Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2014 0:09:17 GMT -5
For my birthday, I took my wife and daughter to House on the Rock. This is an attraction about an hour from us. It's very hard to describe. It's part museum, part carnival, part maze, part . . . just plain weird and zany. It started as a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired house built, as the name implies, on a rock, for it's creator (Alex Jordan) to live in, but Jordan was also a collector. At some people people started offering to pay him to visit his house, and he kept adding to it, and adding warehouses for his collections. He continued building and collecting until his death in 1989, and very little has changed or been added to the attraction since (more below).
My parents took me once when I was young, and I went again for my 5th grade class trip. I remembered loving many things about the attraction itself, as well as the ceiling fans. With one exception there werent any spectacularly cool fans, almost everything appeared to have been purchased at Menards in the late 80s, but the sheer quantity of fans was impressive, as well as the installs themselves.
I hadnt visited in almost 20 years. I intended to take pictures and videos of the fans and fans only. However fellow collector Jonas asked me to take some pictures of a few other things, and then my wife did (my phone camera was better in the dark than hers), and then I started to see tons of other things I thought fan collectors, etc, might also want to see . . . so I ended up with way more than just fans, but a far from comprehensive look at the attraction. That will basically be the gist of this write up-- fans, more than fans, but far from comprehensive.
Before anyone comments on the quality of the pictures and videos, I will mention that it is very, very, very, very, very dark almost everywhere. Also, for fans of random accent lighting (myself, my wife, my father in law, Jonas, others) there are examples every time you turn your head half an inch.
I dont remember much about the entrance to the facility when I last visited, other than that it had a wood beamed ceiling and a single AB/cane Encon Monarch. Perhaps that portion of the building is still around somewhere in the maze, but now you enter through one of the few examples of recent construction: the Alex Jordan Center. It's basically a museum about the creator and creation of the attraction. They suggested we spend some time in the museum before the tour, but it wasnt very interesting BEFORE seeing everything, and afterwards we were too tired from walking and sensory overload to go back.
The Alex Jordan Center had at least a half dozen of these HunterBlanca Mission style fans (not sure of the actual make and model):
As you left the museum and prepared to enter the first part of the attraction, there was this fan I didnt recognize:
Prior to entering the actual house on the rock, you entered the gate house, which is also a fascinating FLW inspired design. For those who dont know my wife, she loves books, and her dream is to have a massive library in her home a la Beauty & the Beast. Pretty sure we already have enough books but no place to put them. She asked me to take a picture of these bookshelves as you enter the gate house:
As you leave the gate house and enter the main house, you have this view of the Japanese gardens:
Connected to the main house is something called the Infinity Room, a mostly glass room that extends 218' over the cliff and 156' above the forest. You can walk almost to the end, and there is a glass panel where you can see below you.
When I last visited, there were two Emerson Northwinds (I believe-- AB, 5 blade, with builder-Panama vents), they have since been replaced with seven ConTech industrials. Video links follow the pictures:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNgwvNErHmk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnSa4CUdnGE
All of the windows in the main house had blue glass, which my wife loved. I tried to capture it with pictures and video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtKhN_z0I8
Another bookshelf area for my wife. It's hard to see in the pictures, but the books are wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and this was an area with a higher ceiling:
Leaving the main house and entering the "Mill house" (another FLW inspired house full of interesting pieces) you got this view of the gardens (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB5L4QCGtE4
Here is my daughter demonstrating a large mechanical music box in the mill house:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohpo2_OwFzI
Some sort of very elaborate player piano, also in the mill house:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmkl55KBj04
A mechanically played banjo, also in the mill house:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttmwhYFLRM
After the mill house, you enter the Streets of Yesterday. This is pretty much what it sounds like: a faux downtown street replica of 100 years ago, with shops you can look in, etc etc. As a kid, I remembered this area having 2 or 3 brown 56" Nutone Prolines. Instead, they had 4 or 5 of these:
It's possible the Prolines were replaced, but also likely that these were always the fans and I didnt remember correctly.
My daughter and I attempted another coin operated machine, with surprising results:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le2655AeKgs
This was my favorite store in the Streets of Yesterday, thought some of our members might appreciate a picture:
At the end of the Streets there was this mechanical music machine that played Yankee Doodle on real drums, instruments, etc:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=526Z418TqBI
In the stairwell to the next exhibit is this Emerson Northwind. I dont remember it from past visits. It is very similar to the AB ones that were removed:
The next section is called Heritage of the Sea. There were two more brown Contechs at the peak of the ceiling, but they were too high up and it was too dark for them to be captured in pictures at all. I do not remember them being there where I visited as a child, but I probably overlooked them for the same reasons my camera did. I did attempt to capture this giant whale-like sculpture that most be larger than any actual whales in existence:
The next section was called Tribute to Nostalgia. It had several actual collectible cars, my favorite being this:
and some examples of Rube Goldbergs. There is an old time ice cream parlour with these copper Menards TOCs. They were there when I was a kid (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQKh3JDRXhY
In the following picture, the ice cream parlour is to the right, the Atrium is ahead, and behind and to the left of the atrium is the pizza parlour:
In the atrium is this set of custom made Fanimation belt fans. These were there when I was a kid (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jowTyGBWco
In the pizza parlour are five bright red Menards TOCs. These were there when I was a kid (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZNQ9Pxlt-I
Next you enter the Music of Yesterday, which largely consists of more elaborate music boxes, player pianos, and mechanical orchestras. Some of these are 100% mechanical, others are augmented with recorded music. These are really, really cool in person.
First I was impressed with the sheer amount of lights in the entrance:
My wife desperately wanted this combination tiffany lamp/vintage coffee machine:
Here are several videos of the various mechanical orchestras, "music machines", and similar:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWMdvMd-Qzk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUKf-l8BsE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnX1bIm3ts4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT3ANTrx1Ws
In this video, I also managed to get shots of the ceiling fan, another ConTech industrial:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o36Wyy2N2Gs
An even more elaborate player piano:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_scRbRLAAx8
An another massively huge music box:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROusu480M4
Another large mechanical orchestra with an obscenely huge chandelier:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=li89JOVnmBo
After the Music of Yesterday is the Spirit of Aviation. We did not find anything memorable here. After that is, and this is not the slightest exaggeration, the world's largest carousel (second video is a close up):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOcfI-skFBQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1RF3xErHD8
After the carousel you enter "The Organ Room". The first thing you notice, even before the obscenely elaborate organs (sensing a theme yet) are more obscenely elaborate chandeliers:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGjP50HVnoU
This chandelier in particular was impressive:
This clock is the size of small town, I'm not really sure what it has to do with organs:
No clue what this machinery is:
Yet another giant chandelier:
Giant motor looking things (what didnt this guy collect?!)
Some of the organs:
Jonas in particular wanted to see the organ with the TV's. Since I couldnt get quality pictures, I took this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvTAOfeXC5Y
At this point in the tour, you stop at a newly built restaurant featuring Fanimation Enigmas. Obviously this wasnt there when I was a kid. I am assuming it replaced a restaurant I did see as a kid, which was styled like a log cabin and had either CECs or Alaskas. Pictures and video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJbKyYuPXmY
Next stop on the tour was the doll museum. A little creepy, especially when you figure Alex Jordan was a single middle aged man collecting them. Equally creepy was this . . . thing, not sure what it was supposed to be, I'll let you judge from the video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvGpiC0ccKo
After the doll museum was the circus museum. The circus museum had it's own mechanical orchestra, demonstrated here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-sL1Jzxcg
"The Galleries" is apparently a catch all museum for stuff that doesnt fit any of the first 3349534954385 categories. The website says "The collections are exotic and gathered from all regions of the globe. They range from ivories to armories and feature unusual firearms, an armor collection and lavish crown jewels." Well, ok. My wife and I marveled at the sculptures carved out of solid ivory, especially this one. In her words, "You definitely can't make a mistake (making that!)"
In one of the larger gallery rooms there are two SMC DC52s. My memory says they were there as a kid, but as close mounted DC42s. I am sure I am remembering incorrectly:
I took pictures of these antique helmets, because they looked like they could be antique fan housings:
Apparently Jordan loved both dolls and carousels a lot, because the next segment is the "Doll Carousel room". I captured highlights on video, including this miniature but equally ornate carousel:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6gOMkZroew
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzdfnSM8a2c
As you exit the final stages of the tour, you pass the world's largest carousel for a third time, this time from a balcony above it. It's pretty clear Jordan felt this was the highlight of the collection, not only do you pass it multiple times, but it is the finale of your tour. I took this video from the balcony:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIvzN1dxhJo
As you exit, you pass even more elaborate lighting:
As you leave, you finally have access to the gardens from ground level. I took a picture and video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUoRmgKDQkk
As a kid, I remember exiting into a combination restaurant and gift shop that was littered with Encon Monarchs (pb, this time) on long downrods, so many they were practically blade to blade. We did not pass through this building but that does not mean it does not exist.
If you're in Wisconsin or Iowa, I strongly suggest you stop through. On our arrival, our attitudes were closer to "it costs HOW much and takes HOW long?!" and when we left, we were exhausted mentally and physically but felt it had been WELL worth it. The pictures and video only capture a fraction of what we saw. Plus, those belt fans are REALLY cool in person.
My parents took me once when I was young, and I went again for my 5th grade class trip. I remembered loving many things about the attraction itself, as well as the ceiling fans. With one exception there werent any spectacularly cool fans, almost everything appeared to have been purchased at Menards in the late 80s, but the sheer quantity of fans was impressive, as well as the installs themselves.
I hadnt visited in almost 20 years. I intended to take pictures and videos of the fans and fans only. However fellow collector Jonas asked me to take some pictures of a few other things, and then my wife did (my phone camera was better in the dark than hers), and then I started to see tons of other things I thought fan collectors, etc, might also want to see . . . so I ended up with way more than just fans, but a far from comprehensive look at the attraction. That will basically be the gist of this write up-- fans, more than fans, but far from comprehensive.
Before anyone comments on the quality of the pictures and videos, I will mention that it is very, very, very, very, very dark almost everywhere. Also, for fans of random accent lighting (myself, my wife, my father in law, Jonas, others) there are examples every time you turn your head half an inch.
I dont remember much about the entrance to the facility when I last visited, other than that it had a wood beamed ceiling and a single AB/cane Encon Monarch. Perhaps that portion of the building is still around somewhere in the maze, but now you enter through one of the few examples of recent construction: the Alex Jordan Center. It's basically a museum about the creator and creation of the attraction. They suggested we spend some time in the museum before the tour, but it wasnt very interesting BEFORE seeing everything, and afterwards we were too tired from walking and sensory overload to go back.
The Alex Jordan Center had at least a half dozen of these HunterBlanca Mission style fans (not sure of the actual make and model):
As you left the museum and prepared to enter the first part of the attraction, there was this fan I didnt recognize:
Prior to entering the actual house on the rock, you entered the gate house, which is also a fascinating FLW inspired design. For those who dont know my wife, she loves books, and her dream is to have a massive library in her home a la Beauty & the Beast. Pretty sure we already have enough books but no place to put them. She asked me to take a picture of these bookshelves as you enter the gate house:
As you leave the gate house and enter the main house, you have this view of the Japanese gardens:
Connected to the main house is something called the Infinity Room, a mostly glass room that extends 218' over the cliff and 156' above the forest. You can walk almost to the end, and there is a glass panel where you can see below you.
When I last visited, there were two Emerson Northwinds (I believe-- AB, 5 blade, with builder-Panama vents), they have since been replaced with seven ConTech industrials. Video links follow the pictures:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNgwvNErHmk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnSa4CUdnGE
All of the windows in the main house had blue glass, which my wife loved. I tried to capture it with pictures and video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDtKhN_z0I8
Another bookshelf area for my wife. It's hard to see in the pictures, but the books are wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and this was an area with a higher ceiling:
Leaving the main house and entering the "Mill house" (another FLW inspired house full of interesting pieces) you got this view of the gardens (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB5L4QCGtE4
Here is my daughter demonstrating a large mechanical music box in the mill house:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohpo2_OwFzI
Some sort of very elaborate player piano, also in the mill house:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmkl55KBj04
A mechanically played banjo, also in the mill house:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lttmwhYFLRM
After the mill house, you enter the Streets of Yesterday. This is pretty much what it sounds like: a faux downtown street replica of 100 years ago, with shops you can look in, etc etc. As a kid, I remembered this area having 2 or 3 brown 56" Nutone Prolines. Instead, they had 4 or 5 of these:
It's possible the Prolines were replaced, but also likely that these were always the fans and I didnt remember correctly.
My daughter and I attempted another coin operated machine, with surprising results:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le2655AeKgs
This was my favorite store in the Streets of Yesterday, thought some of our members might appreciate a picture:
At the end of the Streets there was this mechanical music machine that played Yankee Doodle on real drums, instruments, etc:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=526Z418TqBI
In the stairwell to the next exhibit is this Emerson Northwind. I dont remember it from past visits. It is very similar to the AB ones that were removed:
The next section is called Heritage of the Sea. There were two more brown Contechs at the peak of the ceiling, but they were too high up and it was too dark for them to be captured in pictures at all. I do not remember them being there where I visited as a child, but I probably overlooked them for the same reasons my camera did. I did attempt to capture this giant whale-like sculpture that most be larger than any actual whales in existence:
The next section was called Tribute to Nostalgia. It had several actual collectible cars, my favorite being this:
and some examples of Rube Goldbergs. There is an old time ice cream parlour with these copper Menards TOCs. They were there when I was a kid (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQKh3JDRXhY
In the following picture, the ice cream parlour is to the right, the Atrium is ahead, and behind and to the left of the atrium is the pizza parlour:
In the atrium is this set of custom made Fanimation belt fans. These were there when I was a kid (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jowTyGBWco
In the pizza parlour are five bright red Menards TOCs. These were there when I was a kid (pictures and video):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZNQ9Pxlt-I
Next you enter the Music of Yesterday, which largely consists of more elaborate music boxes, player pianos, and mechanical orchestras. Some of these are 100% mechanical, others are augmented with recorded music. These are really, really cool in person.
First I was impressed with the sheer amount of lights in the entrance:
My wife desperately wanted this combination tiffany lamp/vintage coffee machine:
Here are several videos of the various mechanical orchestras, "music machines", and similar:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWMdvMd-Qzk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUKf-l8BsE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnX1bIm3ts4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT3ANTrx1Ws
In this video, I also managed to get shots of the ceiling fan, another ConTech industrial:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o36Wyy2N2Gs
An even more elaborate player piano:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_scRbRLAAx8
An another massively huge music box:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iROusu480M4
Another large mechanical orchestra with an obscenely huge chandelier:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=li89JOVnmBo
After the Music of Yesterday is the Spirit of Aviation. We did not find anything memorable here. After that is, and this is not the slightest exaggeration, the world's largest carousel (second video is a close up):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOcfI-skFBQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1RF3xErHD8
After the carousel you enter "The Organ Room". The first thing you notice, even before the obscenely elaborate organs (sensing a theme yet) are more obscenely elaborate chandeliers:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGjP50HVnoU
This chandelier in particular was impressive:
This clock is the size of small town, I'm not really sure what it has to do with organs:
No clue what this machinery is:
Yet another giant chandelier:
Giant motor looking things (what didnt this guy collect?!)
Some of the organs:
Jonas in particular wanted to see the organ with the TV's. Since I couldnt get quality pictures, I took this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvTAOfeXC5Y
At this point in the tour, you stop at a newly built restaurant featuring Fanimation Enigmas. Obviously this wasnt there when I was a kid. I am assuming it replaced a restaurant I did see as a kid, which was styled like a log cabin and had either CECs or Alaskas. Pictures and video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJbKyYuPXmY
Next stop on the tour was the doll museum. A little creepy, especially when you figure Alex Jordan was a single middle aged man collecting them. Equally creepy was this . . . thing, not sure what it was supposed to be, I'll let you judge from the video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvGpiC0ccKo
After the doll museum was the circus museum. The circus museum had it's own mechanical orchestra, demonstrated here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8-sL1Jzxcg
"The Galleries" is apparently a catch all museum for stuff that doesnt fit any of the first 3349534954385 categories. The website says "The collections are exotic and gathered from all regions of the globe. They range from ivories to armories and feature unusual firearms, an armor collection and lavish crown jewels." Well, ok. My wife and I marveled at the sculptures carved out of solid ivory, especially this one. In her words, "You definitely can't make a mistake (making that!)"
In one of the larger gallery rooms there are two SMC DC52s. My memory says they were there as a kid, but as close mounted DC42s. I am sure I am remembering incorrectly:
I took pictures of these antique helmets, because they looked like they could be antique fan housings:
Apparently Jordan loved both dolls and carousels a lot, because the next segment is the "Doll Carousel room". I captured highlights on video, including this miniature but equally ornate carousel:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6gOMkZroew
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzdfnSM8a2c
As you exit the final stages of the tour, you pass the world's largest carousel for a third time, this time from a balcony above it. It's pretty clear Jordan felt this was the highlight of the collection, not only do you pass it multiple times, but it is the finale of your tour. I took this video from the balcony:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIvzN1dxhJo
As you exit, you pass even more elaborate lighting:
As you leave, you finally have access to the gardens from ground level. I took a picture and video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUoRmgKDQkk
As a kid, I remember exiting into a combination restaurant and gift shop that was littered with Encon Monarchs (pb, this time) on long downrods, so many they were practically blade to blade. We did not pass through this building but that does not mean it does not exist.
If you're in Wisconsin or Iowa, I strongly suggest you stop through. On our arrival, our attitudes were closer to "it costs HOW much and takes HOW long?!" and when we left, we were exhausted mentally and physically but felt it had been WELL worth it. The pictures and video only capture a fraction of what we saw. Plus, those belt fans are REALLY cool in person.
