ten chimneys

I can see why Katherine Hepburn loved this place. It's so relaxing and it has the theater atmosphere. It's almost like being onstage yourself.

Many years ago I did some research on Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. I was never a big theater person, but I found myself wanting to know more than the books were giving me. I took my entire family out to Ten Chimneys in early Fall for a tour. We had an age range of 18 up to 65 and I have to say, every single person was intrigued. The property is expertly maintained and every building is another interesting story. You go through with a tour guide who will enlighten you with tidbits of history and several theatrical quotes. There are no ropes so you literally walk through each building as if a guest. I live local to the area and I still think of Alfred and Lynn each time I'm in Genessee. I feel as if I had an opportunity to meet them personally.

A wonderful, warm and personal tour. Home is eclectic and not at all like many of the mansion tours. Home is modest, but extraordinary. Highly recommend it.

We finally visited Ten Chimneys and so glad we did. What a hidden gem in our own backyard. Although we are not theatre fanatics, we really enjoyed the tour. Having gone in knowing very little about the place, our docent, Diane, did a great job educating us. Her enthusiasm and passion for this place was apparent. She kept our attention throughout the tour, which was over 2 hours. I was sad when it was over. We have talked about visiting many times. The fee is a little high ($35/pp), but well worth it. Beautiful place to spend the afternoon. I would call ahead as they suggest.

It's been a few years since I was at Ten Chimneys, the estate of Wisconsin's greatest actor, Alfred Lunt and his beautiful wife, Lynn Fontanne. Opened in the late 1990s, this is truly a pilgrimage for theater buffs. Located northwest of Milwaukee, in the charming hamlet Genesee Depot, it's best to schedule a tour. The Visitor Center is rather nice, but not as nice as it once was. The small reproduction of the Lunt-Fontanne Theater on Broadway features electronic copies of Alfred Lunt's toy theaters, honoring their performances in such productions as The Taming of the Shrew and of course, Design for Living. There is a loop video of their interview with Noel Coward on Dick Cavett, and you can be photographed with your face in a copy of a set piece from Amphitryon 38. A second room, once a copy of their dressing room now shows their only film, The Guardsman, and the exhibition space is used to begin the tour. Visitors enter the main house through the front door and each room has a history of its own. Painted by designer Clagett Wilson, it took over 3 years to design the Flirtation Room, the Drawing Room, the Belasco Room, the formal dining room and the bedrooms: Alfred and Lynn's, one for Helen Hayes, another for Laurence Olivier and another for Noel Coward among the guests who visited. Lunt was a Cordon Blu Chef, so the kitchen is very impressive. A tour of the grounds shows that there are still aspects of Lunt's career as a gentleman farmer. There's a creamery, a greenhouse and a chicken coop. The rustic studio is where the couple worked on upcoming theater projects, and the Swedish Cottage, where the couple began their married life when in Wisconsin, is delightful. Sadly, the gift shop has gradually lost the Lunts and sells more gardening items. Coffee mugs, t-shirts, and a few books are all they sell. In the past there were magnets, copies of The Guardsman, etc. Someone needs to do a coffee table book on Ten Chimneys. There needs to be a dvd of both The Guardsman and Stage Door Canteen, as well as a cd of Lynn's recording of The White Cliffs of Dover. Still, these shortcomings shouldn't keep you from enjoying this lovely estate and trip back in time!!

I never thought that I would say this about a historic house tour, but this one might actually be *too thorough*. Two and a half hours for the estate tour was a bit excessive for the Lunts, who were certainly interesting people but also not exactly fascinating. With one big exception--the wonderfully detailed wall and ceiling murals--the interior of the house is actually quite staid for its era. The Lunts in fact were surprisingly plain considering their careers, which is charming in a way but also makes the fairly high price of admission ($35 for the estate, $29 for the house) a little hard to swallow. I would recommend the estate tour to anyone interested in the history of the theater and the house tour for people like me who are largely interested in places of historic value. For anyone else, there are probably more interesting options out there.

Great museum and tour of Broadway and Theatre stars Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne's home. Grounds are beautifully maintained and the buildings are wonderful examples of Scandinavian architecture. Great actors and playwrights were frequent guests here - Noel Coward, Katherine Hepburn, Helen Hayes. Take the full tour because the whole estate and all the outbuildings are full of history. I would highly recommend this tour!!

Hidden in the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin is the retreat home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. It is named so, because of the additions made on the houses, so there are actually ten chimneys. The tour is well-orchestrated, with a center to learn about this amazing couple. The tour is led by two very knowledgeable docents, and takes two hours. Inside the home you get a glimpse of life from the 1930's. You feel like you've walked onto a stage set as you tour the rooms with murals, Swedish decorating, and multitudes of interesting memorabilia and personal belongings of the couple. Lunch in nearby Delafield was wonderful too.

Even if you do not have time for the tour, stop by for the gift shop, it's worth the trip! The only downside is it is difficult to figure out the hours.

I was part of the first group to tour this place in 1996, I went back last month and am truly overjoyed at how lovingly this gem has been cared for. The tour is worth every penny. You will never experience another opportunity to be immersed in in history like this! Take the full tour because the outbuildings and estate are wonderful! The docent was very knowledgeable. They have a 12 year old age restriction and it's for very good reason. My daughter came and loved it. She is 12. She is a very well behaved 12. This is because you cannot touch ANYTHING. And for good reason! When the tour comes to the kitchen, take them off on the offer to sit. It's the only sitting you'll get to do!

My family & I finally made it there, have always wanted to see what it was all about.Be prepared to spend a lot of time standing & walking ( even more so if you take the full tour). We just did the main house tour & that was a full 90 min; right there. The house is very impressive & full of story, but like previous reviews said, you can tend to get very tight in some of the rooms!!! We would have liked to take the full tour but it is not really meant for anyone that can't do the walking/constant standing. At the time I was 25 weeks pregnant & I was very uncomfortable by the time we got done with the main house! The problem is, there is no place to rest or lean on anything as you can't touch really ANYTHING in the house!!!! Worth the trip at least once, it was worth it for us just to see how fancy the bathroom was at the lobby where you start your tour off...make sure you stop!!!

Ten Chimneys is a very interesting place to tour. The estate of the late Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontaine has been preserved and opened to the public. The grounds are beautiful, the structures so great to see. There were many famous people from the stage and movies who came and spent time there. You learn all about the visitors during your tour. And, while in Genesee Depot, a wonderful dinner can be had at The Union House. Or a good lunch can be found at The Cornerstone Café.

A really lovely place to visit in the summer or fall. Go early before the heat hits as there is no air-conditioning and when we were there, there were many people. Lots of Hollywood/New York theater history. The docent was very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. The gardens were relaxing. Definitely pay the money to take the tour.

Learn a bit about theatrical history while touring this beautiful estate. The docent led tour includes the main house, a walk through the grounds, the studio and the cottage. There are a lot of Swedish artifacts to see. There is also a "program center" where a video is shown which gives information about Alfred Lunt and his wife Lynne Fontanne before the tour begins. The program center also contains a museum with more information about their work in the theatre and a very nice gift shop.

Even if you've never heard of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne it's worth a visit. Ten Chimney's is a life's work of Mr, Lunt and the knowledgeable docent's share the history of the home, its owners and their famous friends. From Noel Coward to Carol Channing……they all spent time in this small hamlet in Southern Wisconsin. Even if you're not into theatre, you can enjoy seeing and hearing about the constant renovations Mr. Lunt's designed and helped to build as their original retreat became a working farm, including dairy barn, hen house, various gardens, multiple cottages & pool. Interesting museum and great gift shop.