About a week ago, my husband and I went to the House on the Rock in Wisconsin. They had a special event going on; part of Neil Gaiman's wonderful novel "American Gods" takes place inside the House on the Rock, so when it came time for their anniversary celebration, they invited Neil and his fans to come wander their hallways, listen to Neil reading, and attend a Costume Ball, among other fun events. It was really wonderful, but that place would be wonderful even without all the added shenanigans!
Starting in the 1940s, a man named Alex Jordan began building a home (designed by Frank Lloyd Wrong, as the joke goes!) on a large outcropping of rock. When people starting coming to see the house's unique architecture, Jordan began charging them a nominal fee. And that was the beginning. Now, his original 14-room house is only the base for a larger, sprawling museum of sorts. An eccentric and a collector, Jordan filled his museum with bizarre things, many of which have to be seen to be believed! Dolls, carousels (including the world's largest carousel!), replicas of shops and streets, a giant whale, fortune-telling machines, various automata and music-makers, glassware, antiques, dragons and Buddhas, pipe organs, replica crown jewels and suits of armor...and that's just a taste.
There is more there than I can ever hope to describe in just one blog post! Sheer craziness on an epic scale...we were in photographic heaven! Between us, my husband and I took quite literally hundreds of photos of the place!
If you live anywhere in the Midwest, or are even planning on coming to the area for any reason, I highly recommend taking a little day trip over to the House on the Rock. It might just blow your mind!
How interesting. I been to WI many times, but I've never heard of this story.
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