"Make"-ing Memories

Join Us for a Festive Holiday Craft Event at the Historic Dana-Thomas House!

Celebrate the holiday season with us at the beautiful and historic Dana-Thomas House, "make"-ing new memories with your friends and loved ones.

Activities Planned for Each Day:

• November 30: Create your own stained glass-inspired card and ornament.
• December 14: Have your picture taken with Santa in the Dana-Thomas House. Tickets for this day are available by time slot, with each slot allowing 15 minutes to share holiday wishes and take a photo with the jolly man in the red suit. Afterwards, festively decorate a frame for your Santa picture!
• December 21: Make a Victorian-inspired pinprick card and a fragrant orange pomander ball.

Please note:

• There will not be tours of the house during this event.
• The Dana-Thomas House includes several level changes seperated by stairs. Questions about accessibility should be directed to [email protected].

About the Site

The Dana-Thomas House was designed and built between 1902-1904 by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was commissioned by Susan Lawrence Dana, a Springfield socialite, philanthropist, and activist who collaborated with Wright on his first "blank check" commission to design a home in which she could advance her ideas about democracy and education. At 12,600 square feet, with 35 rooms and over 100 art glass windows, when completed in 1904 it was the largest and most extravagant home Wright had designed thus far in his independent career as an architect. Today it is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources; with most of its original furnishings and art glass still intact, it is one of the most complete of Wright's Prairie style homes in the United States.

Parking

The Dana-Thomas House is located at 301 East Lawrence Avenue in Springfield, Illinois. A free parking lot is located directly across the street from the house, at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Lawrence Avenue. Additional free parking is located behind the house and west of the railroad tracks in the lot off of Cook Street.

Photography Policy

Photography, video, and other recording activities are restricted to the exterior of the house. Recording inside the house is not allowed. However, an exception will be made for the Santa event on December 14, allowing for recording of time with Santa.

Pet Policy

Pets are not allowed inside the Dana-Thomas House. Service animals are welcome. Please note we do not have a pet boarding facility on-site and we do not allow pets to be left outside unattended. Questions about this policy should be directed to our site superintendent at [email protected].

Additional Information

More information about the site, including educational resources for teachers, are available at http://historicspringfield.dnr.illinois.gov

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Host or Publisher Illinois Department of Natural Resources State Historic Sites Springfield