Family Activities:

Dana-Thomas House

Attraction

Dana-Thomas House

300 East Lawrence Avenue, Springfield, IL

Families will enjoy an hour-long guided tour of the house that socialite and activist Susan Lawrence Dana commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to construct for her in 1902. The 35-room home is constantly changing in height, as guests maneuver through varying levels and stairs. Wright’s design included two entertaining spaces, 250 art-glass doors and windows and 100 art-glass lighting fixtures, as well as most of the furniture. Dana loved to host parties and included a fountain in the living room, bowling alley in the basement and a library that was open to the public. where children could find a secret ice box filled with ice cream. At first glance, this tour could be preconceived as boring but once inside, children and adults will be in awe of this unique home.

Hours
Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the last tour begins at 3:45 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday

Admission
Admission is free of charge, but there’s a suggested donation of $10 for adults, $5 for children and $15 for families.

Restrictions
No cameras or strollers are permitted to be used inside the house. Guests are also asked to not sit on or touch any of the furniture; curious kids may need to be informed ahead of time as it’s easy to “want” to touch many things. Guests must navigate narrow hallways and staircases (while not steep or long) throughout the house.

Parking
A free parking lot can be found behind the Dana-Thomas House and metered parking is available along the street.