Incredible Alden B Dow Home and Studio Tour in Midland Michigan | By Sherry Trautman | Traveling Michigan
Midland Michigan is rich with adventures and fun, starting with the Alden B Dow House!
By the way...
“Everyone has creative ability. When a person is awakened to that fact in himself; all kinds of creative things can happen.” ~Alden B. Dow
When visiting Midland Michigan, you absolutely MUST book an incredible behind the scenes tour of the home and studio of prolific architect, Alden B. Dow.
During this 1.5 hour guided tour, you will learn all about the fascinating life, working studio and home where Mr. Dow designed, created, lived and raised his family.
You'll be shocked to discover the studio/work space is 6,000 sf and their family home is 14,000 sf!!
Alden B Dow (April 10, 1904 – August 20, 1983) was well known for his contributions to the style of Michigan Modern or Mid Century Modern. As an innovator and architect, Alden B Dow and his team designed more than 70 residences and dozens of churches, schools, civic and art centers, and commercial buildings in Michigan from the 1930s through the 1960s.
While touring the vast home and studio, you will notice Alden was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. His fascination deepened as he worked as an apprentice for Frank Lloyd Wright in 1933. Immediately afterward, Alden opened his own business in 1934 as he was bursting with ideas for Mid Century Modern homes, businesses and structures.
Alden designed these incredible unit blocks (like Legos) that are visible inside and outside the home. The history and life of Alden B Dow is certainly interesting!
What's cool: Personal clothing, books, kitchen linens and toys are still in drawers and closets throughout the home, so it's almost like the family just stepped out for dinner and we happened to wander through.
The current Alden B Dow house and studio isn't just for tours, the facility hosts over 7,000 K-12 students each year to attend to classes and educational experiences for free! The goal of these classes is to teach students to develop their creativity. You can see examples of past student work as you tour the facility.
While touring the Alden B Dow home, it is fascinating to see (and imagine) Alden's thought process as he designed and created his home and studio spaces. He was very in tune with nature as he preferred natural breezes and sunlight in his home and studio.
Alden also thought a lot about how colors made him feel and he was always experimenting and pushing the boundaries of materials: Could traditional flooring materials be used for table surfaces too? I don't know, let's try it!
What's Cool: Since he was so well known, Alden was naturally concerned for the safety of his family. In addition to hiring a night guard to patrol the outside of their house, he designed the three children's bedrooms and their master bedroom to be interconnected.
So at night, the family would lock each of their bedroom doors that opened to the rest of the home but they could still reach each other by a series of connecting doors inside their rooms. How cool is that?
The Midland Public Library was designed by Alden B. Dow. The nearby Midland Center for the Arts was also his creation.
Grab the Mid-Century Modern Midland app in the App Store on your phone!
This awesome Mid-Century Modern Midland app has pre-designed routes so you can see several homes in an organized manner. We like Applewood Road as there are 18 homes all within a short distance of each other.
Dow Gardens is a 110-acre botanical garden located at 1809 Eastman Avenue, Midland, MI. It is one of my absolute favorite places to visit!
Since we live close, I go there about 4 times a month! Dow Gardens is a wonderful place to spend the day. Enjoy paved walking trails, children's gardens, ponds, rose garden, waterfalls, and so many nooks and crannies to explore!
Don't miss Dow Garden's Butterflies in Bloom! See my tips and "Know Before You Go!" It's an amazing experience!
Dow Gardens is gorgeous all year! Winter, spring, summer and fall offer new experiences and beautiful gardens to discover. Wonderful place to add to your "things to do in Michigan" list!!
2203 Eastman Ave, Midland, Michigan
Wander among the treetops and marvel at the expansive views at Whiting Forest, home to the Nation’s Longest Canopy Walk.
This famous walk is 1,400 feet long and soars up to 40 feet above the ground!
Whiting Forest is connected to Dow Gardens so you can spend the day exploring forest trails, playing in the children’s playground, and enjoying the 110-acre garden. Relax after your adventures with a hot cup of soup or a latte in Whiting Forest's café.
Read more about the Midland Michigan flooding that damaged hundreds of homes and businesses in May 2020.
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Click on the images above to know more about Dow Garden's Butterflies in Bloom and Bay City fun!
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