We reserved a free tour at Eventbrite. Jennifer brought 15 of us through this massive, historic home. She pointed out specific pieces, told stories about the owners & was very knowledgeable about Frank Lloyd Wrights work. We started our tour with a brief video about the glass work. We went into several sitting areas, Dana's bedroom, nursery, dining room, pantry & kitchen.library, bowling alley & billiards room. The 3rd largest home Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed. this remarkably preserve Prairie School icon dates from 1902 until 1904. It's more interesting than his home in Oak Park. The 16 floor home was considered experimental with a duckpin bowling alley & 2 barrel vaulted ceiling's. There is exquisite color shifting art glass & 90% of the furniture is original. Susan Lawrence Dana (1862-1946) was an heiress to a silver mines fortune . She was widow in 1900 & had complete control over her household & fortune. She was a leading philanthropic figure in Springfield. Dana decided to completely remodeled her home commissioning Frank Lloyd Wright. Her new home reflected her flamboyant personality & was designed for display & entertainment. The concept of "expanding space" was evident throughout the house with windows placed to continually draw the attention to the outside. Wright designed approximately 450 art glass windows, skylights, door panels, sconces & light fixtures for the house. The interior Torii gates are magnificent.hallway into two of the largest rooms in the house. The musical gallery for entertaining and the library contains special easels. Wright designed white oak furniture for Dana to display Japanese prints. In1928, Dana had dementia & financial constraints. In1944, the home and its contents were sold to Charles C. Thomas, a medical publisher. Thomas lived here & used this home as his publishing company. He sold the house to the state for a million dollars. It became a historic site. Jennifer shared that the house is still being utilized for social community events. read more

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This was so cool! What an amazing experience! This was my first Wright house, and I'm not sure it can be topped! I understand why photos aren't allowed inside, but I was expecting more postcards depicting the various rooms to be available in the gift shop. There was cool stuff, for sure, but more postcards of the interior would be great since photos aren't allowed. My tour guide was Allicent and she did a great job talking about all the artistic and architectural features of the home. There was also a video at the beginning about the manufacture of some of the glass. I was sorry that the intro video didn't tell us more about the historical and social context of Mrs Dana, but I imagine most visitors would be more interested in the architectural technique. My only complaint with my tour is that there were two little kids on it. They were like 3 and 5. They were totally distracting the whole time--talking, whining, trying to grab at things. I'm not sure why the museum has such strict rules about other things but also allows in kids under 12. There's nothing they could possibly glean from the tour. It's really not designed for kids. Nor should it be! read more

Dana-Thomas House - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Absolute perfection! This is one of the best Frank Lloyd Wright houses in the world. It is the biggest. it also has 95% of the original furnishings inside including a lamp that the state of Illinois had to pay $700,000 to reclaim. They also paid $1 million for the property. It's a bargain at any price. FLW fans cannot miss this one! No pictures are allowed inside, but it is stunning! Look at the pictures on their social media and then go see this place. My wife and I have toured several Frank Lloyd Wright homes including Taliesen West. This one takes the cake. By far. Marcel was our guide and he was amazing. Just go see this place. It's a national treasure! read more

Dana-Thomas House - 95% complete and original. One of the best in the country. - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

What a great introduction to Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at the Dana Thomas House. Imagine being able to give a blank check to a cutting edge new architect to build a new home for you and your family. This is what socialite, philanthropist Susan Lawrence Dana planned with architect Frank Lloyd Wright from 1902-1904. The Prairie School style home is infused with classic FLW organic architecture and elements throughout the 12,000 square foot home. Susan Lawrence Dana was an heiress to a 3 million dollar fortune that she inherited when her father died. She rebuilt her family's Italianate mansion that was located in the state capital's "Aristocracy Hill" neighborhood. When the "renovation" was completed, only the entry parlor with its fireplace (with butterflies under the mantle) was left partially intact. The construction and furnishings were estimated at $60,000. The tour was great. Started with a short movie that discussed the glass that not only infused light into the home, but serves as works of art incorporated into the construction. Wright designed approximately 450 art glass windows, scones, skylights, door panels and lamps for the home. Many have the iconic chevron pattern which mimics the local sumac plants or a butterfly pattern (which Mrs. Dana had loved since her childhood home). The painted panels in the formal dining room also have the sumac pattern. So interesting to wander up and down as the tour guide led us to living spaces, bedrooms, the dining room with a table for forty guests and chairs with high and low backs. Even the furniture had the sumac pattern. Especially loved the library. The bookcases which houses the 2,000 book collection are a work of art. Love how Mrs. Dana published her library hours and loaned out books to the community. She also rewarded children who came to her story hour with the promise of ice cream afterwards. The ice cream was kept cold with a built in freezer. The party room had hidden radiators as well as the only free standing glass installation designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This piece reflected the love of Japanese design for FLW and Mrs. Dana. The bowling lane and billiards room were fun pastimes that were also installed. Mrs. Dana lived in the house until 1928. Unfortunately due to her extravagant lifestyle, she had to sell the home and its contents when she ran through her inheritance. The second owner, Charles Thomas, used the home as a business with the stipulation that the home be sold to the state of Illinois to serve as a museum. The price tag in 1981? One million dollars. Today, it is nice to be able to tour and learn the history. Make a reservation as the free tours are timed and by appointment only. No photography allowed. Lots of parking available. read more

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Be sure to sign up for an available time slot (it's free) to tour this beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright home. read more

Dana-Thomas House - Outside - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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This home is absolutely stunning! Even more amazing is the free hour long tour of the building. We've been to several Frank Lloyd Wright homes. I think this is now my favorite. The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate. She did a wonderful job pointing out unique aspects to this home. Definitely recommend this if you're ever in Springfield! read more

Dana-Thomas House - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Stunning home. Wonderful hosts for our gathering. Such a fun space to have an event. It was so fun to explore all over the house and see all the architectural elements and details. read more

Dana-Thomas House - Lots of space for our catered event. Look at this beautiful ceiling!! - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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what a gorgeous home. I usually am a little iffy on Lloyd Wright homes, they just don't feel livable. too stale to be comfortable. the Dana-Thomas house has elements of that but it's the first house I could actually imagine someone living in. my favorite room was the dinning room. the design of it feels so opulent, but subtle. the butterfly shaped chandeliers were to die for. I just wanted to open up my purse and bring them home with me. cherry on top of the cake was our tour guide. she had such a warm and welcoming presence. she also was able to project her voice without yelling so the entire group could hear her. so glad I stopped in Springfield read more

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It was incredible architecture and loved seeing inside. However, the volunteer giving the tour barely spoke above a whisper. When someone in the back asked her to speak up she said it was the only voice she had! So unfortunately most of us missed the interesting historical data that we looked forward to learning. I think she needs to either use a microphone or volunteer in another capacity! read more

Five stars are easily deserved for this FREE attraction. It's hard to believe there's no cost to tour this significant Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie style house. Our docent provided an engaging tour with interesting commentary that didn't sound canned for an hour. Her notes about different elements of the architecture and design of the house demonstrated just how well Wright considered himself an artist who allowed owners to live inside his art. read more

95+% original Frank Lloyd Wright house only blocks from the Illinois State capital building. The state-landmark house is a living museum of the socialite Mrs. Dana. She paid Wright a lot for the design a little over 100 years ago. The home is filled with original furniture design by Mr. Wright that takes you back to his original concept. Lots of art glass as well. You need to make reservations online because they only have a few guided tours a day - takes about an hour. Our tour guide was great! read more

Dana-Thomas House - Courtyard - Museums Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Fabulous! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. The house and furniture is in beautiful condition! A must see in Springfield! read more

I've only seen a handful of Frank Lloyd Wright houses, solely along the FLW Trail, but this has been my favorite, by far. The grounds are quite expansive. The library and bowling alley were probably my favorite rooms in this house. It's amazing what giving FLW a blank check could do back in the day. Your visit begins by watching a short video in the welcome center. Our tour guide was excellent. Laura if I remember correctly. This house is dark inside and is not accessible. Those with mobility issues may be limited to only seeing a portion of the home, that being the main floor. The home is very chopped up and has many staircases. No elevator. I liked that the tour was primarily about the families that occupied the home, rather than Wright himself. So many of the homeowner's of Wright homes had tragic personal lives. This is also true for the Dana-Thomas home. The size of our group was huge. My only critique would be that they consider making the size of the tour groups smaller, but I think that's unlikely given the busyness of the summer season; particularly Saturday's and Sunday's. You can find free parking across the street in front of the house. No admission fee, but there's a suggested donation of $10/per person. Absolutely no indoor photography. Highly recommend. read more

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I've been to a few Frank Lloyd Wright houses and this one has the most amazing art glass. Our docent was excellent. We enjoyed hearing the history behind the house. Plenty of free parking across the street and the tour is also free. Thankful that the state saved this property! read more

We loved seeing the interior of this house, and hearing about the architecture, but there were a few small problems. Tickets are free but required, and a woman waiting in line for the tour explained that we could walk up the street to the Foundation Office to get them, or we could reserve them online. Unfortunately, we had a lot of cell phone service issues while in Springfield. We were able to reserve our spots online, but unable to access the confirmation to show the guide. Luckily there weren't a lot of people on our tour, so the guide took our word for it. Right off the bat we were told that the air conditioning wasn't working in the house, and it was about 90 degrees outside and very humid. The tour normally takes an hour, but due to the heat, our guide condensed some portions of her spiel to shorten the tour for our comfort. Still, by the time it was over I felt nauseous from the heat and just wanted it to be over. The house itself is impressive (it has a bowling alley!), and I'm glad I got to see it, but the heat inside was nearly unbearable. Also, unlike most other historic homes we've visited, you are not allowed to take any photos inside, even without flash. Most places will allow you to photograph as long as you don't use flash, so I'm not sure what the reason is for forbidding photos here, but it was disappointing. read more

Very interesting tour. The guide was very informative. The stained glass was beautiful.

Super cool house. Such creative architecture and the tour is worth it. The staff can be a bit pretentious sometimes but going around Christmas time is an annual tradition. read more

Wonderful tours of a grand home. Great history guides knowledgeable and eager to answer questions.

A great tourist stop if you are into The prairie style architecture that was designed by the great architect Frank Loyd Wright. The state-landmark house is a living museum of the eclectic Socialite Mrs. Dana that the home was designed for at the turn of the 20th century. The home is filled with original furniture design by Mr. Wright that takes you back to his original concepts and listening to his clients needs. A truly must see for any architect or just anyone interested in architecture Admission is free, but you will be inspired to leave a donation. You do need to call to make reservations read more

What a GREAT experience! Our tour guide (I think his name was Matt) was very animated and informative. He made the tour engaging. The house is spectacular but you really don't expect anything different from a FLW built home. But even the story of Mrs. Dana is amazing and she was quite forward-thinking for her time. I highly recommend going to see this house if you're anywhere near the area. read more

Nice tour! We have seen a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright homes from the outside, like in Oak Park, Park forest, etc. 1st time in one however. Place was huge, 12,000 sq ft. Some weird rich chick who liked to blow thru money like a drunken sailor was the cheif inhabitant. And FLW was Nazi like in what he would "allow" in the home, like no personal pictures. Huh? If You buy the house, take a hike, FLW. The tour was very informative, many changes in ceiling height, lots of period furniture, and dim lighting, which was what they had in 1904 when the house was completed. A very cool house, but I could never live there. I'm 6-2 and FLW felt if you were taller than 5-7, his height?, F U and watch out for hitting your head when you venture from one room to another. 1st electrified home either in the area or country, something like that... Didn't know FLW designed furniture, well he did, and there are lots of it in this house. Former Gov Jim Thomson bought some original lamps to return to this place, way to go Jim. Something like $750k for an ugly FLW lamp, but hey, it's an original FLW that was in this house... Cool tour, informative, free but donation suggested of $10/head, which is entirely worth it, and I'm a cheap guy at heart and we paid it. read more

Must stop for a Springfield visit, architecture beautiful and docents are knowledgeable and personable.

Marvelous House, Informative Tour, Surprising History Learn about artful architecture and how this home was a refuge for the persecuted. read more

A MUST when visiting Springfield, that is if you like art/architecture/houses etc. If I come back to Springfield, I'll be visiting again, the tour was so fantastic. My tour went a little longer than most, closer to 2 hours, but my guide was a witty delightful 70 year old man, it felt like the right length. He had been to other Frank Lloyd Wright homes such as Falling Water and was very knowledgeable about the house, the history and even some fun little stories about the woman who lived there. Unfortunately no photography is allowed inside, but the outside does NOT do the stained glass justice, you have to go inside, it is absolutely gorgeous! Call ahead to find out tour times. I wouldn't suggest bringing children because I know I would have found it very boring if I didn't have an appreciation for this kind of stuff. read more

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This was one of my favorite stops in Springfield. You start in the back house where you get to watch A Brief movie about Dana Thomas, hear about some architecture, and meet your tour guide. The tour guide will take you on a tour of the main house and give you a glimpse of what it was like to live back in Dana Thomas's time. It is like stepping back in time and also allowing yourself to think about how she lived. My children loved seeing The Cutting Edge things that dated Thomas had, and observing how much of a fun person she was. My Builder husband really appreciate Frank Lloyd Wright's designs. read more

I'd give it 10 stars! Loved it! Our guide Regina was awesome, a fount of knowledge. This is a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright house that you MUST see. Incredible to see a FLW house in almost perfect, original condition. If you are a FLW aficionado you must see this home. AND it's free! But do give the suggested donation and help a worthy cause. read more

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If you are a fan of FLW then you will not be disappointed with the tour. This is one of the largest homes he designed and it does not disappoint. Our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Only wish you could take pics while inside. Outside pics are encouraged and Donations are welcome. read more

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A historical spot with anybody comes to Springfield they just must see. One of the few cities that has a home built by Frank Loyd Wright. It adds to the friendliness in the interesting places in our town when people come it would be a shame if they missed that spot it's just not even a mile from downtown. Has a very interesting story it has the bowling alley in the basement and the people that tell the story are very knowledgeable and they take such pride in their work. Nobody's going to brush you off off because their feet are tired. We're a friendly town. Don't miss anything. read more

Not sure it makes sense to add yet another 5 star review amongst so many others. They ask for a $10 donation, you can give less if you choose. The tour last between 30 and 60 minutes depending I think on how many people are waiting for the next tour. Ours lasted about 60 minutes cuz it was a slow day. Interesting and beautiful. Great architecture and even the furniture was designed by HRH FLW. Guess Christmas is even better because they decorate the house with many lights, etc. The movie is pretty interesting if you don't know much about Wright and his work. So, go, and enjoy. Worth it. read more

Such an amazing piece of history. We took our children and they enjoyed it as well! Our tour guide Valerie was great and very knowledgeable!

This is one of the best Springfield, IL attractions. It is fantastic for visitors and locals alike. My third visit and my husband's fourth, we really enjoyed learning and relearning the history, story, and architecture of this beautiful home. Frank Lloyd Wright instilled a unique charm in this turn of the century home and it's really fun touring and imagining the lives of the owner who lived there! It is suggested donation of $10/ person and the tour is about an hour long. I suggest double checking hours before going because they have different seasonal hours and aren't open every day of the week. read more

Wonderful tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright house design. It was fascinating inside and out and especially the glass and doors and furniture that he designed. Wouldn't be comfortable for my style but it certainly was pretty cool to see in all its splendor. It was also neat to hear how generous that Ms Dana was with the community. read more

The Dana Thomas House is truly one of FLW's gems! I have toured the home several times and each time I appreciate something new. Borrowing Lisa C's comment, the property is absolutely stunning. The intricate details are baffling; the house is absolutely sexy, if you can call a house that. I wish the tours were longer and toured all rooms, but going more than once (with different guides) leads to different tours with much different narration. The Dana Thomas House is a testament to the genius that FLW is. The only downside is that I find myself overspending at the Sumac gift shop each time I visit! read more

My wife dragged me to this house, I was literally kicking and screaming. But I ended up being pretty interested in it. It is definitely a unique place to visit and something you should see once in your life. Bonus: Our tour guide had a slight bloody nose the entire tour and no one said a word! I love social experiments like that. read more

Absolutely gorgeous! I'm from Chicago, where there's a number of FLW homes, but I've never been in one. The tour took about an hour and the guide was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The detail is simply stunning. A must see. read more

Talk about wow factor. PROS: Great history lesson. Absolutely amazing. Cool lights, bowling alley, wine cellar, stained glass, multiple string quartet band lofts, closets everywhere and you can walk around every room unlike the many ropes in Lincolns house. Parking is cheap. A full hour for the tour is totally worth the donation. Cool souveniers. CONS: $10 suggested donation. No photos inside. I now want my house to look like this and cannot afford it. read more

A-MAZING! Pro tip: suggested donation is $10 - bring exact change Tours last 1.5 hours This was an absolutely amazing tour and house! Most amazing Frank Lloyd house and supporting furniture! The gardens are beautiful, the format of the house makes me want to live there! Definitely stop in and enjoy a tour! read more

My dad instilled a love of archtecture and, especially, Frank Lloyd Wright in me. So this place was kind of a shrine for me. My husband - not so much. He can't tell Art Noveau from Art Carney. But once inside, he fell in love. This is one of the most beautiful houses I've been in. Certainly the most magical. There's a $10 suggested donation. We wanted to empty our pockets, dig change out of the drink holders, whatever. Totally worth it. read more

I am not a fan of architectural sites however even for the novice such as myself the Dana Thomas house is worth the time. My husband and I caught the last tour on a Saturday afternoon. It ended up being a private tour as no one else arrived to tour this gem. This place is so cool. Wright was a genius and it would seem probably plagued with OCD. We were told a story of when Frank would return to his creations, if the current owners would have dared to move the furnishings he would move them back to his original design in the middle of the night. My favorite feature was all the stained glass that he designed. We had time prior to our tour to look around the gift shop. It is a really nice one, so save a few bucks of your souvenir money to spend here! read more

I can tell I'm becoming an adult because I have a growing appreciation for things like architecture and home decor. It was pretty sweet to visit this place. The recommended donation amount for a tour is a STEAL for the amount of time spent in the house. I've visited Hearst Castle and the Winchester Mystery house and NEITHER of those tours were nearly as detailed as this. Plus you had the ability to walk about the entirety of the room, not just staying on some crap, industrial carpet duct taped to the ground. Super rad spot to check out. Especially during the holiday season as the decor changes slightly. read more