It was in 1945, the same year that World War II ended, when imaginative architect Alex Jordan, Jr. started building his dream weekend retreat in southwest Wisconsin. Not your typical country cabin, it sits atop a 60-foot chimney of sandstone formation in the beautiful Wyoming Valley. This eclectic dwelling would come to be known as The House on the Rock. Today it is a popular year-round travelers’ attraction with plenty of parking for large RVs.
That original 14-room house was the first structure of what evolved into an amazing complex of architecturally unique buildings, gardens and spaces. “One thing just sort of led to another” said Jordon. He continued adding room after room filled them with some of the world’s more unique, wide-ranging and whimsical collections.
Eccentric Collector
Jordon was known as an eccentric collector all his life and enjoyed visiting museums. “The House on the Rock is more of a trip through the wild and fantastic imagination of Alex Jordan than a visit to a dusty, lifeless museum,” states the Website.
Visitors need to be prepare to “stay a while” because, as novelist Jane Smiley wrote: “It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the House on the Rock. The sheer abundance of objects is impressive, and the warmth most of the objects exude, the way that the toys ask to be played with, for example, makes the displays inherently inviting. But almost from the beginning, it is too much.”
Read more about this unusual traveler’s destination by clicking on an article I posted on RV Short Stops “House on the Rock astounding, fun Wisconsin family attraction.” There is parking for large recreation vehicles.
Nearby RV Parks
Speaking of RVs, there are at least two RV parks near The House on the Rock in Spring Green, WI: Bob’s Riverside RV Park (608) 588-2826, open May 1-Nov. 1; and Valley RV Park (608) 588-2717, open year round.
— Julianne G. Crane
Photos Source: The House on the Rock website
