Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site
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Historic BuildingHistoryPhoto Spot
Overview
The Dana–Thomas House (also known as the Susan Lawrence Dana House and Dana House) is a Prairie School–style home at 301 East Lawrence Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was built in 1902–1904 for the philanthropist Susan Lawrence Dana. The home reflects the mutual affection of the patron and the architect for organic architecture, the relatively flat landscape of the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Japanese aesthetic as expressed in Japanese prints.
Practical Info
Every day9:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration1.5-2.5 hours
Best TimeA year-round architectural icon, but bright, sunny weekday mornings around 10:00 AM are peerless. This is the optimal window to join a mandatory indoor guided tour when daylight pierces the house's 250 stunning leaded-art-glass windows, casting vibrant, butterfly-like geometric light accents across the pristine historic oak interior.
Getting TherePerfectly positioned just south of the state capitol area at 301 E Lawrence Ave. Take Amtrak to the Springfield Station, exit, and enjoy a flat, scenic 12-minute walk south along 4th Street. If driving, utilize the dedicated, complimentary state historic site visitor parking lot located directly on the west side of the mansion property.
Travel Tips
- Independent walk-throughs are structurally prohibited; interior architecture viewing is accessible exclusively via official Docent-Guided Tours, requiring advance web reservations 14 days out.
- Preservation codes demand donning mandatory non-slip shoe covers post-security check; all extended backpacks and full-length umbrellas must be securely surrendered to the entry storage bins.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- To safeguard fragile original art glass designs, a comprehensive absolute ban on indoor photography and video capture is enforced; active cameras must remain stowed deep inside bags.
Reviews
Positive
- A supreme masterpiece of Frank Lloyd Wright's early Prairie School; hundreds of exquisite art glass windows offer profound visual aesthetics.
- Houses the nation's most complete collection of original site-specific Wright furniture and historical lamps, living up to its design renown.
- Runs strict timed advanced bookings and small intimate group docent tours, ensuring great peaceful solace and flawless service quality.
- Admission currently operates on a free suggested-donation basis, offering unbeatable value to experience world-class landmark architecture.
Heads up
- The property enforces a strict ban on indoor photography and video, leaving many traveling design enthusiasts heavily disappointed.
- The calendar is highly restrictive, typically opening only from Friday to Sunday and locking gates all weekdays, making itinerary planning tough.
- The interior splits into dozens of complex split-levels and cantilevered platforms with zero accessible elevators, blocking strollers entirely.
- Surrounding historic blocks lack free spaces, forcing street parking, and inside secondary amenities like water or snacks are dead blank.