Spring Green, Wisconsin and the surrounding Driftless Area offers a unique travel destination, including nationally acclaimed American Players Theatre, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin and nearby Cave of the Mounds.
American Players Theatre, repeatedly named "the best classical theater company in America" by The Wall Street Journal, is not the only tourist destination that calls scenic Spring Green, WI, home. The tiny village of just over 1,400 people welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually for shows at APT, the surrounding Wisconsin River Valley area provides a plethora of additional art and nature offerings, including: Frank Lloyd Wright’s heralded former home and workshop, Taliesin; the eclectic House on the Rock; Cave of the Mounds; and stunning state parks such as Governor Dodge , Tower Hill and Devil's Lake. For more information, visit www.springgreen.com.
A Taste of Tourist Offerings in Spring Green
Travel Wisconsin's Here's to Being Here series recently featured some of the wonderous destinations the Driftless Area of Wisconsin has to offer, including taking in a show at APT. Check out this family's visit and find inspiration for your next adventure.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin
Taliesin (5607 County Rd. C, Spring Green, WI) was Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, workshop and architectural laboratory for 48 years (1911-1959). Nestled on the brow of a hill near Spring Green, it commands a sweeping view of the valley settled by Wright’s Welsh ancestors in the mid-1800s. Architects, historians and architecture critics alike have praised Taliesin as a masterwork and a triumph of design. Robert Campbell, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic, called it the “greatest single building in America.” In 1976 Taliesin was designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest honor bestowed on historic properties by the federal government. Taliesin offers a variety of tours of the Taliesin Estate available from May 1 through October 31. Reservations are recommended; call 877-588-7900 or email tours@taliesinpreservation.org.
The House on the Rock
One of the area’s most unique architectural marvels is The House on the Rock (5754 Hwy. 23, Spring Green, WI, 608-935-3639). American Gods fans will know this eclectic masterwork well. Begun in the 1940s, the House on the Rock features an extraordinary complex of rooms, streets, buildings and gardens covering more than 200 acres. Originally built as a weekend retreat, The House on the Rock is a trip through the wild and fantastic imagination of designer Alex Jordan. Tours of the full property are available from March through November, with limited tours available year-round. More information is available at www.thehouseontherock.com.
Outdoor Adventures and State Parks
Located just 30 minutes outside Spring Green, Cave of the Mounds (2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd. Blue Mounds, WI 53517) a major national landmark, is the upper Midwest’s premier show cave featuring one-hour guided tours through a collection of colorful stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and other formations. Other area nature preserves include: Devil's Lake State Park (S5975 Park Rd. Baraboo, WI 53913), Wisconsin's largest state park featuring a 360-acre spring fed-lake and quartzite cliffs measuring 500 feet tall; Governor Dodge State Park (4175 Hwy 23 North, Dodgeville, WI, 608-935-2315), the fourth largest Wisconsin state park, with 5,270 scenic acres of steep hills, bluffs, and deep valleys, plus two lakes and a waterfall; Tower Hill State Park (5808 County Hwy. C, Spring Green, WI, 608-588-2116), featuring campsites, hiking trails, a canoe landing and picnic areas; Avoca Prairie, the largest tallgrass prairie east of the Mississippi (located in the Avoca Unit of the Riverway, seven miles west of the Lone Rock Bridge on Hwy. 133); and Ferry Bluff, which provides a spectacular and historical view of the river and surrounding topography (located off of Highway 60, four miles southwest of Sauk City)—on a clear day you can spot the highest point in southern Wisconsin, Blue Mound, thirteen miles to the south. For those who like outdoor activity at a leisurely pace, the Lower Wisconsin River has no rapids or falls and a current ranging from just 3-5 miles per hour, making it ideal for recreational canoeists. A number of Spring Green-area businesses rent canoes, including The Wisconsin Riverside Resort (S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green, 608-588-2826). The Riverway is home to more than 45 species of mammals and nearly 300 bird species, including 23 different waterfowl. River otters, beaver, mink, muskrat, raccoon and many other mammals thrive here, sharing the lush bottomlands with bald eagles, herons, sandhill cranes, pileated woodpeckers, woodcock and osprey.
Wisconsin Dells, the Waterpark Capital of the World, is less than an hour drive from Spring Green. A paradise for nature lovers and thrill seekers alike, Wisconsin Dells welcomes more than 4 million visitors annually to their waterparks and resorts, scenic nature tours and downtown shopping destinations.
Shop Spring Green
Don't miss out on the eclectic shopping and dining scene of the River Valley area.
Alfred Art to Wear (159 N Lexington Street, Spring Green | (608) 239 - 5974)
Arcadia Books (102 E Jefferson Street, Spring Green | (608) 588-7638)
Arthurs Supper Club (E4885 US Highway 14, Spring Green | (608) 588-2521)
Block 23 (1050 Wachter Avenue, Plain | (608) 546-1007)
Brewery Pottery (276 Shakerag Street, Mineral Point | (608) 987-3669)
Cathryn's Market (206 N Iowa Street, Dodgeville | 53533)
Fall Art Tour ((608) 987-3669)
The Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center and Riverview Terrace Cafe (5607 County Rd C, Spring Green | (608) 588-7900)
Iron Amethyst Inn & The 2One Speakeasy (21 S State Street, Mazomanie | (608) 401-1122)
Old Feed Mill (114 Cramer Street, Mazomanie | (608) 795-4909)
Pamela's Fine Jewelry (150 W Jefferson Street, Spring Green | (608) 588-2134)
Shake Rag Alley (18 Shake Rag Street, Mineral Point | (608) 987-3292)
Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret (137 W Jefferson Street, Spring Green | (608) 588-0242)
Spring Green General Store (137 S Albany Street, Spring Green | (608) 588-7070)
Victoria Sterling (100 N Lexington Street, Spring Green | (608) 556-5758)
Wander Provisions (136 S Albany Street, Spring Green | (608) 588-7532)
Wisconsin Riverside Resort ( S13220 Shifflet Road, Spring Green | (608) 588-2826)
Spring Green is located in Southwest Wisconsin, just 40 miles from Madison, a 2.5-hour drive from Milwaukee, 3.5-hour drive from Chicago, 4-hour drive from Des Moines, and 5 hours from the Twin Cities.
For additional information about Spring Green attractions, shopping and dining, visit springgreen.com.