About Hodag Statue
Rhinelander’s official monster looks as if someone designed a predator by refusing to stop adding dangerous parts. The Hodag has horns, enormous tusks, sharp claws, red eyes, a spiked back, and a heavy reptilian body. A larger-than-life statue of the creature now stands outside the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce.
The legend began in 1896 when local timber cruiser Eugene “Gene” Shepard claimed to have encountered and photographed a terrifying animal in the woods. He later displayed another supposed Hodag and attracted enough attention that the Smithsonian Institution reportedly became interested.
Shepard eventually admitted the creature was a hoax. The original prop was constructed from materials including wood, ox hides, bull horns, and steel. That admission did surprisingly little to damage the Hodag’s career.
The monster became a lasting symbol of Rhinelander, appearing on businesses, schools, signs, events, and local merchandise. Multiple Hodag statues can be found around the city, but the huge creature outside the Chamber of Commerce is the most direct introduction.
Many towns would quietly retire a famous hoax. Rhinelander did the opposite and adopted the monster so completely that the fake creature became one of the most real parts of the city’s identity.