VICE PICTURES
VICE pictures by Angela Strassheim
There is a place in Deer Shelter Rock, Wisconsin, which is so terrifying that going there stoned (which I just did) is the equivalent of, say, doing acid and watching The Shining by yourself in a cabin in fucking Romania.
It's called The House on the Rock, but they may as well just change its name to Shit-Pantsville. A completely insane and brilliant man named Alex Jordan started making it in 1946, after dropping out of medical school, driving a cab, and working at an ammunition factory (in that order).
Then he decided to devote his life to designing this mental institution of a dream home. It was supposed to be just that too—a home. Not a public attraction. Local legend says that he lugged the masonry stone up the hill the house sits on in wicker baskets strapped to his back. Oh yeah, and he just totally winged the fucker, building as he went on without a written plan.
The museum portion of the House on the Rock (he also considered naming it Castle in the Sky or Casa del Roche) is a collection of collections. Alex Jordan was obsessed with acquiring complete assemblies of other people's interests, then packing them wholesale into the House on the Rock. Wandering through this building is like being inside an LSD-splattered version of Disneyland, complete with menacing animatronic robots, a HUGE fucking sculpture of a sea monster, an entire Americana-informed replica neighborhood, and miles of RANDOM SPOOKY SHIT. Look at that picture of the robot-mannequin orchestra over there. Do you have any idea how disturbing that is in person? The whole room even smells like old dust.
Not that Alex Jordan would have cared that I (and countless toddlers and little girls) are scared of his life's work. He used to get so annoyed by people coming to check the place out that in 1959 he started charging 50 cents to get in. This only made people want to see it more. If it cost money, it had to be good.
Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't go to the House on the Rock. You should go. It is one of the most singularly designed buildings in America, and the sheer mass of stuff inside it will leave you feeling like you just got that thing they do in science fiction books where they inject knowledge right into your brain. I'm just a huge pussy is all. When I was a kid I was even afraid of that moon face Jackie Gleason thing in the opening credits of The Honeymooners. You, though—you'll probably love it there.
KARL LITE
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Subject: fuck shit
Date: Oct 30 2005 03:21:50 PM
Author: inject shit insied the genital pictures
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Subject: house on the rock
Date: Aug 31 2005 10:22:51 PM
Author: lamb chop
What freaked me out about this place is that i felt like i was in a time warp from the sixties when i was in the house part of the tour {The actual house is separate from the buildings that have collections in them}. They have kept everything original from when it was built. Carpet on the walls, brown frigidare appliances, even a room that has benches and a hot plate burner thing, where it looks like you can sit and have a fondue party!
Subject: see it
Date: Jun 27 2005 12:41:41 PM
Author: anthony
i would like to visit this place som time
Subject: Additional Info
Date: May 29 2005 01:31:28 AM
Author: Shazbot
I don't know where da hell Deer Shelter Rock is, but this vortex is near Spring Green. Well worth the trip because it's right down the road from Frank Lloyd Wright's home; where some real wicked shit went down. Also, I don't know about him dropping out of Med school, but I do know he was ousted from Wright's architecture school for being a weak-tit. Ergo, the insanity castle trying to show up a genius with bullshit. Thanks for representing Wisco.
Subject: hotr
Date: May 17 2005 12:05:15 AM
Author: rob@robrasch.com
My friend and I somehow had avoided this our whole lives(44 years)growing up in Wisconsin.
One day after a job interview, I suggested we go to HOTR. Big mistake.
An acid trip gone bad.
REAL BAD.
WE knew we were in trouble when they took our picture... We had to sit in a chair that somehow was tilted uncomfortably backward. So strange. They snapped our photo, and on to the tour. Yes it was weird, claustrophobic and just plain bad. but after the tour ended, we were sure our very souls were stolen.
THIS IS PURE EVIL. AVOID AT ALL COSTS! My friend and I lost all energy afterwards, and wondered why. How could this occur?
What tourist attraction has aspirin for sale as the very last attraction? HOTR. It is pure HELL. Not shitting.
Black market acid cut with strichnine is better than this. It will never go away, my memory of this mind control experiment.
Email me if you want more details, but I will be in tears describing what happened to my sensorium that day.
Wisconsin is not an insane state, but this exhibit makes us look like freaks. O God.
Subject: photos what else
Date: May 02 2005 02:43:49 PM
Author: jfc
Wow, texture me color blind, amazing.
jfc
Subject: hm neil gaiman
Date: Feb 07 2005 04:36:30 PM
Author: Sadlysane
o yea neil gaiman used in in American Gods...pretty interesting... ima gonan go ride one of those fuckers on the carousel one day...jus in case.
i feel like i know that place already.. creepy :\
Subject: hm neil gaiman
Date: Feb 07 2005 04:36:30 PM
Author: Sadlysane
o yea neil gaiman used in in American Gods...pretty interesting... ima gonan go ride one of those fuckers on the carousel one day...jus in case.
i feel like i know that place already.. creepy :\
Subject: hmm
Date: Feb 04 2005 05:34:58 PM
Author: 123maggieleemaggielee!
how did he pay for all that stuff?
Subject: the grooviest motel in wisconsin
Date: Feb 03 2005 09:33:55 PM
Author: starvadia
How far away is it from The Gobbler??
Subject: woot
Date: Feb 03 2005 12:33:08 PM
Author: jason
this is the only time i can think of where i looked at my roommate and said "hey dude lets go to wisconsin"
Subject: oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!
Date: Feb 02 2005 12:14:45 AM
Author: deemoney$
house on the rock IS SOME WHACK SHIT!!!!!! i been there a couple times. freakin' infinity room!!!!!! freaky circus stuff!!!!!! gotta go back....
Subject: Neil Gaiman
Date: Jan 29 2005 04:37:39 PM
Author: Damanda
I think Neil Gaiman's been here and wrote about it in his book "American Gods". ...and unless you've read the book don't delete me for being off topic. Off topic, my ass.
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Date: Jan 25 2005 07:16:41 PM
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Subject: gravity
Date: Jan 22 2005 10:09:05 PM
Author: wid00d
there's a room that feels like gravity is greater than elsewhere. it is ridiculously trippy.
Subject: wow
Date: Jan 19 2005 03:06:05 AM
Author: squidphobia
that looks absolutly amazing! I wish they took us to these kind of museums on school trips. I'd be freaked out with the life size whale and giant squid battle...this is the first time i really want to go to America.
Subject: house on the rock
Date: Jan 14 2005 04:28:20 PM
Author: geo
The 50 cents admission is from many years ago. The entrance fee for the House on the Rock is $19.50 per person age 13 and above. It is closed from Jan. 2 to Mar. 14.
Subject: SO. COOL.
Date: Jan 14 2005 04:30:08 AM
Author: Jill du Jour
fuck, that is awesome. i wanna go there. NOW.
Subject: wow......
Date: Jan 13 2005 07:24:44 PM
Author: kaxtie
that is so............. ridiculously awesome.
Subject: trippin out
Date: Jan 13 2005 04:32:14 AM
Author: hippydude
they should offer nights just for acid freaks, kinda like 'pink floyd at the planetarium'
Subject: I've been there and it IS scary
Date: Jan 11 2005 12:22:08 PM
Author: Becky B.
I don't think I will ever shake the experience of walking through this place when I was 10 years old. Ever. My dreams are usually an Alice-in-Wonderland freakfest and I credit it all to a visit to the unbelievable, incredible House on the Rock.
Subject: crouching
Date: Jan 10 2005 06:12:12 PM
Author: Briette@onlyundiesclub.com
Oh, man, no mention of the midget-proportioned kitchen? Also: I went there when I was a 11 years old. Imagine what that was like.
Subject: i might be wrong
Date: Jan 10 2005 02:53:50 PM
Author: mr.satie
Gladys' Doll House Wonderworld Museum
Subject: nope
Date: Jan 10 2005 02:53:22 PM
Author: mr.satie
there is a small museam somewhere in southern-ish saskatchewan that is dedicated to the history of dolls. My gram took me there when i was like 9, try to find it. the space is cramped and crammed full of scary dolls dating back to a long time ago.
Subject: oh yes
Date: Jan 09 2005 09:11:21 AM
Author: hoomph
what does this lesson teach us?
thats the kind of mansion you end up living in, if you drop out of school. fuck heffner and double fuck guccione, dont publish magazines, drive a cab!!
what a bright future for our generation of nerdy collectors!!
Subject: kewl!
Date: Jan 07 2005 03:09:03 PM
Author: Lopaville
Looks just like my humble abode. www.geocities.com/lopaville2/self.html
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Subject: never been-gotta go
Date: Jan 07 2005 01:31:10 AM
Author: BadgerRed
Lived in Sconnie all my life, but never been...must go now after seeing these disturbing pics.
Christiatric-it's about an hour or so SW of Madison, nowhere near the Dells.
Sludgepumper-you just gotta know where to look...
Subject: bad
Date: Jan 06 2005 03:39:13 AM
Author: robot
vice always has crap photographers on this page
Subject: ooooh
Date: Jan 05 2005 10:12:57 AM
Author: alpha spacker
that place reminds of how i use to think this mansion in my old neighbourhood would of been if me an my brother ever got inside it.
Subject: los monitos
Date: Jan 04 2005 07:50:07 PM
Author: ahell nah
cool those things look creepy and "spooky" nice very nice indeed
Subject: los monitos
Date: Jan 04 2005 07:50:07 PM
Author: ahell nah
cool those things look creepy and "spooky" nice very nice indeed
Subject: greaaat!!
Date: Jan 04 2005 05:36:40 PM
Author: your mom
I have a phobia of mannequins and other inademate objects that LOOK LIKE PEOPLE, a phobia which YOU JUST MADE WORSE. WICKED
Subject: Nice
Date: Jan 04 2005 03:41:05 PM
Author: MikeSnake
'Dis shit is so scary!
Subject: furrealdo
Date: Jan 02 2005 03:42:44 PM
Author: titz
check out the mutter museum in phila. human oddities, scary ancient medical equiptment, 9ft cast of a human colon, weird skulls, ect
Subject: least is the best
Date: Jan 02 2005 02:03:45 PM
Author: life
RIde on MEn HWM
Subject: contender
Date: Jan 02 2005 01:38:58 PM
Author: derf
if you like bizarre shit like this, check out the church of elvis in portland. its a bit smaller, but you get your fortune told by this machine that holds elvis' soul.
Subject: WTF
Date: Jan 02 2005 12:31:58 PM
Author: glampuss
I begged to go for my 10th birthday; little did I know after the 6 hours road trip what I had gotten myself into, years of nighmares and an obsession with mannequins.
I highly suggest going! ;o
Subject: otherwise nice.
Date: Jan 01 2005 11:48:38 PM
Author: mo
these pictures would be great if the CONTRAST HADNT BEEN TURNED UP SO FUCKING MUCH.
Subject: whoa
Date: Jan 01 2005 07:12:00 PM
Author: christiatric
Ive gotta go see this place. Is it by Wisconsin Dells? I remember seeing signs for it every time I drove thru there, but I had NO IDEA what I was missing!! *shudder*
Subject: Mo' Scony pleasure
Date: Jan 01 2005 03:25:05 AM
Author: 'Scony Dogg
Once you see this, take the trip to Fountain City, WI and check out the "The Rock in the House".
Subject: snaps
Date: Dec 31 2004 12:28:45 AM
Author: mammyjammy
this was good...because it was pictures of a place that's good.
Subject: Cheap thrills
Date: Dec 30 2004 01:51:02 PM
Author: sludgepumper
Good acid's hard to find in Weedsconsin.We need all the cheap thrills we can get.Cheeseheads?Try going to the Dells:Real Trip= Priceless
Subject: ashlee simpson
Date: Dec 29 2004 08:59:32 AM
Author: cigerettes
looks confusing, i would rather go to the zoo
Subject: WOW
Date: Dec 29 2004 05:34:38 AM
Author: 3507321C
FIRST THING THAT ACTUALLY IMPRESSED ME IN THIS VICE ISSUE.................................C'MON!
Subject: Well.....
Date: Dec 28 2004 10:32:08 PM
Author: macaulay culkin
If you think that's bad, you ought to see MY place.
There's a bunk bed, two FULL COLOUR t.v.s, some UNOPENED mail on the DOORMAT, and a light that only comes on when you STEP on a certain PART of the kitchen floor.
Now THAT'S some FAR-OUT SHIT.
Alex Jordan can go FUCK himself. That bitch-ass nigga be frontin', PURE FRONTIN' on my territorials. People PAY $7 / £3.50 to see my SHIT. What they pay to SEE his SHIT? 50 Cents? 50 Cents is SHIT. Studio gangstarist an' SHIT.
Bitch-ass.
Subject: fghfgh
Date: Dec 27 2004 10:31:20 PM
Author: fghfhtyry4675
some ppl are just so artistic
im sad
never will i be as good
Subject: oh yeah
Date: Dec 27 2004 05:37:16 PM
Author: lomas
there is also a huge room of a warehouse that is an animatronical reinactment of the song "yellow submarine"
Subject: man
Date: Dec 27 2004 05:37:06 PM
Author: lomas
i went there when i was 13 and on vacation with my family. me and my older sister snuck off and got stoned. then i walked out into the "infinity room" (6th from the bottom), witch is a long hall that sticks out over a cliff made almost entirely of glass. i got very scared and thought that if i tried to walk back the whole thing would colapse, so i sood there for like 45 minutes. fuck your magazine
Subject: finally
Date: Dec 27 2004 03:59:54 PM
Author: emalie
now i can die.
Subject: yep
Date: Dec 27 2004 12:14:32 PM
Author: boganville
that looks like a dream i had last week
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