Beloved houses and house museums.
Beloved Houses and House-Museums
1. Peggy Guggenheim, Venice, Italy
What could be more fabulous than to have a palazzo right on a canal in Venice filled with beautiful works of art? Thank you to Peggy for leaving this treasure to the public to enjoy. http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/
2. Isabella Stewart Gardner, Boston, MA
This home is such an oasis in the middle of a not particularly nice neighborhood of Boston. Once you’re inside its Italianate walls, you just escape into the beauty of this gem of a home. What’s very sad is the empty canvases where the paintings stolen some years ago used to hang (and that by the terms of Isabella’s will must remain where they are). For visitors to Boston, the house is just steps away from the Museum of Fine Arts. http://www.gardnermuseum.org/
3. Hollyhock House, Barnsdale Park, Los Angeles, CA
We could make an entire list of just Frank Lloyd Wright homes because we love his architecture so much (owning a Craftsman style home ourselves). Hollyhock is a stand out in part because it has recently undergone a major restoration and also because of its history and it setting high up above the hills of Los Angeles (on a clear day, if there ever is such a thing, you can get quite a view). http://www.hollyhockhouse.net/
4. Pabst Mansion, Milwaukee, WI
Take a surprisingly enjoyable tour of the beer baron’s beautiful home.
http://www.pabstmansion.com/
5. Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, England
Truly one of the most unique museum experiences you’ll ever have. The architect Sir John Soane collected an odd assortment of architectural salvage pieces, statues, and unusual objets d’art in his home at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Like many museums in London, this one is blissfully free of an admission charge. http://www.soane.org/
6. Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
Not to be confused with the new Getty Center, this is the site of the original museum which reopened in 2006 after years of major renovations. It now houses Greek, Roman, and Etruscan works in a fabulous setting.
http://www.getty.edu/
7. Villa Vizcaya, Miami, FL
This house has a gorgeous waterfront location and beautiful decorations and furnishings. Be sure to check their website for special programs like candlelight tours and family programs. http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/
8. Lord Leighton’s House, London, England
Perhaps Annabella’s favorite house museum, which she was fortunate to visit during its 1996 Centenary Celebration (when costumed guides recreated scenes from Leighton’s life). Lord Leighton was a painter and quite the Victorian gentleman, associated with the Pre-Raphaelites. The most notable feature of his home is what is known as the “Arab Hall,” but you could call it the Opium Den. It is decorated in antique Arab tiles and has a wooden balcony, gilt mosaic frieze, and a marble pool.
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/leightonhousemuseum
9. Edsel and Eleanor Ford House, Grosse Pointe/Detroit, MI
In some ways, this is just another mansion on a waterfront. This house, though, has enhanced interest for a car nut like me (and does have a small car collection). It has something special for the ladies, too: the darling playhouse made for their daughter with everything made to scale for a child.
10. Newport Mansions, Newport, RI
It’s hard to pick just one house, so we list this here as a consortium of homes. They have special events throughout the year, notably the Christmas tour where the houses are decorated for the holidays and host to concerts and refreshments
http://www.newportmansions.org/
11. Gropius House, Lincoln, MA
A visit to the famed Bauhaus architect’s home shows you how form follows function in Gropius’ own home. All the family possessions are still in place. Nearby Codman House is also worth a visit.
http://www.historicnewengland.org/visit/homes/gropius.htm
12. Frank Lloyd Wright Home/Studio, Oak Park, IL
Like Gropius House, it is fascinating to visit a famous architect’s own home. Oak Park is a wonderful community to walk around, as well, and very easy to get to on public transportation from downtown Chicago, with many dining options in the neighborhood.
Other Chicago area homes/house museums
Downtown Chicago The Glessner House Museum in the Prairie Avenue Historic District http://www.glessnerhouse.org/ and the nearby Clarke House Museum, Chicago’s oldest surviving house
http://www.vpa.org/museumsil.html List of Illinois house-museums
13. China House (Yin Yu Tang House), Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA
So this isn’t really a house or house museum but rather a house inside a museum.
This house was home to the Huang family in southeastern China for more than 200 years, and it was dismantled and reconstructed at the PEM. The house is the ideal complement to the museum’s Asian collections and offers an opportunity to learn about life in China. The recently renovated museum as a whole is an impressive and enjoyable place to visit. http://www.pem.org/yinyutang/
14. Jim Thompson’s House, Bangkok, Thailand. Visiting the home of the American silk merchant’s home is one of few opportunities you will have in Thailand to visit something other than a Buddhist temple or market. For anyone interested in East meets West, this house (built without nails) is a must see. The restaurant on the premises is also recommended. http://www.jimthompsonhouse.com/
15. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA
I guess you could categorize Hearst’s taste as “eccentric eclectic.” The highlights here are the indoor and outdoor swimming pools. You must visit via guided tour and make reservation, and check out their list of special events like tours with living history guides.
http://www.hearstcastle.com/