MEDFORD, Wis. — The owner of the Mighty Muskie, a towering fiberglass fish that has stood beside Wisconsin Highway 64 for 34 years, announced plans to expand the roadside attraction after visitor traffic rose 60%. The planned addition would include a covered photo pavilion, a small display room on the landmark’s construction and a picnic area beside the existing parking lot.

Isaiah Suzuki, the attraction’s caretaker, said visitors increasingly stop not only for pictures beneath the oversized muskie but also to ask how the landmark was built and maintained. The expansion is intended to give travelers a place to linger without crowding the pull-off near the highway.

Simone Castellano, a representative for the local tourism board, said the fish has become an unexpected draw for travelers passing through Taylor County. She said the increase in visitors has brought more people into Medford’s shops and restaurants, and the board expects to help promote the expanded site once construction plans are finalized.