Immerse yourself in the eccentric, eerie fun of this Wisconsin hidden gem
From overlooked roadside attractions to offbeat museums and obscure natural wonders, Local Hidden Gems will showcase some of the unique and unexpected treasures that make America extraordinary. We will emphasize charm, surprise and delight.
Local hidden gem: House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wisconsin
The House on the Rock is not as famous as Wisconsin Dells, and more people head to Door County for a Great Lake getaway. But the House on the Rock is no shrinking violet when it comes to attracting visitors to rural Spring Green, Wisconsin, about an hour's drive west of Madison.
It has been featured in pop culture vehicles such as "American Gods," both the 2001 book by Neil Gaiman and the 2017 TV series; "American Fable," a 2017 film; and music videos by 10,000 Maniacs and the Raconteurs. But it's got a niche, cult kind of fame. Even lifetime residents of Wisconsin sometimes have never heard of House on the Rock, and those who have often aren't sure what it is.
Is it an architectural attraction, like another nearby Wisconsin destination, Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin? Is it a museum? An eerie experience full of creepy beings and disorienting sensory overload? A sentimental journey into the past? The answer to all those questions is: Yes!
The entire enterprise is based on the dreamy, trippy imagination and design aesthetic of its founder, Madison-born Alexander John Jordan. It began in the 1940s when Jordan built a getaway home by hand on top of Deer Shelter Rock, a chunk of stone rising 60 feet above the surrounding landscape, according to the House on the Rock website. When people started getting curious about what Jordan was doing, he began to charge a fee.
By 1960, the House on the Rock was a business, and Jordan made a living from the proceeds he collected. Admission fees also helped Jordan expand the house and its contents, and soon the place was a reflection of his penchant for collecting and creating a wide array of items, such as the model ship displays and a fantastical sea creature in the "Heritage of the Sea" exhibit, a huge carousel, a peaceful Japanese-style garden and a massive collection of mechanical music machines. Visitors can get a case of vertigo by walking out into the "Infinity Room," a structure that juts out over a cliff.
Jordan sold the House on the Rock to a business associate in 1988.
For more information: Hours and entry fees for the House on the Rock, visit thehouseontherock.com.
Keith Uhlig, Green Bay Press Gazette