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Dana-Thomas House, Springfield, IL

Photo: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFreeLocal Gem

Dana-Thomas House

301 E Lawrence Ave · Springfield, IL

Why you should go…

Frank Lloyd Wright designed this Prairie style home for Susan Lawrence Dana in 1902. The 35-room, 12,000 square foot house holds the largest collection of site-specific, original Wright art glass and furniture, including over 100 custom furniture pieces and about 250 art glass works. Guided tours of up to 15 people climb through 16 different floor levels, and photography is allowed only outside. The state of Illinois runs it as a historic site.

  • #frank lloyd wright
  • #prairie style
  • #historic house
  • #architecture tour
  • #art glass

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Dana-Thomas House, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Lincoln Home National Historic Site

    Free

    Tour the only home Abraham Lincoln ever owned and walk the restored four-block neighborhood around it.

    0.4 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Iconic

    Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

    Under $25

    Walk through life-size scenes of Lincoln's boyhood cabin and White House years, then see original documents.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Lincoln Tomb

    Free

    Walk through the granite tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery where Abraham Lincoln, his wife and three of their sons are buried.

    2.0 mi awayMore like this