My cousin really wanted to come here and I didn't even know what it was. We drove here from St…read more Louis to come see this attraction. I came in blind, not knowing what it was. It was super impressed. It literally kept going on and on and on. so many fun interesting things. We stopped and got a hotdog at the cafeteria, which was nice because we were getting a little hungry and thirsty on this long walk. I would recommend bringing dollar bills so you can buy coins and put them into the different coin operated machines that they have. They have a lot of those around the entire facility and it's one of the only interactive options. Obviously everything looked really cool. I think that the only thing that would make it better would be to have a more interactive aspect to some of the parts, but I'm not sure how they would do that and I don't think they're gonna change anything. It's still well worth a visit.

This place is immense! We walked over 3 miles to see all the collections amazed by former owner…read moreAlex Jordan. It can be overwhelming if you have sensory issues, so keep that in mind. Lots of lights and lots sounds, not to mention the number of things to look at. Plan for walking up and down hills and walkways/stairs. Some areas are too narrow for mobility aids and might be a tight fit if you are plus sized, like I am. That said, it was worth every step to see it all. The automated music machines, infinity room, and the carousels were my favorite parts. I'm sure there's plenty I didn't notice, so I would return to take in more of it. Be prepared for irregular temperatures throughout the experience, as you move between indoors and outdoors and gated locations versus not. There are many restrooms along the way, as well as a cafe halfway through where you can rest and recharge. We didn't stop there, but it smelled great as we walked through. Get your tokens at the front desk to save a little money. You'll need them for the automated music machines. I bought 15, but I could have used 5-10 more. Luckily, you still get to watch and listen when others use their tokens.

I had been here many, many years ago for a tour so when friends were in town and suggested touring…read moreTaliesin I was all for it. We took the 2.5 hour Highlight tour which included the interiors of the main house, the studio, and the theater. I addition we toured the grounds by the shuttle bus that took us between sites. Our guide, Andy, was exceptional. This was one of the best tours I have ever taken, and we travel a lot! He covered history, architecture and juicy FLW details. The pace was just right and I learned quite a bit even though I have toured close to 20 FLW buildings. Worth every penny (and the gift shop is quite good too).

I planned my Frank Lloyd Wright trip to Wisconsin around visiting Taliesin and it was well worth my…read moretime. Taliesin was Wrights home for much of his life, including when he designed many of his most prominent designs. Taliesin is located in Spring Green, Wisconsin which was home to many of Wrights relatives and was where Wright spent many summers as a child. You get to understand why this location held such a strong draw for Wright. Located just across the river from Spring Green Wisconsin you check in for the tour at the Wright designed building overlooking the river that contains the gift shop and cafe. Even before getting to Taliesin itself you get to experience a wonderful Wright building that provides great views of the river, has the trademark horizontal features and a wonderful geometric ceiling. The gift shop is very nice and has a wide selection. I took the 4 hour Estate Tour which includes all of the major buildings in Taliesin. Our guide started with about 10 minutes of introduction in the gift shop. We then took a shuttle bus to the actual estate we started the tour at the house Wright designed for his sister, which was undergoing renovation; this house is fairly conventional on the outside, yet it has that Wright feel on the inside. Outside we saw the Romeo and Juliet Windmill, which has the story attached that his relatives in the area predicted it would ball over in the 1st substantial wind, yet it is still standing over 100 years after it was originally built. Next up on the tour was the Hillside Home Tour which was originally built for his aunts, but was later converted for the Taliesin Fellowship. We started in the Auditorium, which is unique, especially the way half of the audience is looking at the other members of the audience. The auditorium is still in use, including movies, concerts and lectures. Next up was the drafting room that the Fellowship used. The room is electric with a grid of beams and skylights. You can understand how the apprentices would be inspired by working in this space. We were also lucky enough to be one of the first tours to get to see the hallway and the bedrooms next to the drafting room that were used by the apprentices. We then got a nice break in the Hillside Home dining room with some wonderful light snacks. All of the dining room furniture is Wright designed and the light fixtures were not just Wright designed but then fabricated by the apprentices. A very nice way to actually experiene some of how life at Taliesin was for the apprentices. Back on the bus to take us to the Midway Barn, which provides an idea of how Taliesin was an actual working farm. Eventually some of the barn was used for housing apprentices. Wright designed the barn to emerge out of the hillside, reflecting his idea for organic architecture. We then moved on to the main buildings at the top of the hillside which were the Frank Lloyd Wright house, office and drafting room. This area has significant history both good and bad. This is where the murders and fires took place. Wright managed to rebuild and to make these spaces an amazing place to visit. We got a full tour of the house, the garden and even the kitchen building. It is amazing to see what Wright built for himself and his family. The Taliesin Estate tour is excellent, comprehensive, educational and lots of fun. Our guide was also excellent, not afraid to deal with all side of Frank Lloyd Wright, both the good and bad. He was great about explaining everything, pointing out detail and also separating facts from speculation; he even told us about having conversations with a Taliesin fellow who still lives on the property and is over 100 years old. If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan Taliesin is a must visit; I would strongly recommend the Full Estate Tour. I also found it helpful to have read several of the books on Wright and the events that have occurred at Taliesin. Even if you are not a Wright fan, this is an amazing tour and well worth visiting.

This was so much fun! My bf and I took his two kids (7, and 9) and they had so much fun. Not too…read morescary, only two or three actors that jumped out in the entire thing. It's mainly just super creepy items placed around the building. If your child gets scared during the haunt you can say "child- no scare" to the actors. Luckily we didn't feel the need to do so, but it was nice they gave us that option.

This is the third year that House on the Rock has done a halloween tour at night after the normal…read moreattraction has closed. Even for being fairly new in the "haunted house" game, they are doing a phenomenal job in creating something that isn't your stereotypical warehouse scary fake scenes with boring Halloween-theme-song music. It was the most unique and eerie halloween attraction we have ever been to. The unique layout of the rooms lay an already perfect groundwork for creepiness, paired with cleverly placed actors, created a very stimulating atmosphere. The maze of the dollhouse rooms and the old-timey crackling music in particular are going to give me nightmares for weeks. I highly recommend the trip to make it to this event, and I hope that with every coming year, they are able to make it even better!

It was the worst food I've ever eaten. We ordered pancakes and a breakfast sandwich. Only took a…read morefew bites. It was obvious from the taste that they didn't clean their grill. The awful taste permeated my mouth for hours after I left. Avoid at all costs.

After touring the Taliesin Estate, we worked up an appetite. The cafe is conveniently connected to…read morethe gift shop and where the tour ends. The space is located along the Wisconsin River and the large windows in the cafe allow for a breathtaking view while enjoying lunch. The menu is quite small which I appreciated but still had a hard time deciding what I wanted to enjoy because they all sounded so yummy. They use fresh local ingredients as much as possible ensuring that they support the local region and aligns beautifully with the concept of Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a rainy day so I opted for comfort with grilled cheese and a soup of the day. The gooey cheese sandwich with aged cheddar and Gouda paired perfectly with my potato bacon soup. My friend opted for the kale chicken salad that included ingredients for a scrumptious fall salad with pepitas, cranberries, butternut squash, goat cheese and sherry shallot dressing. The set up is order at the counter, find a seat and they bring your food to you. It was a really quiet day and our food came out quickly. The staff seemed to be out of sight much of the time so if you needed something it was a little bit of a wait. I had asked for a box but they didn't bring it and I ended up having to ask again.

Stayed here for a weekend to visit the House on the Rock. This place was built in the early 90s and…read moreit genuinely still looks like it. For me, this was a very quaint time capsule of when I would go vacationing with my family as a kid. Full disclosure, if you know you're the type of person to prefer a clean, brand new hotel, this will disappoint. You will not like this. You might be more critical and feel it is overall more dirty. If you like the "retro" look, you'll probably be thrilled and love it. Due to the age of the hotel, there's a lot of little things here that you no longer see in modern hotels. Recessed lighting, room divisions between bedrooms (instead of all the beds being in the same room together), a kitchenette with a mini fridge that has an actual freezer! According to my friends, the beds were not very comfortable, but I slept like a baby quite easily. Different strokes etc etc. We used the hotel pool and jacuzzi as well. Again, it's built in the 90s, it's not the newest shining thing, but I stayed cooking in that jacuzzi for several hours (with appropriate breaks, I swear), so I have no real complaints there. The staff was always very kind and attentive. No complaints there. There aren't any branded hotel chains in the area, so if you're not willing to risk it trying out a totally independent inn, the House on the Rock Resort is an excellent choice.

Okay first things first. We came here when this place was COMPLETELY empty. My wife walked in and…read morethe front desk person is on the phone and doesn't even acknowledge her presence. She was overly nice to the folks on the phone while ignoring my wife for over 10 minutes. When she got off the phone she acted as though my wife was inconveniencing her for even being there. She didn't acknowledge ignoring her or being on the phone and just simply said "yes?" in a rude tone as though we had inconvenienced her for being here. She begrudgingly gave our key cards and only gave one word answers or completely ignored anything that was said. Being met immediately with rudeness for simply having a reservation was an immediate turn off. "Becky" or Rebecca really needs to consider a different career. Next comes the state of the hotel. There is a nasty rogue sock in the elevator that should have been the first sign. Then we get to the hallway and there is literally black mold falling from the ceiling. Outside our room is a pile dead bugs. Once we get into our room we see that there is food and popcorn all on the floor. I inspected the bed before sitting on it out of fear of more bugs .. but immediately regretted sitting down after seeing my wife's face. She points at the headboard. ..Which has some substance (let's be honest we know what it is) on it. Like splatter and dripping. This place is disgusting and they have gall to charge over $200 for one night. I'm absolutely appalled and considering sleeping in my car. Will be disinfecting everything I own when I get out of here .. we just really wanted to go see the house for my birthday and traveled all the way out.. what an awful kick off

Super large and beautiful space right on the Wisconsin river. Great for large groups. Very clean…read more We dropped in on a Sunday for lunch. My fish tacos were fresh and tasty. My sister's BLT was huge and delicious. Next time I will pass on the chips as a side and upgrade to fries or sweet potato fries. Service was very good, prices were fair for the big servings.

We were looking forward to a Friday night fish fry, but were a bit disappointed. First, they forgot…read moreabout our table and apparently didn't assign us a server so we waited 10 minutes or so before that was sorted out. The table itself was good, by a window, but the floor under it was gross, with food and crayons and stuff. They sprayed the table top with bleach before seating us, if you can believe that, yum. The food was passable but bland. The salad bar was super-unlit, perhaps so you didn't notice how the salad stuff was getting mixed together. The old fashioneds were good. I liked the clam chowder although it was a little salty. After our comments they did try to accommodate us a little. Next time I think we will try another place for fish fry.

In Alaska, we'd probably call a place like this a "Roadhouse"…read more It's a nice little place to wet your whistle in a hilly/"driftless" area of Wisconsin. They have man beers on tap, and the variety is impressive! Everything from hoppy IPAs to crushable corn lagers. Definitely worth a stop!

Down home tavern atmosphere. Go for the weekly rib special. You won't be disappointed.read more

Love this place. We've visited in person twice when in the area and have been buying items for…read moreseveral years. We now have 4 coffee mugs, two white wine glasses, a small berry bowl, and about to order a large serving bowl. All items expertly packed and shipped and made with heart and soul. Love supporting small businesses during these troubling times.

Worth the find! What a hidden gem. It's located in a rural area near farmland. I purchased a mug…read moreand I would highly recommend going to check it out for yourself!

How do you separate and rate the material, the actors, the facilities and front of house? How can…read moreone rating represent all aspects of such a multifaceted endeavor? Well, it helps if everything is top notch. While I'd been to the nearby House on the Rock as a kid, it took many years for Shakespeare to embed himself so deep into my interests that I'd drive ~3 hours into the wilds of Southern Wisconsin just to see a play. In case my preamble didn't show my hand, it was all worth it. That said, there were thunderstorm and tornado warnings as I made my trip. Calling the office informed me that they aren't the type to cancel shows. Wild weather did delay the start (and derailed many a picnic dinner), but the show was held, the complimentary bug spray was used, the seats were wiped down (I brought towels to supplement the paper towels they handed out), and an incredible evening under the bats was had. I saw their Midsummer. It was a revelation. I can't wait to go back next summer for As You Like It (I imagine I'll love it).

We've seen a number of shows here over the years, and all have been excellent! On this trip in…read moreAugust 2022, we saw A Raisin in the Sun and Hamlet. Both had exceptional casts, and I really like the fact that they're including a range of types of works in their season rather than just standard summer theater fare. The big theater is outside, and so weather can impact performances. We had a delay during Hamlet due to lightning and heavy rain, and then they had to cancel before the end for the same reason. We were glad that if that was going to happen it was during Hamlet as we knew that story well...and we can now say we saw a version of Hamlet where only Polonius dies - I mean Ophelia seemed OK when we last saw her... Anyway, just be ready for the weather! The grounds are beautiful too, and you can either bring your own picnic or pre-order one from them. We opted for this one night and it was delicious. I had the chicken, almond goat cheese salad which came with a cup of a bean salad, fruit salad and a brownie. All was fresh and tasty. There are a lot of picnic tables around the grounds. The walk up the hill to the theater is a little steep, and so they do have shuttles for those with mobility challenges. They also have bug spray everywhere if needed. One last note...there are always bats flying around the stage. We find them entertaining and it's interesting to see how the actors have all learned to ignore them.

I just tried some of their signature Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese, which currently runs $17 for an…read more8 oz package. I must say premium Wisconsin cheeses are like hazy IPA's to me. There are a ton of tastes (and textures) and they're all a little different, and I like them all! Maybe one day I'll develop enough of a palate to have a favorite, but for now, they're all good!!

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the signature cheese of the Uplands Cheese Company, may be one of the…read moresingle most perfect hard cows milk cheese made in the US. A traditionally made cheese in the style of alpine cheeses from southwestern France, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made only during the months when cows graze on grasses, sweet clover, and wild herbs, giving their milk a depth of flavor not usually found in most cheeses from year-round milkers grazing on silage and grain. This award winning cheese (just go to their website to see how many accolades they've earned...it is simply awesome) is a favorite both here in the Midwest and all over the country. For those of us lucky to live in Chicago, it is on the menu of many local restaurants, who use it both on cheese plates and in more complex dishes. During a recent visit to Hot Chocolate on Damen, for example, I had a Pleasant Ridge Reserve-filled brioche. I think this cheese is better to eat out of hand than to incorporate in a recipe - with heating, many of the subtleties of texture and flavor are lost. Seek it out. And if you do find it in a cheese shop, make sure the piece you get does not touch plastic. Because plastic is the enemy of all cheese. If it must touch plastic, make sure you get it out as soon as possible and put in proper cheese paper or wax paper and foil. And eat it right away - it isn't going to get any better in your fridge. Uplands isn't open to the public, but if you call ahead they may just accomodate you. The trip through the lush, rolling hills of southern Wisconsin is an agrarian's dream.