Strange Wisconsin Attraction Makes for a Fun Summer Road Trip

When you look up the weirdest roadside attractions in the Midwest, one of the most popular answers is a place in Wisconsin filled with elaborate theme rooms, odd collections of items, and unique creations that you won't see anywhere else in the world. Welcome to the House on the Rock!

According to Wikipedia, the actual rock that the House on the Rock was built on is called Deer Shelter Rock, and it's located in between Dodgeville and Spring Green, Wisconsin. The popular roadside attraction draws in thousands of visitors each year! The official website reads:

"For over 60 years, the House on the Rock has been a majestic work in progress. It began in 1945, when a man named Alex Jordan had a towering goal: to build a man-made retreat as awe-inspiring as the view from the rock upon which the house would eventually be built. From that spark of imagination, the House on the Rock has evolved to include displays and collections of the exotic, the unusual and the amazing that can be viewed as three separate tours."

The House on the Rock officially opened to the public in 1959, but the newest additions to the attraction, the Welcome Center and the Alex Jordan Jr. Center, were built in 2008.

There are three different sections of House on the Rock:

• Section One
  • Alex Jordan Center
  • Asian Garden
  • Original House (13 rooms)
  • The Gate House
  • Infinity Room
• Section Two
  • Tribute to Nostalgia
  • Spirit of Aviation
  • Music of Yesterday
  • Streets of Yesterday
  • The Mill House
  • The Carousel
  • Heritage of the Sea
• Section Three
  • Japanese Gardens
  • The Doll Carousel Room
  • The Galleries
  • Circus Room
  • Doll House Room
  • Organ Room
  • Inspiration Point

As mentioned above, there are three different tours you can choose from. The Original House Experience takes you through section one, the Highlight Experience takes you through sections one and two, and the Ultimate Experience gets you through all three sections. If you do choose the third option, the site says to give yourself at least three hours to see everything!

Some of the most popular features of the House on the Rock include the Infinity Room, which shoots out 218 feet over the scenic valley and includes 3,000 pieces of glass, a 200-foot tall sea creature inside of the 'Heritage of the Sea' room, and the Carousel, complete with "269 animals, 20,000 lights and 182 chandeliers!" 

The reviews of the House on the Rock on Trip Advisor are mostly positive, with an overall rating of four out of five stars, but there are some people who describe it as overwhelming, claustrophobic, musty, disturbing, and even creepy. Positive reviews call it majestic, quirky, eccentric, fun, and "wonderfully weird." It's obviously not for everyone, but if you do decide to go, reviewers recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes.

If you purchase tickets in advance online for the Ultimate Experience at House on the Rock, they're $33.95 for ages 18+, $17.95 for ages 7 to 17, and $4.95 for ages 6 and under. The attraction is open daily during the summer months, but is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the spring and fall, and then it closes completely from the end of December until mid-March. You can get more information HERE.

Have you ever visited the House on the Rock? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Let us know by sending us a message on our station app!