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Wow. So I visited the House on the Rock in Spring Green, Wis., this weekend and it was easily the most frightening place I’ve ever been. And I only saw part of it. I guess I don’t know what I was expecting… Spring Green is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin, so I suppose I was thinking of something more along those lines – a really architecturally interesting house. And I guess it was. But the architecture is overpowered by the enormous, bizarre collection of crap within its walls. My friend Mikaela described it as “a garage sale held by mental patients.” It’s a pretty fair assessment, except the stuff isn’t for sale.
This is a hard article to write because it’s difficult to describe exactly how horrifying, creepy and bizarre this place is. I can tell you all I want and be as descriptive as humanly possible and show you any number of pictures, and still it’s not going to adequately portray the Creepy. But I will try.
First of all, you can take Tour 1, Tour 2, or the whole experience. We opted for Tour 1 because it contained “The Infinity Room” and we had been told this was not a room to miss. For your reference, though, Tour two contains the Music of Yesterday, the Spirit of Aviation, the World’s Largest Carousel, the Organ Room, Inspiration Point and the Doll Carousels. Holy Crap, am I glad we picked Tour 1, because the Doll Carousels would have scarred me for life.
I’ll combine the official descriptions with my descriptions… I bet you can pick out which is which.
House on the Rock: House on the Rock sits atop a 60-foot chimney of rock called Deer Shelter Rock. It opened in 1960, where it has been terrifying the unsuspecting public ever since. This part of the house feels like a hobbit-hole - imagine rock ledges made into couches… couches upholstered in shag carpet. Furnishings include oriental art, stained glass, bronze statuary, numerous Bauer and Coble lamps and a three-story bookcase filled with rare books. They don’t warn you about instruments that play eerie tunes all by themselves and the random statues strategically placed to scare the crap out of you when you round a corner. The Infinity Room, the 14th room of the house, opened in 1985. This unique room projects out over the Wyoming Valley 218 feet and contains 3,264 windows. This room was cool until my friend Courtney jumped out at the far end and made the whole thing shake. I almost peed my pants. The top is the interior and the bottom is what it looks like from the outside.
The Gate House and the Mill House: Opening in 1961 and 1968 respectively, you will find all kinds of random crap in these wings of the house, including antique guns, dolls, mechanical banks, suits of armor and an enormous fireplace. Notice the giant bellows used as a display for an extensive paperweight collection. For your convenience, restrooms are located in this area. This is the restroom and my friend Lisa:
This is some of the random “décor” in the Mill House. Why, I ask you, why?? Why all of the instruments that play themselves? I don’t understand!!
Oh, and this little gem was really disturbing. There are all kinds of machines that require you to insert a token to get them to work. We inserted a token into this machine called something like “The Death of a Drunkard” and this is what happened – first the drunk guy dying in bed raises his arms like a zombie. Then death pops up from behind the bed doing his best “TOUCHDOWN!” pose. Then a skeleton reveals that he’s been hiding in the grandfather clock. Finally, we see that the drunkard’s closet is actually a gateway to hell and the Devil arrives to pull him down into it. OH MY GOD.
The tour continues into the Streets of Yesterday, which opened in 1971. It is a recreation if a typical 19th century main street where you can enjoy things such as opium, worm cakes, tapeworms and dolls. Lots and lots of dolls. You wouldn’t want to be trapped in here at night.
You will notice the lighting is dim in this area as it portrays an evening setting and casts everything in an extra-eerie light. As you go through this section, please view both sides of the room until you get to the Gladiator Calliope, the first of many large Music Machines. Once you get there, you will exit this area to your left and enter the Heritage of the Sea. If you haven’t visited the restroom yet, we suggest you do so, because if your bowels are full when you enter the Heritage of the Sea, you will crap your pants.
The Heritage of the Sea opened in 1990. As you enter this area, your eyes are drawn to the 200 ft sea creature that is engaged in a titanic struggle with an enormous octopus. Yes, you read that right, a “200 ft sea creature engaged in a titanic struggle with an enormous octopus”. It’s really pretty impossible to get a picture of the titanic struggle, but believe me, I tried. I have an abnormal amount of pictures of this battle on my camera right now.
The nice thing is that you follow a winding path up to the top of the building, so eventually you find yourself right in front of the mouth of the sea monster! Neat!!
That concludes Tour 1. Thank God. By this point, we had witnessed so many strange things and been inundated by weird music and noises, we were pretty much silent. Courtney was actually sick to her stomach. I think I developed a headache just writing about this. I should probably go lie down now.But before I go, let’s hear from you. Have you been to the House on the Rock? Am I misunderstanding its genius? Or were you just as traumatized as I was? Should you feel the need to further deluge yourself with scary pictures, you can visit my blog or check out these pictures.
Previously on mental_floss…
• Stacy’s visits to The Corn Palace, The Grassy Knoll, The Texas State Fair and The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast
• Jason’s trips to Old Faithful (not that Old Faithful) and Utah
• Ransom’s honeymoon in Portugal
Comments (44)
Comment
I’ve been to the house on the rock several times and while I admit it’s bizarre, I think creepy is going too far. I’ve always enjoyed it.
posted by Julia Rae on 3-11-2008 at 2:43 pm
I can’t say that I’ve ever had the pleasure of being in that part of the country to see it…
The strangest house I’ve ever been in is the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. I suggest the midnight tour if it’s offered.
posted by Jason! on 3-11-2008 at 2:47 pm
Yes! I live about an hour from the House on the Rock…when I was growing up my parents thought it would be an exciting place to visit. This turned out to be false- your description makes it sounds just as creepy as I remember. Perhaps I should stop in again, for old times sake…
posted by Dan on 3-11-2008 at 2:47 pm
That doesn’t look creepy at all (except for the floor shaking bit). It looks insanely awesome!
posted by Liz on 3-11-2008 at 2:54 pm
I want to go see this. The creepier, the better!
posted by Melodye on 3-11-2008 at 2:56 pm
I have only seen the place during “Christmas at House on the Rock “(which begins in October, by the way). Not all of the rooms are open for Christmas, but those that are are crammed with Santa stuff. Anything you can think of that could have a Santa face or Santa picture or Santa anything put on it, there will be at least one somewhere in that house. Probably several. So if you’re disturbed by HotR in general, definitely avoid it in late fall.
However, I thought it was hilariously kitchy when I went with a friend a few years ago. We had a fun Buzz Lightyear moment in the Infinity Room, and generally enjoyed mocking all the other strange collected objects. To each his or her own, I guess!
posted by Rachel on 3-11-2008 at 2:58 pm
oh boy do i remember the House on the Rock. i was maybe 6 or 7, which means early 80’s, when we went.
maybe i’m just weird, but i was utterly enthralled by the whole thing. you missed out not seeing the glass carousel…i remember that as the most beautiful, stunning thing i’d ever seen in my young life. i was devastated to find out you couldn’t ride it.
the other things i recall from that visit: my mother angry that we “wasted our time” there, the unicorn light catcher i begged and pleaded for in the gift shop (thanks grandma!) and returning to the car to discover my brand new box of crayons had melted into a mushy pile on the upholstery. good times!
(you think HotR is creepy? try the fairy land grotto at See Rock City sometime…)
posted by terri on 3-11-2008 at 3:00 pm
I had never heard about this place until I read about it in Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’ novel. Since then, I have been intrigued. And now after this article, I’m captivated. I trip to Wisconsin may be in my summer plans…
posted by Bill T. on 3-11-2008 at 3:06 pm
Ooogy, that sea monster would have me wetting my pants.
But I am NOT a fan of things jumping out at me.
posted by Mary Sue on 3-11-2008 at 3:06 pm
I visited the House on the Rock about 15 years ago. I agree with the creepy assessment (I saw the whole thing, not just part). There is something unsettling about going through room after room crammed with weird junk. And the huge carousel with the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse–well, that’s a charming end to the tour! It does seem like something out of a Ray Bradbury novel. The house itself, though, is pretty neat.
posted by Brigid on 3-11-2008 at 3:10 pm
I am shocked that none of you are creeped out by it! I should have mentioned, too, that the winter tour is not busy at all. So we were wandering through all of these places pretty much completely alone with no other people around. Does that change anything?
posted by stacy on 3-11-2008 at 3:10 pm
Check out Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. The main character visits House on the Rock in the first part of the book. He walks through a lot of the same rooms, checks out the Drunkard’s Dream and then rides the World’s Largest Carousel. I’m only half way through the book, but I highly recommend it!
posted by mle on 3-11-2008 at 3:18 pm
Coincidentally, I was driving through Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago. I noticed the sign for “House on the Rock” but hadn’t a clue what it was or why it would be a tourist attraction. Well I guess I learned something today, though I can’t say this place looks worth the effort of a return trip. Thanks for the pictures!
As for the fairy land grotto at Rock City, that is one creepy, weird place.
posted by Florida on 3-11-2008 at 3:24 pm
Yes you are right it is very creepy. I do have a strange fascination with being locked in here at night. The true stuff of nightmares. It’s too bad you didn’t make it all the way to the carousel though. That really is the cherry on top. If one does not feel truly mad by the time they reach the carousel they were probably already lost…
posted by John Dunkel on 3-11-2008 at 3:27 pm
Here it is, a treasure right in my own backyard. I’ve passed it so many times, but never stopped. I’m so there!!
The Drunkard’s Dream sounds pretty creepy though.
posted by mrs.djs on 3-11-2008 at 3:28 pm
Definitely missed out by not seeing the carosel and the bizarre circus exhibit–think life sized elephants and mannequins stacked into a huge pyramid. Seriously weird. Though I didn’t find it creepy, as much as simply overwheliming.
I first went there when I was about 7 or 8, and the only thing that was scary was when my dad picked me up and pretended to throw me to the whale from the highest balcony.
The last time I went (about 5 years ago), I was so dissapointed, because it turns out so much of what’s there is really pretty poorly made (not the actual antiques or the musical instruments, but the circus and the “crown jewels” exhibits.)
Then there’s the Rock in the House, another weird Wisconsin attraction, though with far less to see (it’s a huge boulder that rolled down a cliff and into a house, and someone decided to make it into an attraction.)
posted by frumpiefox on 3-11-2008 at 3:34 pm
I’ve been so embarrassed about this for so long…
My wife and I hit up Taliesin at the end of a two week road trip that included yellowstone, the badlands, mt. rushmore nat’l park.
We saw advertisements for House on the Rock,
I thought it was a Wright house.
We bought tickets (still no sign of what was to come) and proceeded to go into the house. If I remember correctly (it’s been 6 years) you walk through a fairly neat house… here’s the kitchen, okay… next room… then BAM there is a thousand angles morbidly hanging from the ceiling and a carousel and GIANT whale and stuff everywhere!
I was so embarrassed (and so pissed at myself for being so stupid) that I couldn’t enjoy it for what it was. My wife thought the whole thing quite hilarious. Only now can I look back at our photos and laugh about it.
We’ll be taking our daughter there next time we pass through!
posted by Shawn on 3-11-2008 at 3:38 pm
i missed the creepiness factor. looks cool though
posted by AmyOops on 3-11-2008 at 3:45 pm
I live in Chicago and my parents took me here when I was young. I love it, but you’re right, it is totally eerie and creepy. I went a few years back and I think I appreciated it a bit more. The musical room was creepy (or there may be more than one room), with all of the instruments playing at once, as was the carousel (it’s friggin HUGE–pictures don’t do it justice). It definitely freaks me out a bit but since I’m a weirdo I guess that just makes it more intriguing.
posted by em on 3-11-2008 at 3:45 pm
I’ve lived in Madison for five years… my friends have all lived here all their lives and every time I say I want to go to House on the Rock they say its just so-so.
It looks cool as hell to me!! Maybe because they grew up in the Dells its just not interesting anymore.
posted by Diane on 3-11-2008 at 3:51 pm
I must agree and disagree. It is kinda creepy but, I loved it! The carosel rooms were amazing. You definately should have taken the other tour or both because the infinity room is pretty sweet too. There was no tour when I went (15 years ago) They just let you loose and we wandered for about 6 hours in the place. I have mucho fond memories!
posted by Lisa H on 3-11-2008 at 4:11 pm
*It does seem like something out of a Ray Bradbury novel.*
More like Neil Gaiman’s American Gods which is free online right now tiny.cc/WRiXE
posted by PragmaticCynic on 3-11-2008 at 4:35 pm
I too have had the privilage of visiting the House on the Rock. I was quite young, no older thn 10, and enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve always been the type to enjoy far out, wacky and strange things, so this place is right up my alley. I do agree it has it’s fair share of demented exhibits!
It’s a shame that I probably won’t be in that area ever again to make a return trip. If I remember, it’s very much in the middle of nowhere.
posted by Sean C on 3-11-2008 at 4:48 pm
I went to the HoTR as a young/mid teen with my entire family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandma, etc) and NO ONE enjoyed it. What you failed to mention was that the tour takes you on a one way, non-stop path for about 6 miles… thats right SIX MILES. Its terrible, creepy, smells like dust and mothballs, not very interesting (no description of the collections if I remember correctly). Don’t go. Save your money.
But there are caves in the area (Howe’s Caverns???) that are pretty cool. Much better than the house. Especially for kids.
posted by Amy on 3-11-2008 at 5:12 pm
Hmm, not sure if one can edit comments or I’d just add this to my previous one.
I was so happy to see an article about this that I threw it up on Digg for ya! I’d link it if it would let me, but you can find it yourself in the Upcoming section of Offbeat: Odd Stuff.
posted by Sean C on 3-11-2008 at 5:14 pm
I have been trying to decide whether this is worth driving to and paying for. This piece has determined it, I am definitely going!
posted by Jenbe on 3-11-2008 at 5:45 pm
Stacy, I am right there with you. My dad took me there about four years ago. He lives close by and enjoys taking unsuspecting visitors there. Creeped out does not begin to describe my traumatizing experience. I still shiver when I think about all those dolls. I, too, have a difficult time describing the house to people. How do you describe crazy? I even tried to read ‘American Gods’ and had to stop because I couldn’t sleep. Thank you for validating my fear of this place.
posted by Petra on 3-11-2008 at 6:00 pm
Sorry it didn’t fit your taste- but I think it’s fantastic. Period. It’s a look into the imagination of a man. Also the history of the original house is on the rock is interesting: it was built in that spot specifically to ‘get even’ with Frank Lloyd Wright.
I’m sorry to see it portrayed so flat out negatively… I would go again…and it was fairly empty when we were there.
posted by ann on 3-11-2008 at 6:45 pm
I’ve been there twice and loved it, want to go back now as an adult and PhD, it’s the sort of collection of things that does not exist outside of the middle of America but which reflects a certain mid-American mentality that makes us different from either the East or West coast types…
posted by NFAH on 3-11-2008 at 7:03 pm
i wish i could see the house on the rock. the closest i have gotten was the bubble room restaurant in captiva island florida. the “lots of creepy dolls” theme was present here, as well as an outstanding collection of things no one could ever need. it looked like a flea market went on a bad acid trip “fear and loathing” style. and it smelled like my grandparents basement. it freaked my dad out so much he was in a bad funk the rest of the night.
maybe for his birthday i’ll take him to THOTR.
look up the bubble room restaurant on the web, although really it doesnt do justice to the general creepy feeling one gets while inside.
posted by mistress kate on 3-11-2008 at 7:25 pm
I visited the House on the Rock when I was about 11 and I loved it. I suppose creepy is a good word for it, but I think it was just so bizarre and fascinating that I didn’t find it scary at all. I’d love to get back there someday.
posted by Rachel on 3-11-2008 at 9:15 pm
your description of the House on the Rock is the most accurate that I have come across. Although you did dodge a bullet by missing the Doll Carousel; that has a place in my nightmares. My friends and I made a horrible mistake and thought that we were going to the Frank LLoyd Wright house. The only saving thing was yummy fudge at the end of the tour.
It is truly the strangest and creepiest thing that I have ever seen.
posted by Jenny on 3-11-2008 at 9:30 pm
Sheesh, Petra. I SAID I was sorry!
Seriously though, I’m jealous of you guys who have had a chance to visit it. One of these days. Thanks for the pictures.
posted by Ernest on 3-11-2008 at 10:02 pm
This was creepy??
It clearly made you obsess about expelling various bodily wastes.
The house looks fun.
This article, however, is certainly bizarre.
posted by Bassman on 3-12-2008 at 7:09 am
Never been there myself, but I have to say Kansas has its own Creepy tourist attraction, The Garden of Eden in Lucas. One Memorial Day Weekend, my husband and I thought it would be fun to get off the beaten I-35 path of Kansas that we know and love, and drive up from Wichita to I-70 from Salina west to Hays. We stopped at a few locations that we knew about before hand and followed billboards and signs for the rest. We happened on the Garden of Eden, a concrete and trash monument to eccentricity including the builder’s body on display in the crypt he built for himself. Good times.
posted by Michelle on 3-12-2008 at 7:41 am
I was maybe 8 or 9 when I went to the House on the Rock with my family. I found the place creepy almost immediately, and my grandmother said she’d leave with me while the rest of the family stayed. We tried to look for an exit but couldn’t find one (once you’re inside, you just have to keep going through creepy room after creepy room until you come to the end of the tour). I became more and more uncomfortable with each passing moment, and my grandmother and I ended up racing through the house until we reached the exit. My parents still make fun of me for this (more than 20 years later), and every time I go back home to Wisconsin to visit them they threaten me with a trip to (dun dun dun) the House on the Rock (noooooooo!)
posted by Deborah on 3-12-2008 at 8:23 am
My fiance and I drove through Wisconsin on our way to Minot, ND. All I wanted to do was stop at House on the Rock, but we were already getting poor and we didn’t stop. Now, I kick myself - this is just my sort of thing.
posted by Christina on 3-12-2008 at 9:48 am
I’ve been going to the House on the Rock twice a year for about 14 years or so. I’m not crazy enough to buy tickets every year, it’s just that I live in a town near it, and they give “free days” to local residents. It used to make me cry when I was a kid, but now that I’m older I really enjoy it. I guess it would be creepy for a first visit, but it really is a neat place once you’re not terrified of it.
posted by Shaleigh on 3-12-2008 at 11:30 am
You really did choose the least creepy tour. I certainly didn’t have nightmares about the rooms that you saw. The organ room and the carousel room, however… I will just say that I remember the four horsemen of the apocalypse and doll heads nailed all over the wall of the carousel room.
posted by Sara on 3-12-2008 at 12:41 pm
I’ve been there 3 times. Love it! Shows Americana - collections of our lives. Interesting items. Not creepy! Ripley’s has collections and displays of “weird” things. Why do you put this down? Just had recommended this destination to a group of friends and one looked it up and sent me your article.
posted by Tom on 3-12-2008 at 12:54 pm
As a Wisconsin resident I grew up going to THOTR every few years. Yes, it’s creepy, kind of along the line horror movies are creepy, but I think that’s part of the fun. As many have already stated the carousel is a sight to see. I still remember the first time I saw it. I really did feel like I stumbled into a horror movie. I kept waiting for someone or something to jump out and get me. As for the Streets of Yesterday we have a similiar exhibit by the same name here at the Milwaukee Public Museum which is equally creepy and I love it. Although as a child my mom would threaten to drive me there and leave me there when I was bad. That pretty much got me in line right quick.
posted by Jessica on 3-12-2008 at 3:45 pm
My family visited in the 80’s when we went on a family trip to the Wisconsin Dell’s. We all thought it was strange. I agree with the creepy description, although I don’t think that was the intent of its creator. I think he was just fascinated by all the stuff.
posted by Joanna on 3-12-2008 at 3:56 pm
A creepy fact about the house is that when the found of the house died they sprinkled his ashes on top of the roof. Also everything that he has in the house he got for free. he didnt pay anything for that stuff. people just gave it to him
posted by johnd on 3-27-2008 at 8:30 pm
Did you not read up on the history of the man who built this house? It is not creepy at all but rather an extreemly interesting collection of artifacts. I have gone twice and enjoyed myself imensly both times. It not a house full of crap but intead the biggest collection of antiquities I have ever seen.
posted by Mary H. on 4-26-2008 at 6:31 pm