Testimonials

It is a great place to get in touch with part of the Dow family history and appreciate the unique creations of Alden Dow, preserved for us initially by his wife, Vada Bennett Dow. The ongoing educational programs are a tribute to the legacy. Regina, our tour guide, was fantastic, bringing up many interesting topics along the way, having the answer to every question, and even dropping choice comments by other visitors!!Thanks again very much!!Also, Craig M was a great tour guide for the home of Alden's sister, Dorothy Dow Arbury, only several miles out of town. There are so many features that resonate with the Alden Dow Home & Studio, especially bridging the gap between indoors and out of doors. It's a very expressive example of mid-century design, with it's own unique features, e.g., a 6'8" x 6'10" thick wood door, or maybe, 'hinged wall with a door knob', which opens and closes effortlessly! It is all situated on an immense estate in a very secluded setting, revealing the owners' reverence for 'family-first' and for nature. Thanks again to Craig for his insight and guidance!

Great tour. Small groups and very knowledgeable guides. Unique and beautiful 20,000 sq ft home and architectural workspaces.

An amazing experience! The tour is very informative and the architecture itself is so unique. My fourth time going and I've learned something new each time. Students enrolled in my museum studies class were in awe and we all really appreciated the perspectives on museum/historic site management presented by Director, Craig McDonald. Thank you for the great insight! Very inspiring.

My wife and I did a studio tour and absolutely loved it. Our tour guide Mia was very informative and took time to tailor the tour to our specific interests. I highly recommend!

Fantastic tour guide! She was a wealth of information, personable and confident.

Remarkable and beautiful historic home and museum. I love how engaged with the community they are

Yes, the home and studio are amazing, but what made this a event was Regina, our tour guide. She was very knowledgeable about the property and it's history. What made this such a special event was how she interacted with all of us on the tour, welcoming and answering questions as we walked through. The tour was almost two hours, but felt like we were in there for only 15 minutes. It has been added to our list of places to take family and friends when they visit.

Amazing house. Excellent tour and tour guide.

Highly recommend. We thoroughly enjoyed our guide Randi and the tour.

Amazing home!! Very knowledgeable docent!! Can't wait to go back again to hear more about this beautiful home

Lovely gem! I love historic homes and this place was wonderful. I only wish I could take pictures on the inside but I totally understand under why we can not. It's a great example of imagination, ingunity and modern design.

Our guide Dick was excellent! He was personable, friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was at a great pace and I greatly enjoyed it. The price was vey reasonable.

Beautiful! Amazing. Very appreciative of the Dow family for sharing! Tour was comprehensive and detailed. Tour guide was a bit snarky and diminished from the overall experience! She had no tolerance for kids and seemed to be “put off” easily despite the fact that she reported she was a retired teacher?!?!?

A beautiful 90-minute tour full of information about a stunning building and architect. Highly recommend for anyone interested in art, architecture or the history of the mid-century modernist movement.After the tour, we were able to use the app to drive around Midland to look at other mid-century modernist buildings at our leisure.

Such an interesting home! Our guide was very knowledgeable and fun. I would highly recommend visiting this home and the Dow Gardens..

Beautiful home with the most advanced materials of the time! A must see. The colors we excite you and make you feel younger. 5 star! Thanks Rogerthatlive

A must see! The Dow house is a hidden gem in the middle of an amazing town. This was my second tour and I can say that I'd tour it again. Both times the docents were knowledgeable and eager to answer our many questions. I came away with an appreciation of Alden Dows legacy. Call for reservations beforehand.

Get on a tour, it is wonderful!

Must see when you come to Midland, even my teenagers liked it 🙂

Very interesting home of the man who founded Dow Chemical. Whimsical. Designed with Frank Lloyd Wright. Great guidesWorth an hour or two.This was his wheelchairs. home with lots of steps. Not for wheelchsirs.

Wonderful experience. A true Michigan gem. Check it out!

This place is truly incredible. Guide was fantastic!

Amazing property and a great tour. Highly recommended for anyone interested in architecture and design. I wish interior photos would be allowed. Best exterior photos from Dow Gardens (separate entrance and fee).

Wonderful guide who shared so much information and was so interesting. So much to see and experience. This was our 4th visit and we will go back again.

Wonderful experience, the tour guides are very knowledgeable and excited about sharing this unique and beautiful home. They answered so many questions and gave fun details about the Dow family. It was like walking back in time. Kid friendly, we took our 8 & 10 year old and they really enjoyed it as well.

One of the best home tours yet. Wow...lots to see and such an interesting place and story. Worth the trip wherever you travel from to get here. Exterior photos only.The interior colors and decor were beautiful and so ahead of their time!

One of the best places to visit and see architecture/nature/design and fun all in one place. It's just a special place with wonderful caretakers who clearly care about Alden Dow's legacy and home/studio. It's well worth the visit to a unique place in mid-Michigan!

The Alden B. Dow home and studio is a breathtaking example of the mid-century architectural style. Tours are run by knowledgeable docents. I've gone three times, and each time I learn something new and interesting, not only about the home and studio, but about mcm living and lifestyles.

I love touring houses and this one is in my top 10. We were visiting from Grand Rapids, and it was worth the drive! Visit the Dow Gardens and Whiting Forest while you're there. Spectacular.

Amazing architecture and history. The docent was very well informed and pleasant. Fascinating look into the life of a Dow I knew nothing about...so different from what I expected, in a good way!

This house has a great tour! If you are at all into architecture, stop here if you are near Midland!

Beautiful historic home and a must-see when in Midland Michigan! Well preserved and maintained with knowledgeable tour guides!

Awesome tour! Very informative, cool back stories.

A really cool home to tour. Our guide was great to listen to and was very knowledgeable.

Enjoyable tour of an amazing home. If you remotely like Frank Lloyd Wright and/or mid-century design, you need to visit this beautiful house.

The Presentation level and passion of the team leading the tours is second to none. (Hats off to Regina, my excellent tour guide and wonderful host!) This structure is one that when appreciated fully will change the way a person thinks about space and how it can be occupied. The creative freedom found in this house as a freestanding body of work, and indeed, the sheer level of creativity from Alden B. Dow cannot be overstated. For architectural aficionados, this Home and Studio tour cannot be skipped.

This was a great experience. There was a nice balance of story telling and guided exploration of the site.

Wonderful experience and a beautiful home. The staff is first class and very knowledgable.

Took my girlfriend and our two girls and loved it! I did the tour almost 20 years ago and felt just as captivated this time as I did then.

Had a great time touring the studio and home and experiencing the architectural marvel. Also toured adjoining Dow Gardens. Wonderful day trip for families!

An amazing place you have to see to believe and such hospitable staff. Definitely would recommend adding this to your bucket list.

Very cool example of mid century architecture. Very big too at over 20k sq.ft! Disappointing that you can't take interior photos. I came in winter when there was snow and it was cold. I'd recommend to come when it's nicer instead. You'll be able to see the water surrounding the house and the foliage and go to nearby gardens.

Fantastic facility and great tour. Note that the tour is quite extensive, clocking in at about 2 hours.

Awesome

Incredible architecture, gardens, and history. Kids will even enjoy this place!

Alden was a genius! Nancy was an incredible Tour Guide! Can’t wait to return to Midland for another look! Thank you!

Fabulous, the tour guide was great, the house and studio was absolutely amazing. It is well worth seeing. We loved it, bought the book! We love mid century modern. We have seen most of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses and buildings you can tour and Alden B. Dow is certainly an amazing architect. Check out the app and go on the tour of the town - well worth it.

Skilled and informative guides offer an insightful look at the visionary work of Alden B Dow, his incredible home and studios and the generosity of his family to share this gem with the community, visitors and all who are curious.

A stunning house. Great tour. Amazing

Nancy, our guide, was very informed and serious about the backgrounds of the business, Mr. Dow and the Family, and most importantly the home and office buildings. The group has created a very informative, interesting and sensitive experience for those of us with an interest in the Alden Dow Architectural background.Our group was very impressed and enjoyed the tour immensely!!!

Truly one of the most unique home tours in Michigan. Regina, our guide, was very knowledgeable. Dow Gardens and their home tours are a Michigan treasure.

We were out-of-towners.This isn't just my own opinion, but also my son's - this camp is outstanding - the lessons learned were very influential and exciting, the hands-on work shop was enriching and energizing.I wish schools picked up shops like these throughout the school year for their field trips.

Excellent tour. Small groups at pre-arranged time. Worth the 2 hours.

We really enjoyed our tour (May 2022). Sarah did a great job and answered all our questions. Fascinating look into a creative and generous family.

If you have the time and the opportunity to explore this amazing place, do not pass it by. This tour allows us to see the way one of the most powerful families in 20th Century U.S. history lived their lives. Of course, the architecture and design are astounding - breathtaking and inspiring. The guides on both occasions I have had the good fortune to tour are beyond knowledgeable - and have first-hand experiences with the Dow family, making the information they share its own special, intimate insight into the Dows.If you can do this - DO IT! Extraordinary experience.

A great, informational, and entertaining tour! You'll probably leave the colorful space inspired by Dow's mid-century modern design and curious way of thinking. A must-see space for everyone!

It was awesome and I'm sorry that I waited so long. I have talked how wonderful it was every day

What a unique treat to walk through this house. It is unique and difficult to describe, very organic and maze like. The house seems immerse in the water that surrounds it. The use of color and different heights of the ceiling are something to experience. The tour guide was knowledgeable and painted a picture of the person behind such design. Alden Dow, not only was a great architect he had deep insights on our humanity. The tour took 90 minutes, so I wouldn't recommend for children younger than 10.

Way better than I ever could have imagined! Awesome house and tour. 💖

Truly an exceptional experience. If you like architecture or history, the Alden B. Dow home is a "must see." We were blown away by the tour. And our tour guide, Ms. Curtis, was outstanding. Her love and knowledge of the property, combined with her friendly and welcoming demeanor, made the tour made feel like an hour an half with a good friend!

Stunning tour of the home given by the inimitable tour guide, Sarah Y. She led the tour with detail, passion, and was even able to dazzle people on the tour who lived in Dow homes. The house itself is magnificently preserved even if it is not quite my taste. The ticket price is well worth the length and breadth of the tour. Very little of the house is off limits.

The tour was fascinating, if you like unique buildings, you will love this tour. The guide we had was very knowledgable. I would recommend for travelers or locals, alike.

My kids took the summer Architecture Camp here for grades 4-6. Incredible experience. They had access to things (canoeing the exterior, seeing the underground tunnel) that the general public does not, and they were able to create their own builds and work in the studio. The camp was so well run and organized by Mr. Woods, and the kids felt so welcomed - overall just such an amazing setting and experience. They can't wait to go back again next summer.Touring the home is something my husband and I love to do too. The architecture is one of a kind.

Dosen gave a very in depth tour

This was some of the best two hours spent on a tour! I had not heard much of Alden B. Dow but left educated and enthralled. From the studio to the home there were so many great details and designs! I won't disclose my favorite spot but I was so impressed! I highly recommend this tour!

Great! He studied under Frank Lloyd Wright which is great so love to see what he did!

This is an experience not to be missed if you are a fan of creativity, architecture, beauty and persistence. Amazing!

Excellent place to visit

Absolutely marvelous tour not to be missed if you enjoy architecture and especially mid-century modern design.

The most interesting home I've ever been in, great tour, beautiful.

Touring the Alden Dow Home and Studio was a terrific experience. He was among the leading mid century modernist architects and his home is an incredible example of that style. It's beautiful. There are "wow experiences" throughout the home. If you're a fan of architecture and design, go tour this home.

All the rooms in the passages were awesome I loved how the bedrooms were all interlinked and all that bolted at the bottom I love the security

A must see! The Alden B. Dow Home & Studio is an amazing place. There is so much beauty in the geometry of the architecture and a bit of whimsy too to keep you guessing. The tour guide is very knowledgeable about the history of this incredible gem.

If I could give this 100 stars I would! For anyone who has not been there yet, it is a MUST see. Alden B Dow apprenticed under Frank Lloyd Wright. His made century modern aesthetic is evident throughout the property as well as his affinity for Japanese gardens and architecture.This is my dream home. I cannot imagine how it would have been to grow up here! There is a secret back passage from the kids rooms to the underground garage so they could escape quickly from any potential intruders (and you and to go through the parents room to get to their rooms). They had an ice rink outside and the kids could skate right into the main part of the house to put their slates and jackets away. It also had a large puppet theatre/stage for entertaining. The home is impeccably done down to the seamless integration with nature.

Very intimate look into the Dow home.

Unique design is a must see. The floating room is now a dream room for me.

The TOUR was a truly unique experience.

Wow. This is such a cool place! This was our family's first real outing since March, and it was such a joy. All of the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Our guide, Lisa, shared great information and was fantastic at engaging every family member individually. Our 9 and 14 year old were both equally excited and engaged throughout the tour. I will qualify this with the information that our kids have been going to museums and house tours since they were infants, so this is a normal experience for them. There is so much to see and learn. The intersection of the personal history with the time and place and design aesthetic are unique and far more accessible than many of the Frank Lloyd Wright House tours we have been to.

Great little tour. About hour fifteen.

My brother, sister, husband and two other friends met at the Dow Home and Studio for a tour. Our tour guide was wonderful and so were the house and gardens. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys seeing how a creative person can transform a neighborhood.

Not only a fantastic design but also an engineering wonder.

Outstanding architecture

It was an amazing tour with a great history of the house and it's owner. Unfortunately pictures of the inside cannot be taken so you'll have to experience it for yourself. I would highly recommend going in the summer so you can enjoy the pond that abuts the house.

This is a very fun place to go and learn! The only annyoing thing was that I could not take pictures.

the house and studio are one of kind. disappointed there was only 1 tunnel, understood there were more. would love to view the structure in the evening to see how lighting impacts the angles and glass. We do plan on visiting in the warmer season to see the garden color.

It was a step back in time that we were able to not only learn more about the Dow family but also tour an amazing home / architecture ( the guides are great ) with beautiful views of the homes landscape as well .

We experienced the history and architecture recently via a 1. 5 hour tour of the Grand 20,000 square foot home and loved it totally. Our tour guide shared the history and small details in an exceptional way. Definitely recommend it!!

Interesting history

The Alden Dow Home and Studio Tour is magnificent. His use of color, glass, changing levels and so many other design elements made my first trip through the home exciting. There is a lot to see. Our Docent, Nancy, was gracious and well informed about the home and Mr. Dow. This is an architectural treasure.The other plus is that Midland is full of other Dow homes and buildings easy to see.

I read about this house-studio, designed by Alden Dow in the 1930s, in Dwell Magazine. I knew when I did a summer tour of Michigan, I had to see it.It's easy to get to, park, and you're in and out in 2 hours. Tours are only at 2 PM. It's interesting for designers, artists, architects and anyone interested in seeing an example of early 20th century living. The tour guide was great and had lots of info. You can only photograph the exterior. They offer summer camp for kids! I would go again.

The Dow Home & Studio tour was marvelous, informative and lifting. Docents were well schooled, articulate and engaging. And, the only thing missing was more time.

The tour is very much worth the price! Awesome, midcentury style house. The tour covers ~20,000 sqft, and the guides are very knowledgeable! Great stop for Frank Lloyd Wright fans.

I have visited a few Frank Lloyd wright homes and this house is as good or better a must see for flr fans

We had a great tour with our family over Christmas break. They did a good job breaking the groups evenly so you could stick together and year all the fun details about the house and Alden's family. Love how playful the house is and they do a create job to talk about influencing concepts of space and how the house changed with the interests of the family. I would recommend for a person interested in art, architecture, design, or the impact of space on people's moods.Loved our discussions about Alden's thoughts about communal space and how you could help direct people through and into spaces with design.

Very cool design, simple holiday decoration, beyond excellent guide- Matt. Go See!

Really cool.

Excellent tour of a 'one-in-a-billion' home and studio! The needle-point detail of each room, staircase, furnishing and view was awe-inspiring. Matt, our guide was excellent and very thorough as he guided us through a architectural masterpiece!

Really cool place, and the tour guides are very informative!

Great tour. Very informative.

Fabulous tour. What an amazing place!

I wasn’t excited about this tour, I took a friend that wanted to go for her birthday. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this and learned about the DOW geniuses and Midlands beginnings. The house WAS AMAZING! The garden views and patios and terraces made me long to do my Tae Kwon Do forms and Tai Chi everywhere there. Beauty, art, peace, and tranquility, are the words I would use. Everyone should see this....to Learn and to Feel.

This is a wonderful tour. Our docent was extremely knowledgeable. If you are in the area, this is one place you should certainly visit. Just remember to book your tour in advance because the size of the groups is limited and they do sell out.

Really interesting and cool.

Nancy was our docent. She was well prepared, encouraged questions and paced the tour perfectly. Well done, Nancy!The home is a beautiful colorful happy home. I have so many favorites about the house. One is the dining room with a huge world map on the wall. It's not a formal/separate room as it's incorporated into the formal living room. The table extends to seat 12 (Ithink?). Family dinners and conversation were important to the Dows.Very cool tour, highly recommend it!

Love the design of this house

A Breathtaking experience. A Must Tour in Michigan..

Learned so much about the architecture of Dow! Our docent was an expert! Loved our tour!

An amazing architectural home.

Amazing mid century home. Wonderful informative tour

Amazing celebration of a Michigan hidden treasure - the house and the architect

Amazing you can't respect it fully until u seen it in real life. A true genius literally. I loved it so much

Awesome house with informative tours. I would highly recommend visiting.

Way cool. Take the tour - it's worth it.

Awesome historical home, definitely worth a visit if nearby.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Our tour guide was exceptional and the house and studio were very interesting! An entertaining and educational way to spend a snowy Michigan afternoon. Highly recommend

Lots of fun history, I personally love mid century modern architecture so this was a real treat.

Fantastic experience! If you like architecture and mid century style, this is a must stop! Near downtown Midland the two hour your is fascinating.

Beautiful place with a rich history right in our back yard!

Beautiful, amazing home. Live in Midland, so have visited twice before. But never at Christmas and it was delightful. They served freshly baked holiday cookies to your guests.

The house was amazing. I never realized how what an integral history the Dow family plays in Midland history. He was an amazing act architect and really an amazing person. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. I would recommend it definitely

A design genius.

Learned so much

Our tour lady, Jane was EXCELLENT. Lots of interesting information. Good pace. Loved the colors used throughout the home. Also enjoyed the Hebert and Grace Dow home tour and the canapé walk @ Whiting Forest.The Cafe was well worth the stop. Looking forward to the second bridge's completion.

This is an amazing home. I grew up less than 30 miles away from here and never had visited, and really wish I had. I already have plans to go back at each of the 4 seasons to see the changes in the outside landscape.

That place was amazing we learned a lot. I went for a fourth grade field trip I really want to go again. P.s if you have not gone yet you should go.

A must see for anyone who likes architecture.

Such a neat part of midland history. This house makes you appreciate the thought that goes into design.

Amazing

Cool architecture and great history! Very nice people!

Wonderful, so modern for his time and beautiful life philosophy

This is an wonderful example of mid-century modern design. The tour was very professionally done and the guide was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. The history of Mr. Dow is very interesting and his contribution to his art is very evident in the beautiful home and studio. I highly recommend taking the time if you are interested in design, architecture, and Michigan history.

Went to see the home movies. This was an good experience. Was definitely something I would do again. I would recommend this adventure to anybody look for something like this.

Interesting tour of a very unique house

Wonderful design.. informative guide.

Amazing!!!!!

Beautiful home and studio. I highly recommend this tour if you're interested in art, architecture, furniture, and design. There's a lot of information about how the home was built, including years and information about the unique blocks used to build the whole complex. The house and studio have all original furniture and design. There's a lot of color everywhere and unique features. Details from the carpet to the trains running throughout the house are exciting and surprising.Everything exemplifies Alden B. Dow's and Mid century Midwestern style. Much of the furniture was designed by Dow and manufactures by Herman Miller. This is a real sneak peak into his life and talent. You can even sit on the furniture.The tour guide was knowledgeable of Dow, his family, Frank Lloyd Weight, Dow's connection to Wright, his influence on style and architecture, and Dow's connection to the city of Midland.In December, there's a Christmas tour and the house is decorated for Christmas. We even got Christmas cookies and cider during a break. However, during the winter months you can't see the pond! If you go dieing spring/summer, you'll get a great view of the pond and Dow Gardens.This is worth the trip and great for locals! A must for Mid-Michigan.

Its da BEST HOUSE/STUDIO I HAVE EVER SEEM. its really really...(infinity reallys) NICE and very very... BEUTIFULAND ITS REALLY NEAT AND BIG AND A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT. ITS INDESCRIBABLE U HAVE TO SEE FOR YOUR SELF. YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK IT OUT

A hidden gem in Midland Michigan. The home is kept in immaculate condition and is furnished and decorated with the Dow furnishings. You feel as you are stepping back in time.

Unbelievable! this is a treasure in Michigan

Very cool place! Very informative and well worth the visit!

If you like architecture, you must see this home. It is such a unique and vast mid-century home. I love the design of this house but appreciated the time-capsule piece more. So many items are as the family left it. The only thing I didn't care about was they wouldn't allow photography inside the home. Only outdoor photos allowed but you are not allow to venture around the home. 🙁 (maybe to increase their sales of books and photos they sell in their gift shop). To stay current and relate to younger gen's, social media carries so much power in marketing -- its a must. Plz let people post photos...it creates hype.

We discover this gem when our son went to college in the area.Went back for a second look and enjoyed all over again!Our tour guide was steeped in knowledge and made it fun to tour.Would highly recommend this Historic Home.

The house and grounds are amazing. Our tour was great, and very well explained. Our tour guide was informative, but the reason it did not get 5 stars. She was sarcastic and very rude at times.

Very cool place to get the sciences and the humanities!!

Great tour of a historic Midland home.

A beautiful and historical place. I recommend the tour to anyone who has ever wanted to see inside.

You must see it. Beautiful. Stunning. Unique. Pure Michigan.

Loved it so much!!!!!!!