House On The Rock

House On The Rock
Attraction showcases one man’s eclectic collections

One of the most unique attractions we have ever run across in our travels is the awe-inspiring House on the Rock, located in Spring Green, Wisconsin. For years people have been telling us about the architectural marvel that houses a museum filled with weird and wild collections of everything from old cars and antique dolls, to the world’s largest carousel, a gaudy contraption of gilt angels, topless mermaids, and fantasy animals. Nothing we were told prepared us for the sheer immenseness of the place!

The story goes that the House on the Rock was conceived because a man named Alex Jordan wanted to get even with famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It seems that Wright had once rudely fired Jordan’s father from his glamorous Taliesin estate near Spring Green, telling the young architect "I wouldn’t hire you to design a chicken coop." When Jordan discovered a 60 foot sandstone tower known locally as Deer Shelter Rock, he purchased the land around it and began to build a parody of architect Wright’s creation, a wild affair of slanting windows and jutting angles.

The House on the Rock’s most famous feature is the Infinity Room, a glass walled tunnel that seems to hang in mid-air as it extends 219 feet out over the valley floor below, tapering down to a narrow point at its farthest end. The structure, with its 3,264 windows, is not for the acrophobic or faint of heart.

Whatever inspired Alex Jordan to build his oddball attraction, the end result is something no one should miss. Jordan was a lifelong collector of anything and everything, and the House on the Rock grew into an amazing forty acre complex of exhibits and gardens showcasing his myriad collections.

Alex Jordan did not start out to build a tourist attraction, but early in the construction project, folks who had heard about the architectural marvel started showing up asking for tours. Jordan began charging fifty cents a head, and the rest is history. Today more than a half million visitors a year pay $19.50 each to tour House on the Rock.

Give yourself plenty of time for the self-guided tour, it will take several hours to really see everything. Fortunately there are benches and rest stops along your route as you make your way through the sometimes claustrophobic maze of rooms and hallways that hold the many displays. Along the way you will pass through what seems to be the ultimate bachelor pad; the house itself, with its Tiffany lamps, oriental carpets, huge fireplaces, and window seats. Visitors stop to admire Ming vases and elaborate carvings. In the background an automated music machine plays Bolero, Harbor Lights and other old tunes. Jordan apparently enjoyed his automated music devices, and the complex holds dozens of different examples. Watch your head here, some of the ceilings are rather low and the lighting is subdued.

The attraction is broken up into several displays with different themes. Nostalgia fans will enjoy The Streets of Yesterday, an exhibit created in 1971 that simulates Main Street of an early-day small town, complete with shops, fire station, barber shop, Victorian homes, and gas-lit brick streets. You can almost hear the sounds of horseless carriages and calls of shopkeepers to passing customers.

For those who hear the call of the ocean or are enthralled by the mysteries of the deep, Heritage Of The Sea is sure to please. A three story tall sea monster dominates the exhibit with wicked flashing teeth, doing battle with a giant squid. Pure fantasy, and the stuff of dreams (or nightmares). Along the three levels of the exhibit are displays of model ships, nautical exhibits, Naval artifacts, and cruise ship schedules.

Music blares in the Carousel Room, where the giant carousel, with its 239 beasts collected from across the world, revolves in a melee of sound and light. Hundreds of figurines hang on the room’s walls and from the ceiling - winged angels, cherubs, and other mythical creatures. Over 180 chandeliers hanging from the ceiling above add to the display.

To continue on your tour, you walk into a dragon’s open mouth, where more music machines await your tokens, and proceed to the Organ Room. Here an amazing collection of huge theater organs, huge red glass chandeliers, and copper pots are displayed. An entire animated orchestra waits to entertain you, and catwalks and ramps allow you to move from display to display. Did I mention that this can be a strenuous tour? Take advantage of those benches to rest when you can!

Another room holds the world’s largest cannon, a creation so large that Jordan had to have a room custom built to house it. Looking across a battlefield at this immense weapon would certainly make a pacifist out of me!

Doll collectors will not be able to get enough of the Doll Room, where an unbelievable collection of antique dolls are sure to give you pause. Nearby is the Circus Room, with its collection of miniature circus displays and circus posters.

Add to this displays of Medieval armor, a treasure in gems and jewels, royal crowns and scepters, antique firearms, vintage automobiles, antique airplanes and more than the imagination can conceive or the memory can retain.

Alex Jordan passed away in 1989, but his creation lives on as the new owners of House on the Rock continue to preserve and expand on his legacy. The complex includes beautifully groomed gardens with sculpted plants and bushes, three different eating areas along the tour route, a picnic area, and gift shop. Be sure to stop at the fudge shop for a delicious treat and to watch the candy makers at work.

The architectural design of House on the Rock will make some areas difficult to maneuver in a wheelchair, but there is still much to see that is accessible. During the 2003 season, House on the Rock is open daily from March 15 to October 27. The attraction opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., with slightly extended hours during peak summer weeks. Parking is free, and there is room for large RVs.

House on the Rock is located in Spring Green, about 45 miles northwest of Madison, on State Route 23. Wisconsin Dells is 48 miles north and popular with tourists from all over the country. There are several nice RV parks in the Wisconsin Dells area, and it makes a good base to explore the surrounding attractions, including House on the Rock. Our favorite is Country Roads in Lake Delton, five minutes from downtown Wisconsin Dells. For more information on House on the Rock, call 608-935-3639 or go to their web site at www.thehouseontherock.com.