I am obsessed with Ten Chimneys!! The backstory is fascinating. This wonderful, glamorous Broadway couple found their way to the sweet little mid-west town of Genesee Depot is intriguing on it's own. Their summer home is lovely. I can feel the parties and good times that surely took place in years gone by. Everything has been lovingly preserved by those in charge and offer a wonderful glimpse into this adored couple's lives. The grounds are the perfect backdrop to the home. The entire estate gives off a quiet and relaxing vibe. It makes me understand why, on their time off, they would long to come home to Ten Chimneys. There were 2 tour times offered. Everyone takes a small bus from the starting point. A talented docent brings you on a detailed journey back in time and into the private world of Alfred Lunt and his wife Lynn Fontanne. Of course, there is a gift shop to visit after your tour. Be sure to check out the customer restrooms. The ladies room is glamorous with ladies finery and there is a huge King's throne in the mens room! Don't miss the walking tails if you want to take in a bit more nature! read more

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As a classic film and theater nerd, Ten Chimneys holds a special place in my heart. The former home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, the home and grounds are impeccable and just they was as they Lunts left them. Thanks to some love from investors, their stories are preserved and memorialized through the maintenance of Ten Chimneys and the many individuals from all over the world who come to this tiny Wisconsin town to remember them and Hollywood's days gone by. Cross the same threshold that the likes of Vivien Leigh, Helen Hayes, Lawrence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn, Noel Coward, Alexander Woolcott, and so many others crossed, as you become part of the storied list of visitors. Tours must be arranged in advance. read more

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My family and I went on a tour of the Ten Chimneys this weekend. Ten Chimneys is a beautiful place to visit! There are many fascinating stories to hear about the adored Broadway couple, Alfred Lunt & Lynn Fontanne. They offer 2 tours per day, we went on the second/last tour of the day. Everyone takes a shuttle bus from the meeting point to where the actual tour takes place, which was a nice accommodation. The docent who guided us throughout our tour was very educated on the lives of Alfred & Lynn, and the history of the Ten Chimneys. But despite her expertise in the Chimneys history, her abrupt & snooty demeanor negatively impacted our experience on the tour. She rushed us throughout the entire tour. Several times during the tour she scolded us, saying that we needed to walk faster and hurry up. Our walking speed was NOT the problem. The problem was the docent's poor ability to stay on track with her stories & not get side track but all of her extra anecdotes, and her overall poor time management skills. Plus with our tour being the final tour of the day there was no reason to make us feel so rushed on the tour. It's not like there was another group coming on the tour after us. But she rushed us because she apparently had some where to go immediately after the tour ended. She complimented us for the questions we asked on the tour but we didn't ask any questions because she instilled so much fear in us. For the price that we're charged for the tour, we should be able to enjoy the tour without feeling rushed. The docent was unfriendly & condescending. Overall recommend checking out the Ten Chimneys, but would also recommend that they get friendlier docents. read more

The guide did a very good job of making this an interesting tour but the appeal of this place and the couple who lived here is limited to a small and dying audience. We never would have come here except to bring our 80+ year old parents. They do an amazing job to promote this little bit of Wisconsin history - they must have a great PR machine. The grounds and house are quite interesting in themselves as were the Lunts but the whole time I kept wondering why all the hype. read more

Ten Chimneys is the place of magical retreat and history. Experience a historical tour of the famous Lunts, set in the tiny town of Genesee Depot. Feel like their very own guest with a walk of the home and grounds, where you see no velvet ropes only eclectic beauty of decor, Swedish and English design, and elements of the theater. The docent/tour guides will speak of lasting relationships, history, and other ways to inspire a way of living. Ten Chimneys also has some great programs for the community with play readings and music. This place is one dear to heart. I took a tour, and then became a docent. Every visit melts the outside worries away. Ask for my tour, I would love to share my inspiration, as each tour is uniquely created by the docent. The docent will tell a story based on their own passion of Ten Chimneys. My story mainly focuses on lasting relationships and how we can relate today to yesterday. read more

Great house, so-so guide. My husband and I like touring historical houses, and are veterans of many a guided walk. The houses and grounds are wonderfully intact, with all kinds of amazing stuff lying about as if the Lunts were just in another room. The decor is an over-the-top mix of ornate antiques, Swedish stuff, stuff for personal friends who were theatre people, and strange stuff, often painted into murals on the walls. The buildings are cute and a very quircky mix of styles, and very personal spaces for the Lunts. The guide was knowledgeable - he just never shut up! He also hurried us through the outdoor places, with their peaceful views and gardens, which we needed to "rest our minds" in after the barrage of talking, facts, innuendo, and bemusement at the thousand pieces of antiques we had just seen. After a while, I just stoped listening to him. OVERLOAD! The sperate museum building is nice if you are a theatre fan and especially if you are familiar with the Lunts. The admission price, $35.00 each, is steep for this kind of thing, though I guess I am comparing it to public historic homes, as opposed to private foundations. We had a coupon code from Northlight Theatre, so we got BOGO. (Which we felt was an acceptable price for what we got.) I am glad I went once, but I will not go again. read more

If you're a theatre fan or artist, this is the place for you. My love of architecture brought me here, not realizing that this modest home's draw was inside. Already a fan of the 1930s, it felt right to be here. Touring this home brought you on stage as the Lunts were. The walls are covered in drawings and you can just imagine the goings on that these young actors had. Great friends, great rehearsals, good times. The property is also very pretty, along with other buildings as part of the tour. I'm off to watch the movie that they starred in now..."The Guardsman" and maybe make some of Alfred's recipes from their tour card. read more

My wife and I have driven through the area, passing the signs, for years and years, saying :we ought to find out what that Ten Chimneys is all about, someday". Well, someday finally came on a beautiful Fall day in October. Honestly, we really didn't do much research on this place. We thought it was going to simply be an interesting historic home to walk through, self-guided style. Wow! were we [pleasantly] surprised that it was so much more. We entered not really knowing any background of the Lunts, but left with a real appreciation for who they were as performers, but more compelling was how interesting they were as human beings. Sure, they were well off, but they still found time to volunteer and put the needs of others ahead of their own throughout their lives. We had an awesome guide, Beth. She was a Lunt family encyclopedia and a great story teller. We could have listed to her for several hours - the 2.5 hour tour went by very quickly. Admission may seem a little pricey, but worth it to keep this gem maintained. We will definitely go again! read more

AMAZING tour experience! Everything from making the reservation on the phone to the gift shop at the end is just perfect and all the little details are so special. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and guests get to see so much and learn so much from the extremely knowledgable guides. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in history, theatre, historic homes, or museums. read more

Ten Chimneys - Tours Near Me - Genesee Depot, Wisconsin

What a delightful place. Out of the way but so worth the trip. 45 minutes north of Late Geneva, Wisconsin and about equal distance from Milwaukee. This is the preserved summer home of 20s/30s Broadway stars Lynn Fontaine and Albert Lunt. It is lovingly preserved, the docents are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The main house and outbuildings are the most unique I've seen. Very theatrical. Small tour groups. Do reserve ahead of time as groups need to be kept small as the rooms are small. Can't recommend strongly enough for anyone with even a slight interest in history or theater. read more

Ten Chimneys is a very interesting place, especially if you're into American history and/or theater/screen history. It is "the estate lovingly created by theatre legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, [and] is open to the public as a world-class house museum and national resource for theatre, arts, and arts education." They offer tours of the estate, and it was interesting to go through the house and the other buildings around the property. I'm very impressed with how well the managing nonprofit is maintaining the place. Its definitely worth dropping a few bucks in the donation jar to help them continue such great maintenance of a historical property into the future! read more

I visited Ten Chimneys for the first time in April 2011 for a performance in the Drawing Room. It was an exquisite night. We were invited by another couple that are patrons and contributors to the foundation, and I am so grateful they opened my eyes to this wonderful experience. The performance was "Love, Noël: The Letters and Songs of Noël Coward," by Christine Ebersole and Edward Hibbert. It was amazing. Such a romantic, intimate setting for such a performance. The room is just beautiful, with murals on the walls, a baby grand piano, nice lighting. We toured two of the buildings, and part of the grounds. We met Sean Malone the Executive Director of the foundation, and he was a joy to speak with. He is truly passionate about Ten Chimneys, and it is reflected in the way he treats each and every guest. The home is filled with antiques, and is not only visually pleasing, but also acquaints you with the history. A great stop if you love theatre, art, antiques, architecture, or gardens. They also will rent out rooms for events. It is a National Historic Landmark in Genesee Depot, and what a treasure to have such a unique landmark in Wisconsin! read more

Truly amazing gem of an experience. Ten Chimneys museum tour takes you through the estate of Broadway actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne through 3 of the restored buildings and around the grounds. Your docent guide tells stories of their lives and famous guests (Olivier, Hepburn, Channing) while imparting info on their furnishings and fixtures. Amazingly there were no hordes of relatives to make off with the silver - 95% of what you see is theirs. This is a do not miss, make a reservation - it does take about 2 hours, entire estate tour does involve walkiing and lots of stairs, so be prepared. read more

Sean Malone and his dedicated staff at Ten Chimney's earned the top rating on local A list for many good reasons. Stop by and visit them soon, you'll be glad you did! read more

We have visited many historic homes and properties over the decades. Ten Chimneys is unique. It has character unlike any other home we have seen. One can sense the loving effort that the Lunt's used to create a marvelous retreat. They made it so much more than just an estate. They made it "home" in every sense of the word. While history is my passion I had never heard of the Lunt's until this visit. I have not been a lover of the theater/screen but you do not need to be to enjoy this experience. We visited because we had extra time on our hands and might not have otherwise. I am so glad we did. Ten Chimneys is a jewel waiting to be enjoyed. Be sure to allow some extra time to enjoy the museum. read more

Amazing story about the Lunts. We were lucky to have an extra hour before our scheduled tour and we spent it looking at the displays and listening to performances. It is amazing that everything was in place when they started restoring and converting to a historical monument. Even the playing cards laid out for a game of solitaire in progress were from Sweden (?). They didn't have KQJ, but other letters. Our docent was an amazing story teller. She told us about the time she got Alfred's autogrpaph in the grocery store (local custom was to NOT bother or notice them). The docents wear white gloves to protect any artifacts they might need to touch. And she was wearing her mother's white gloves. Full disclosure, she is my aunt, so the gloves were my grandmothers. It is a full theatrical experience. read more

this place is pretty cool... very beautiful architecture, and very fun and interesting guided tours. a very cool part of wisconsin history.