Editor’s Note: During this period of social distancing, Group Tour magazine will continue to provide group travel inspiration. Many attractions and destinations are closed at this time; please contact them directly for updated information.
Groups discover where a prominent 20th-century architect, innovator and philosopher lived and worked at Alden B. Dow Home & Studio in Midland, Michigan.
Imaginatively woven into the natural environment and surrounding pond, the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio prompts visitors to question, peek around corners and travel on unknown paths.
The Alden B. Dow Home & Studio, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1989, draws guests into rooms of diverging angles, soaring roof lines, brilliant color, abundant natural light and geometric patterns. The integration of building and site truly exemplify Dow’s definition of organic architecture as the idea that “… gardens never end and buildings never begin.”
Designed and built between 1934–1941, the Home and Studio challenges ideas of the built environment. The Home and Studio reflects Dow’s desire to redefine buildings, merging form and function for the ultimate experience.
Groups are encouraged to experience, enjoy and discover an innovative definition of Mid-20th-Century Modern architecture.
Since the majority of the tour is inside, it is not a weather-related activity and is an engaging experience year-round.
Future bus groups should consider the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio as a great midway point from the metro and cultural scenes of Detroit and Ann Arbor to the beautiful beach towns of Traverse City and Charlevoix, or the historically significant Mackinac Island.
“The beauty of the tour is that everyone takes away with them a sense of Mr. Dow’s individual style of organic architecture and how it fits into the context of Mid-Century Modern architecture of America,” said Lisa Quinn, marketing and public relations director.
Traditional Home magazine recognized the home and studio as one of “The 25 Best Historic Homes in America.”
Advance reservations are required for group tours, which last about an hour and a half to two hours. Groups must have 15 people to qualify for the group rate.
For more information on the Alden B. Dow Home & Studio call 866-315-7678 or go to abdow.org.
