Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
The Swetsville Zoo is located just minutes east of Interstate 25 outside the town of Timnath. Bill Swets began building creatures from old farm machinery nearly 25 years ago and displays the creations for free on his 35-acre plot of land. Due to town expansion, the sculptures are now in the process of being moved from the Swets property.
According to an article in the Denver Post, the town purchased two of the creatures and the rest will be placed in storage until construction is finished on a specially designed park north of Harmony Road near Wal-Mart. Although Swets no longer builds new designs, College Avenue photographer Chelsea Dunfee guides you through a collection of the zoo’s more interesting inhabitants.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
Humpty Dumpty, top, and Omelet, bottom, are two busted “marshmallows” that will need more than a welder to put them together again. Each sculpture in the zoo is marked with an old cow tag that lists their nickname, scientific name and any comments.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
The Slinky Dog is made from smaller motor and chassis parts.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
The Dinosaur Kit is a dumping ground for discarded and unused “body parts.”
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
Old tire rims, rusted tractor parts and hundreds of other forgotten metals are welded together to form a large spire. The sculpture is one of the tallest objects at the zoo.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
Eggy the dinosaur hatches from his propane tank egg. Several years ago, Eggy and numerous other attractions at Swetsville had to be moved because of construction on Harmony Road.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
The "La Super Bug" is part Volkswagen Beetle, part spider. The bottom of the car is over six feet off the ground and offers shade to zoo visitors.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
Several birds, including this small, swan-like creature, roam the zoo. The largest is over 12 feet tall.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
So-Chu-Me, a Chinese snake made from heavy-duty steel cable, is one of the smallest sculptures in the zoo.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
A rusty fisherman patiently waits for a bite on his fishing pole.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
Unlike more traditional "little green men," this alien is made of completely recycled materials.
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- Photo by Chelsea Dunfee
A giant T-rex with a spine made from a defunct corn picker towers over the zoo.
