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The House On The Rock
 It
is a place of mystery and intrigue- a place where one person's
imagination and dreams have become reality. Located near Spring
Green, Wisconsin, the House on the Rock is a unique place where
memories of a lifetime are truly made.
In the early 1940's a man named
Alex Jordan discovered a 60-foot chimney of rock in the
beautiful Wyoming Valley. It was then that he decided to build a
house on the sandstone formation called Deer Shelter Rock.
Jordan built the house as a
weekend retreat and never intended it to be a tourist
attraction. But people kept coming to see the architectural
wonder they had heard about. So Jordan eventually started asking
for 50 cent donations. That was only the beginning. The 14-room
house is the original structure of what is now a complex of many
buildings, exhibits and gardens. Jordan took all of the money he
received from admissions and put it into creating new buildings
and exhibits.
The Gate House, which now
serves as the foyer for the main house, was built in 1961. Next
came the Mill House (1968), which features one of the huge
fireplaces and several of Jordan's earliest collections.
In 1971, The Streets of
Yesterday opened with its gas-lit "Main Street" of offices,
shops, and houses. Three years later The Music of Yesterday was
born, featuring the greatest collection of automated music
machines in the world.
The Carousel - documented as
the world's largest - opened in 1981 and has since become one of
the House's favorite attractions.
Later additions include the
Organ Building, The Doll House Exhibit, The Circus Building, the
Oriental Room, the Weapons Exhibit, the Armor Collection and the
Crown Jewel Collection.
The two most recent buildings
opened in the 1990's. The Heritage of the Sea opened in 1990 and
displays hundreds of model ships. The centerpiece of this room
is a 200-foot sea creature engaged in a titanic struggle with a
giant octopus. The Transportation Building opened in 1995 and
displays many different modes of transportation. It also
provides a long awaited view of the House from the outside.
Holiday Tour
What has thousands of Santa's, is fun for all ages, and comes
only once a year? The House on the Rock Holiday Tour, which runs
each year from mid-November until early January.
The tour features life-size
Santa's made in our own workshops as well as thousands of
Santa's from Karen Donaldson's personal collection, with new
additions annually.
Come spend part of your holiday
season at The House on the Rock.
For more details, Tour
Schedules, and Ticket prices call (608) 935-3639 or visit their
website;
The House on the Rock.
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