Guided Tour of Dana-Thomas House

In the heart of our country, progressive-minded heiress Susan Lawrence Dana hired architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design her a home in which she could advance ideas about education and democracy.

The environment they created is one of the best-preserved examples of Wright’s “organic architecture,” containing more than 100 pieces of custom furniture and over 250 works of original art glass.

We invite you to see and experience the Dana-Thomas House by taking a guided tour of the site. The site is currently available by guided tour only; each guided tour lasts approximately one hour. Please note photography, video, and other recording are only permitted on the exterior of the house. A gallery of photos of the site, including interior images, is available at

https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/research/photogallery.html

The Dana-Thomas House will participate in the Springfield Historic Homes Holiday Tours on select Saturdays in November and December. More information is available at

All tours are led by our trained staff and volunteer interpretive team; self-guided tours are not permitted. Reservations are strongly recommended due to limited tour capacity and can be made on this page. If you need assistance making your reservation online, please call us at 217-782-6776 or email [email protected]

There is no charge for the tour, but donations to support the historic site are appreciated. You can make a donation online at

Report to the front door of the house on Lawrence Avenue 5-10 minutes before your reserved tour time to check in and begin your tour. Guests without a reservation may also stop by the Lawrence Avenue door to inquire about tour availability. Guests do not need to visit the carriage house upon arrival.

Current tour policies:

1. Please be sure to reserve a ticket for all members of your party, including adults, children and infants. If your party is fewer than 15 people and there are not enough tickets available for your entire party at your desired tour time, please call us at 217-782-6776 or email [email protected] for assistance.

Groups of 15 or more should reserve their tour through the Visit Springfield group reservation system at visitspringfieldillinois.com or by calling (800) 545-7300 ext. 5520.

2. All guests will be required to register, either by making an advance reservation or by registering at the door as they arrive. Walk-up guests will only be permitted if the tour is not already at capacity, and walk-up guests must register before entering the house.

3. If you are feeling ill or experiencing any COVID-like symptoms, please stay home and reschedule your tour when you are well.

4. The Dana-Thomas House has several small interior spaces. Face coverings are optional for guests touring the Dana-Thomas House.

5. Guests are encouraged to use hand sanitizer stations provided. Guests will not be permitted to touch any furniture, artwork or other artifacts in the house, regardless of whether they are wearing gloves/using sanitizer.

6. The Dana-Thomas House contains many stairs and narrow hallways spread over 16 different elevations. Several areas require stairs to access. Please keep this in mind when making your reservations.

7. Not all areas of the house are accessible by wheelchairs or other mobility assist devices. If you will be using a wheelchair or other mobility assist device that does not permit use of stairs, we would appreciate you contacting us at 217-782-6776 or [email protected] so we are prepared to give you a tour of the accessible areas.

8 . 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].

Parking

A free parking lot is located on the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Lawrence Avenue, immediately east of the house. The parking lot on Cook Street, behind the house and just west of the railroad tracks, is also available. Please note the lane from Lawrence Avenue to the parking lot is reserved for buses only; other vehicles should not park in this area. The alley between the carriage house and the railroad tracks is not a parking area; vehicles parked there may be ticketed and towed by law enforcement.

Photography Policy

Photography, video and other recording are limited to the exterior of the house only; photography, video and other recording are NOT permitted inside the house. A gallery of photos of the site, including interior images, is available at

https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/research/photogallery.html

Additional Information

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

Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StateHistoricSitesOfSpringfieldIl

Instagram: @statehistoricsitesspringfield

We also encourage you to watch the introductory video below in advance of your visit.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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