House on the Rock

  When someone in the group suggested we go see the House on the Rock today we were dubious because it was an hour's drive away, but, boy are we glad we went.  We got a glimpse of the of what was to come as we entered the driveway.  Several of these wacky planter sculptures lined the drive.

Watch out for dragons

 First came the visitor's center and Japanese gardens

 Yoda thinks he has found an old friend, and there is a striking resemblance

Yoda thinks he has found Jabba the Hutt

  Then we entered the house which was constructed on the top of a mountain and actually uses rocks and ledges as floors and walls in parts of the house.

Disclaimer:  the rest of the tour was in near darkness which made taking photos difficult.

A cantilevered room- see photo below

Cantilevered room looking outward from house.

Picture of cantilevered room from outside

One of many wacky music machines- they play music with mechanical movements only

Note rock wall on right and boulder in back

Roof of cantilevered room

Walkways to other parts of the complex

tree growth around old wooden beam

 Then we entered the museum part of the complex where there is an outstanding collection of all kinds of things

Part of old gun collection

Part of large antique doll collection

Clocks

An indoor town!  Recreation of 1800's town.

Lots of old steam engines

Another large music machine with a calliope

Hundreds of large boat models

Another music machine

Part of ship room

Part of 3 story sculpture of giant squid attacking a whale

The Monitor and the Virginia (Merrimac to you Yankees)

Whale portion of giant sculpture

Another music machine

Another music machine- notice mechanical arms on cellos

Another music machine

Carved ivory

Another music machine

Aviation room

World's largest carousel

   Caution:  some of the following pictures are rated PG

Yvette, Carol and Ruby

 The next section of the museum was the most spectacular with all kinds of huge machines and lights

Part of huge dollhouse collection

Part of huge circus collection

Model of circus ship

The largest of the music machines with a full orchestra and circus band!!

One of the circus rooms

Part of circus music machine

Part of armor collection

Another carousel that David and Richard H. will enjoy

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Another Japanese garden

Yoda getting his souvenir picture taken

Me getting my souvenir picture taken (that's a Civil War mortar behind me)

Happy we survived the 5 hour tour

The parting shot

Words and pictures cannot really describe how amazing this place is!  Everyone in the group was totally blown away.   The size and scope of the collections is really staggering, it is comparable to Henry Ford Museum or even the Smithsonian.