WISCONSIN
House of the Rock Offers Collectors a Run for Their Money
By Samantha Parker
The House on the Rock is home to the world’s largest carousel. It is made of 269 handcrafted animals (none of which is a horse), 20,000 lights and 182 chandeliers. Photo courtesy of House of a Rock
Coin, stamp and baseball card collectors beware: you have nothing on the House on the Rock. Literally built on a sandstone formation, this 16-building complex is home to the world’s largest carousel, offers a walk down a 19th century street and has a room that gives the illusion of walking on air.
Located in Spring Green, Wisc, this attraction and resort offers guests an interactive museum of collectables, 27 holes of golf and a spa. Its humble beginnings trace back to the 1940s, when an avid collector named Alex Jordan built the house as a weekend retreat. Soon, the house became an attraction and Jordan began asking for 50- cent donations to see the home. Eventually, the house grew from a single building to a complex of attractions now comprised of 16 buildings.
Three self-guided tours of the attractions are available. An “Ultimate Tour Experience,” which is approximately a two- mile walk of all the attractions, includes all three tours and is available for $26.50 for adults, $15.50 for ages 4-17 and free of charge for children 3 and younger.
Tour one includes the gate house, the original house and the Infinity Room. The gate house serves as an entryway to the original house and holds a music machine that replicates a complete chamber orchestra surrounded by a fireplace and stone walls.
The original house was designed by Alex Jordan. All 13 rooms in the home are connected through a similar theme and mood, with relating elements such as stained glass.
The Infinity Room, one of the House on the Rock’s most popular attractions, was added in 1985 as the 14th room of Jordan’s house. The room, complete with 3,264 windows that serve as walls, extends 218 feet over a scenic valley and 156 feet above the forest floor.
The second tour includes seven attractions. First is the Millhouse, home to one of the world’s largest fireplaces. The Millhouse gives visitors a look at some of Jordan’s favorite collections including dolls, suits of armor and antique guns.
Next on the tour is “Streets of Yesterday,” a recreation of a 19th century red-brick avenue including a sheriff’s office, a carriage ride and hundreds of antiques.
Also on this tour is Heritage of the Sea where visitors can see more than 200 model ships on display, a Titanic display and a 200 foot tall sea creature that is as long as the Statue of Liberty is tall.
“Music of Yesterday,” a mechanically operated orchestra, and “Spirit of Aviation,” a room filled with model airplanes, are also included in this tour.
According to Matt Schneider, marketing manager for House on the Rock, the finale of this tour is one of the most popular attractions. It is the world’s largest carousel, complete with 269 handcrafted animals, none of which is a horse, 20,000 lights and 182 chandeliers. The third tour includes six attractions. First is the Organ Room, filled with three theater organ consoles; this room has walkways, bridges and spiral staircases for visitors to get a view from every angle.
The Doll House Room, one of the largest collections of miniature doll houses in the world, features model houses from Colonial to Victorian eras with handcrafted detailing.
As visitors enter the next stop, the “Circus Room,” they are greeted with an automated 40-piece band, a model pyramid of elephants and other attractions found at a circus.
Finally, the tour includes stops at the galleries, with collections from around the world including crown jewels and armor collections, and the Doll Carousel Room with two carousel displays filled with handcrafted dolls.
In addition to tours, the House on the Rock offers its guests a stay at its resort. Approximately seven miles north of the attraction, the resort offers guests two-room suites, a spa and 27 holes of championship golf. Other lodging options include the House on the Rock Inn or the North Lodge, both of which are approximately seven miles south of the attraction.
For more information, visit the House on the Rock Web site at www.houseontherock.com.
Samantha Parker is a sophomore at Franklin College majoring in public relations with a minor in business. She is the founding president of the International Association of Business Communicators Franklin College chapter.
The Infinity Room, one of the House on the Rock’s most popular rooms, is made of 3,264 windows that serve as walls. The room extends 218 feet over a scenice valley and 156 feet above the forest floor. Photo courtesy of House on the Rock.
