the drive to Denver. If it's been rainy, it can get a little muddy

Born and raised in Fort Collins, I've often been to the Swetsville Zoo, and it's one place I've taken a quite a few visitors. The park is a collection of sculptures made from a variety of recycled metals, materials, car parts, machinery, etc. Admission is donation based. Everything is outside, which adds a seasonal element. Not all of the paths are paved, which can make wheel-chair access limited to certain areas, and difficult for some strollers. The pieces change over the years, but it's always interesting, and incredibly clever. Good place to take younger kids.

Pull in parking lot, grab a laminated guide and walk thru the arch way to the east. Each sculpture is numbered, the before mentioned guide will inform you of the sculptures name and a humorous one liner. The path loops down by the river and takes you back to where you started. This area has a lot of very large trees so it remains pretty cool, and there are picnic tables scattered about. Cross the parking lot and there is a large grassy area with more sculptures to the west. Some of these move with the scantest of a breeze. All the art work is amazing. It is clever and thought provoking. Children can see the obvious silliness and adults can wonder about the sub liminal statements being made. I was left with several questions. Why does this man do this? It isn't for money, as there is no admission fee only a donation box. Where does all this stuff come from? How does he come up with this? What is this guy thinking??? My daughter was lucky enough to speak to the artist who is soft spoken and kind. He is hard of hearing so if you are lucky enough please speak facing him. When she asked him why he did this, with a sparkle in his eye he answered so you and your dad would come see it.

This little sculpture park is in the owner's front and back yard and trailer park and right beside the Interstate onramp. Charming and sweet and makes you smile! It's like a roadside stand but nothing for sale. There's a donation box for metal materials. The yard is filled with 100 whimsical creatures: dinosaurs, bugs, flowers, spaceships, woodland creatures, castle, Taj Majal. It is well worth the 20 minutes it took to walk around by the creek. What an imagination this sculptor has. Mr Swets had a sign dedicated to his wife. So very sweet!

was killing time so we decided to visit it talk about someone with an imagination to take old parts and make something

Happened upon this place yesterday, so my husband and I decided to stop and take a tour and boy were we surprised! The man who set this up and did all of these amazing ironwork pieces is so talented and clever. We so enjoyed walking around his property and the best part, it's all free for viewing with a donation box if you want to and of course we did because of the time and money that went into this fasiinating place. Please visit!

This is a quirky but fun sculpture garden made of old mechanical parts. It is creative and low key. Watch you kids though, because it isn't fully paved and there are some prickly parts, like dinosaur teeth. It only takes about 45 minutes.

Easy to find; a local artisan has created a wonderland for young and old. a mystical walk to enjoy being young again.

The Swetsville Zoo is not like any other fun place you've seen! It's just east of I-25, off of Harmony in Ft. Collins, CO. Drive into the driveway and you will see all kinds of iron and metal structures, animals, dinosaurs, cars, flying machines, creatures, chimes, etc. You can walk all around it and by the river that runs next to the property. It's a really fun place for kids!!