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Friday, June 17, 2011

House on the Rock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

House on the Rock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the parable of Jesus, see Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders.

The House on the Rock, originally opened in 1959,^[2] is a complex of architecturally unique rooms, streets, gardens and shops designed by Alex Jordan, Jr. It is located in Iowa County, south of Spring Green, Wisconsin and is a regional tourist attraction.

Layout and attractions

The "house" itself is atop Deer Shelter Rock, a column of rock approximately 60 feet tall, 70 feet by 200 feet on the top, which stands in a forest nearby.^[9] Additions were made to the original structure and other buildings added over the course of several decades. The complex now features "The Streets of Yesterday", a re-creation of an early twentieth century American town; "The Heritage of the Sea", featuring nautical exhibits and a 200-ft model of a fanciful whale-like sea creature; "The Music of Yesterday", a huge collection of automatic music machines; and what the management bills as "the world's largest indoor carousel",^[10] among other attractions. During the winter, the attraction features a Christmas theme, with decorations and a large collection of Santa Claus figures. The bathrooms, as well, are decorated with strange objects, including mannequins and flowers.

The earlier structures, namely the House on the Rock itself, the Gate House, and the Mill House, are reminiscent of the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, though much less coherently designed than is characteristic of Wright, given its patchwork of external structures and interior spaces. The building actually began partly to spite the master architect, who ran his Taliesin communal school near Spring Green. These early structures feature exposed stone, low ceilings, dark woodwork, and antiques on display.

Jordan sold the house in 1988 to a friend who continued building on the site, adding to the collections of knick-knacks and exhibits featuring authentic pieces, reproductions, and specially-made examples of everything. The most recent addition is the "Spirit of Aviation", a collection of large model airplanes in a themed room. Another exhibit, the "Transportation Building", is under construction, but visitors can walk through and view the work in progress.

Read More...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_the_Rock

Here's a good Picture Gallery of the Places there...
http://www.thehouseontherock.com/HOTR_Attraction_PhotoGalleryShow.htm