Taliesin and House on the Rock: Spring Green's tourist titans offer a study in contrasts

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Keiran Murphy's occupation.

One house is the embodiment of refinement, simplicity and the philosophy of cohesion.

Taliesin is the home, studio and estate of Frank Lloyd Wright, a titan of an architect who influenced the world through his designs.

The other house started as a quiet getaway and ballooned through the years into a chaotic, sprawling collection of items that reflected the never-ending curiosity and interests of its originator.

The House on the Rock was created and built by Alex Jordan, a guy from Madison who found a way to make a home and an obsession with collecting things into a career and destination.

Both Taliesin and the House on the Rock draw tourists from across the world, and they are located just a 10 minute drive from each other in Spring Green, an artistic enclave of Wisconsin's Driftless Area.

Because they are so close together, one wants to believe the mythology that has arisen about the two places. The tall tale has Jordan's father showing the famous architect drawings of a building, and Wright snobbishly dismissing him and the drawing. In retaliation, the myth goes, Jordan created his own version of Taliesin.

The story, however, is absolutely false, according to The House on the Rock's website, which has a page headlined: "Wikipedia is wrong! There is no connection between Alex Jordan and Frank Lloyd Wright."

"While both men designed highly visited homes in Spring Green, we do not think they ever met or that their paths ever crossed," the post concludes.

What the two men had in commo,n though, was a love of the Driftless Area around Spring Green, bottomless passion and unyielding creative vision.

Taliesin offers refined vision of what design can be

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the 800-acre estate of architect Frank Lloyd Wright attracts design-nerds from the world over to Spring Green in search of inspiration, education and perspective.

"Taliesin is acknowledged as the embodiment of (Wright's) commitment to the creation of exceptional environments that harmonize architecture, art, culture, and the land," according to a media kit from Taliesin Preservation, a nonprofit group that works to preserve the estate's buildings and natural environment in partnership with the property's owner, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Wright's ancestors settled on the property in the 1800s after they immigrated to the United States from Wales. The estate includes several buildings, including the 1886 Unity Chapel, which was commissioned by Wright's uncle, Jenkin Lloyd Jones. Jones was a Unitarian minister; he enlisted Chicago architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee to design the building. But Wright, at 18 years old, created the interior of the chapel. It's his earliest work.

The crown jewel of the estate, of course, is Taliesin itself. The 1911 building "embodies Wright's organic architecture and design," Taliesin Preservation notes.

It has a low, modular look, designed like so many of Wright's creations to fit into the landscape around it. The main house has 534 windows that let sunlight stream in and allow people to look out at their natural surroundings, noted Architectural Digest.

"I think this reinforces Wright's use of natural light and integrating the landscape into the design," Keiran Murphy, an independent researcher on Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin, told the magazine.

Even the name itself reflects Wright's intention to meld his homes with the natural space around them. Taliesin is a Welsh word that translates as "shining brow," according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. "The name symbolized Wright’s intention to create a home that was 'of the hill,' not on it. Taliesin was therefore built below the hillcrest, on its brow rather than its crown," according to a description of the home on the foundation's website.

The 2023 season for touring Taliesin is winding down, but Taliesin Preservation offers two-hour tours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 3. People can book online at taliesinpreservation.org. Tickets cost $58 for adults and $53 for students, teachers and military members. The address is 5607 County Road C, Spring Green.

House on the Rock offers sprawling, mind-whirling exhibits

The House on the Rock is a 10-minute drive from Taliesin, but it's a universe away in terms of the spirit of the place. Wright employed simple, clean lines in designing his home and studio and worked to create a cohesive experience with the home, its furniture and environmental surroundings. House on the Rock originator Alex Jordan employed a unique, spectacular and fantastical vision in creating House on the Rock. It would not be surprising if people visiting both sites in one day would suffer from a form of artistic vertigo. Or whiplash.

It's a little difficult to explain exactly what House on the Rock is to someone who has never heard of it, because it is a little bit of everything. The original house, hand built by Jordan, is a jazzy-cool rendition of a home of the 1960s, literally built into the rock. Pieces of earth jut into a living room. It's notable that Jordan never lived in the House on the Rock. The tourist site's website explains that Jordan "only stayed at the House on the Rock (four) nights of his life."

In addition to the original house that Jordan used as a weekend getaway, the House on the Rock campus features the wide range of Jordan's eclectic interests and collections. There is the Heritage of the Sea room (more of an arena) which has a monstrous sea creature and a Titanic display. There is the Japanese Garden, which makes for a splendid stroll when the weather is nice. There is an indoor carousel, with 269 animals, 20,000 lights and 182 chandeliers. Guests can walk to the end of the Infinity Room, which extends out 218 feet over the valley off the top of the rock the house sits on. If Jordan took an interest in something, he went all in.

It's an overwhelming and awe-inspiring place, with beauty, kitsch and creepiness (the Doll Carousel Room) served up in equal, gigantic measures. It's no wonder that noted author Neil Gaiman featured the place in his fantasy book "American Gods."

The House on the Rock's fall season lasts until Nov. 12. It's open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Ticket prices depend on how much of the attraction visitors want to see, and range from $19.95 to $35.95 for adults, with discounts for children, senior citizens and military members. The address is 5754 State Highway 23, Spring Green.

The venue will offer its annual Christmas at The House on the Rock starting Nov. 16, running through Dec. 31. More than 6,000 collectible Santas will greet visitors as they stroll through two sections of the campus, the open areas will be decorated for the holiday season and Christmas carols will fill the air. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Thursday through Monday. It will be closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Ticket costs range from $29.95 for adults to $5.95 for children ages 6 and younger.

For more information about tickets and details about visiting, see The House on the Rock's website: thehouseontherock.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Taliesin and House on the Rock offer a study in contrasts in the Driftless