The Glass House, National Trust for Historic Preservation

An absolutely wonderful place to spend the day exploring. The variety of buildings combined with the lovely landscape makes the place so special. We visited on a Sunday for a self-guided tour. You start at the visitor center located in town and take a van to the site. There were staff located in each building who answered questions and provided so much information. It was a beautiful spring day and the daffodils were blooming. Highly recommend adding this to your bucket list.

The property is stunning. The staff on site, including the driver, was friendly, engaging and knowledgeable. Different story at their office. Ticket price is 50 and not 25 as advertised on google. Lady at the front desk didn’t communicate the price difference, gave us a receipt or asked for signature.

Our 2 hour tour was disappointing. Our guide knew many details about the property but gave no context for why the property was built - what the architect’s contribution meant to the movement, why his designs were original / special - how it all fits together. When we asked questions, her answers were pithy and she seemed put off. Do a self guided tour - save time and money. A lot of this tour is outside, definitely recommend doing it on a day where you know the weather will be OK. You are not allowed to bring anything but water on this two hour tour. Plan accordingly!

Took self-guided tour on Sunday (no guided tours were available). Although this tour provides most flexibility with respect to grounds access, it simply is not worth the price… There is no trail system besides paths leading to buildings (pavilion lake being exception). To access “ghost house” one has to go through waste-high grass. Acreage of the site could certainly fit some perimeter trails. Now, nature and park-like setting of buildings with picturesque views on warm sunny day more than made up absence of formal excursion. Practical advice is to take cheapest one hour tour with more formal excursion visiting glass house.

Amazing property with an amazing tour guide. If you have any interest in historical architectural design...this is for you. We went on the 2 hour tour and it was worth every penny.

The Glass House is quite an astonishing example of modern architecture sited amongst a stunning landscape. The former home of Philip Johnson who bought the land in1947 and lived there until his death in 2005. It really is a well organized tour that originates from the Elm Street museum and shuttles you to the home. Enjoyed the tour immensely and loved the ride with the guide back to the museum store pointing out other examples of modern architecture in New Canaan. The tour tickets can be organized via the website. We went on the last tour of the day which has the most beautiful afternoon lighting.

If you enjoy architecture and modern art, this is the tour for you. Our guided tour was amazing, with a very knowledgeable and friendly docent. Be sure to visit the front desk before paying for parking - we would have saved $2 vs. paying the meter fee at the train station across the street.

Great tour, full of details Philip Johnson’s estates. Very educative end amazing design

Came here with family on a 2 hour weekday tour. Our tour guide Sara(h?) was very informative, clear and engaging. She made the experience great. She also made sure guests who needed to take breaks and sit were accommodated. The compound itself is incredible. The buildings, vision, art collections - all very interesting. Even if you're not super into art, I bet you would enjoy the diversity of things to see here. Highly recommend!

I recently spent a long weekend in Connecticut with my husband and some friends. The impetus for the trip was - in part - to visit the Glass House. It definitely lived up to my pretty high expectations. So what is the Glass House? Also known as the Johnson House, it's a house designed by American architect Philip Johnson for use as his own residence. Johnson lived at the house (and the rest of the property, more on that below) on weekends for over 50 years. The house is one glass-enclosed room, which includes a kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and living space (as well as one bathroom that is contained within the black cylinder in the right side of the structure. Because the house is almost entirely of glass, you can see through it to the landscape beyond, making it blend in to its surroundings and beautiful but different in each season. The house is an important piece of American architectural history and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997. Now owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, you can sign up for a tour to visit the home - you cannot visit or even see the house without signing up for a tour (the house is not visible from the street!). Tours are available April-December, typically, so check dates before you book a tour. They offer several different tour options: a 1-hour "Glass House Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House and the Brick House; a 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," which allows you to see the Glass House, the Brick House, the Painting Gallery, the Sculpture Gallery, outdoor sculptures, and Da Monsta, a visitor center and exhibition space); an extended tour lasting 2.5 hours; a self-guided tour (currently offered on Sundays only); group/private tours; and an in-depth 3-hour tour. The website has all of these options spelled out so you can choose the option that is right for you. We selected the 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," and I'm so glad we did. I wouldn't have wanted to miss the painting and sculpture galleries! You meet your tour at the visitor center (there isn't parking there, but there are paid lots nearby) - you cannot drive yourself to the property. Then you board a little shuttle bus with the rest of your tour and you're on off on a very short drive to the property. We walked down a path, while our guide pointed the studio and a few other notable things on the grounds (a Donald Judd sculpture that is enormous and very cool, just in front of the house, being one). Then you're at the Glass House. First a view of the outside while the guide explains the architecture and context of the design. Then you can wander through the interior of the space. It's minimalist (duh), but it's also incredibly beautiful. I found it an inspiring design. (FYI - no air conditioning in the house, so in the summer, it can be quite steamy in the house.) Since we were there for the Glass House, I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed touring the other spaces! Then we were off to the Brick House, the Glass House's opposite, just a few steps away. The Brick House was such a pleasant surprise; it has a bedroom, reading room, and bathroom, connected by a skylit corridor. The design of the Brick House is so different from the Glass House (bright, colorful, lush - that bathroom with all its marble, that colorful reading room, and the vaulted ceiling and Fortuny-covered walls of the bedroom!?), but I loved it entirely. I could certainly see why Johnson would have spent quite a bit of his time in the Brick House. Then our guide pointed out a few more features and sculptures on the grounds before we visited the Painting Gallery. The gallery contains works by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, and more, so it's worth a visit to see what they have on exhibit. But it also features some amazing design features! The exterior of the gallery is a grass-covered mount, and the gallery's art is displayed by use of a rotating "poster-rack," which is operated manually (Johnson preferred to view six works at a time, but the system allows for the storage of 42 paintings). Then it was time for a visit to the Sculpture Gallery - another incredible building (this one inspired by the architecture of the Greek isles). Because I'm running out of characters (I have a lot to say about this experience), I will just say that the our tour ended at Da Monsta. Then it's back to the visitor center via the shuttle bus, where you can do some shopping at their very cool design shop. Our tour guide was lovely - informative, interesting, incredible well-versed in everything Glass House-related. It was a hot day, so I got a bit sweaty and overheated at times, but it was worth it to visit this bit of American architectural history. It was an American travel bucket list item for me, and I'm so glad to have made it there finally. I'd go again!

I had been wanting to go on a tour of The Glass House for a while now, and I finally got the chance to this past weekend! I first reached out to their Instagram page to ask a few questions about the tour options, and their Director of Communications, Christa, was extremely helpful and responsive and assisted me with booking a tour. I opted for the 2-hour "Glass House + Galleries Tour," which was $60 (because it was a weekend, $50 on weekdays). Visitors are not allowed to drive to the property themselves, but instead you must meet at the Visitor's Center (199 Elm St.) and are then shuttled over to The Glass House property (on Ponus Ridge Rd.) in a van. Each tour is limited to about 10-12 people, which is nice because it makes it more intimate. Prior to this tour, I knew next to nothing about Philip Johnson or even modern architecture, but the tour guide, Mary Lou, explained things in a way that was understandable for everyone and also kept it interesting. Once you arrive at the property, you walk down a long, winding driveway to The Glass House. The tour guide brought us inside and gave everyone a few minutes to look around and take photos, before giving us the history on how the house was built. We then walked over to The Brick House, which Philip Johnson designed as an extension of The Glass House. It was equally as cool inside! After that, we walked to the Painting Gallery, which was built underground, and was pretty amazing. The gallery had large rotating panels with various paintings on them, and the guide said that they move these panels throughout the year, so the same paintings are not always on display, which I thought was neat. Next was the Sculpture Gallery, which was basically a huge building that Johnson designed to house his sculpture collection. The tour ended at a small building called Da Monsta, which Johnson originally designed to be the Visitor's Center for the property (though the town of New Canaan would not allow this). After seeing all of these different buildings on the property, the shuttle bus brings you back to the Visitor's Center. Keep in mind that there is a good amount of walking between the buildings (though not too strenuous). They also have umbrellas available in case it rains. There are no usable bathrooms on The Glass House property, so make sure you go at the Visitor's Center. Also no food or drinks allowed in any of the buildings. There is no parking at the Visitor's Center, though you can park in metered parking across the street ($1 per hour, free on Sundays), or in a municipal parking lot on Park St., about a 5-minute walk from the Visitor's Center (parking passes are $4 each and can be purchased online when you are purchasing your tickets for the tour). Overall, I thought this was a really cool, unique experience and would highly recommend!

My mom chose this place to visit for her birthday. She had been wanting to see it and it was the last day of the season that they were open, so we went. I checked Yelp after agreeing and was actually not looking forward to seeing this little glass house for $50 each. I am sooooo glad to say they had it wrong and this place was amazing! It's not just the little (1800 square foot) house, but there's also a hidden bunker-like art gallery and a sculpture gallery and gorgeous grounds with a pond. I was in awe! I could actually picture myself living there and fascinated by the life the architect must've lived while there for decades with his partner. Even the gate to get onto the property was impressive and designed by the owner that knew his property would some day become a museum of sorts. So yes, it's not a cheap ~2 hour adventure, but it was oh so worth it! You also have to pay for parking downtown and take a shuttle to the property, so space is limited for each tour because the shuttle only holds so many people. That was a good thing, because it seemed intimate and you could ask questions and look at pictures and take plenty of pictures while there. There were also umbrellas for everyone on the shuttle, but luckily we didn't need them the day of our tour. I wish we could've walked through the sculpture museum, but I understand time is limited and the pieces need to be preserved and admired from the upstairs level which looks down over most of the art. Little piece of advice, use the restroom at the visitor's center before you get on the shuttle because that's your only chance til returning there again after your tour. Enjoy! Our tour guide was great too, engaging and excited to teach you everything he could!

After a family wedding in Cambridge-Boston, my wife and I decided to decompress by visiting two of the most famous houses in America, Wright's Fallingwater in western Pennsylvania and Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan, Conn. (We also visited Wright's Usonian house, Kentuck Knob, near Fallingwater.) Since the Glass House is so well known, I won't try to critique it but instead will focus on the tour experience. Johnson perhaps wasn't a truly great architect, certainly not the genius that Wright was, and undoubtedly the Glass House is at least partly derivative of Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House near Chicago (Johnson's house was completed first, in 1949, but van der Rohe's plans for Farnsworth were completed earlier, and clearly they influenced Johnson.) Having said that, Johnson's main life work was to publicize Modernist architecture, and his building and living in the Glass House made him Mr. Modernist to almost everyone. Now, the tour: You cannot drive directly to the Glass House. You park in one of the New Canaan municipal lots ($4 for three hours weekdays, free on weekends, and they do give tickets for overstaying) and walk to the Glass House visitor center on Elm Street. You are then taken by van to the Glass property. Our guide was a local resident who had been giving tours for I think eight years, and she knew her stuff. En route to the house, our guide pointed out several other mid-20th century Modernist houses built by the Harvard Five, Harvard-trained architects who together built more than 100 houses in New Canaan, of which a little more than 80 remain. You enter via a strange 20-ft. high gate, which was made from the boom of a sailboat and is raised vertically. On the left is Da Monsta gatehouse, which you see later in the tour. You walk down a paved road to the house. The guide points out a structure used by Johnson as his library and the Ghost House, a chain link structure built on the foundations of an old barn. (All together, on the two-hour tour you may walk nearly a mile, but it isn't strenuous, and for those with mobility issues a free golf cart-type transport is available.) Photography is allowed everywhere but inside the Glass House for personal use only. As you approach the Glass House, there is a traditional stone wall to the left, a swimming pool to the right, and there you have the famous house. It is smaller than you might think, only about 1800 sq. ft. Unlike the Farnsworth House, it sits close to the ground (The floor is brick with heating elements built in, with other elements also in the ceiling, but both failed in the first year after construction; today the radiant heat is from the floor only. It is not air-conditioned.) The house is a simple rectangle with almost solid glass walls, with narrow steel supports. As Wright supposedly said when visiting the Glass House, "I don't know whether to keep my hat on or take it off." The views, especially from the back, are wonderful. Johnson and his companion, David Whitney, spent a lot of time and money on landscaping and on sculptures on the grounds. The circular fireplace help hide the bath and the small sleeping area, and the kitchen with low walnut cabinets (they look like birch, though) is at the left as you enter the front door. The brick house, used initially as a guest house, which sits directly across from the Glass House and where Johnson later lived, flooded a couple of years ago and is not open for tours now. A $2 million fund-raising effort is under way to restore the brick house. You do get to tour the Painting Gallery, which is built into earth and is patterned after Agamemnon's tomb, and the recently renovated Sculpture Gallery. After viewing several sculpture pieces on the 47-acre grounds, you walk back to Da Monsta, which was inspired by a German expressionist architect and built in 1995. Here you are again met by the van and taken back to the visitor center, which has a small gift shop. The tour we took cost about $50 each, and I think it was well worth the cost. Tours are available five days a week (not on Tuesdays or Wednesdays) from May 1 through November. It is usually a good idea to book ahead, which you can do online. Even though Fallingwater is the more important house, arguably the most important American house of the 20th century, I think I enjoyed the Philip Johnson tour as much, or more, than Fallingwater.

When I questioned the tour guide about Johnson political views (of which I had only heard a vague rumor) she responded defensively saying that if i asked that question, I must have already made up my mind about him. she went on to mention that his Nazi sympathies were really concerning the Nazi's quest for human equality... (umm what?) After concluding the tour I did read the Wikipedia entry about his work for the Nazi government, and his attempt to start a fascist political party in the US, and found it very strange that this part of his history was left completely unmentioned. I highly encourage visitors to check the facts concerning Johnson's fascist views for themselves, and I am highly disappointed that the trusts embarrassingly attempted to white-wash it, and especially the tour guide's response and dubious explaination. beautiful house and sculpture garden though, but Johnson is undoubtedly #cancelled.

Beautiful house ! Couple things to know though: 1. Johnson definitely was a nazi sympathiser and lover and wanted to bring facism to America 2. The plans for this house were more or less stolen from The Edith Farnsworth house in Illinois. Amazing architecture nonetheless. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2020-07-23/architect-philip-johnson-s-nazi-past-may-yet-haunt-his-legacy

I was lucky enough (and early enough) to finagle tickets to see the glass house & tour the grounds of the Philip Johnson masterpiece--Glass House during the extremely limited run of the Yayoi kusama dots obsession infinity room (only sept 1-26 during 2016). The yayoi kusama pumpkin lawn sculpture & narcissus pond exhibit will remain at glass house until november but the kusama dots on the glass walls of Johnson's famed glass house come down sept 27. I was attracted to see the Glass House more because I am an art aficionado of Kusama than I am an architecture fiend--but the glass house tour is very well done, informative & I would definitely return to see the house again sans polka dots. Just fyi the tours are very small & limited best to book in advance & only children 10&over allowed so better book that babysitter!!

I recommend the doing the Sunday (free parking nearby to shuttle pick up) self guided tour, where you can take as much time at each building (study, glass house, art gallery, sculpture gallery, et cet) and explore and take in on your own. And each building has a docent, who were very knowledgeable. A must for architecture lovers.

I had a wonderful full site visit: 2.5 hours in between art and nature with a great guide. It's a bit expensive, but totally worthier! The visitor service where you start the tour is in New Canaan, in town, close to the train station. From there you first see some videos, and learn some history, and then jump on a trolley to the actual land and property. You will get inside the Glass House, walk in the park and by a lake, see paintings and sculptures, and a wonderful library.

I enjoyed my visit to the actual home. We were pretty rushed and would only recommend visiting on self guided tour days. The house is amazing and all that goes with it is amazing. The staff from the company are not. Apon arrival I was almost laughed at and was openly snickered at because I did not have prepurchased tickets. Then was spoken down to by the staff and treated like I could afford the paltry $50. Which is overpriced compared to any private home tour in the nation. Then, on the tour the very informed tour guide mocked that we wouldnt be able to see certain things on the tour in a child like neener neener neener.... which really? Is that necessary? I get this is their life but to be so childish is silly. When asking to go outside instead of being a small room - the woman was again snide and rude. I get New Canaan is affluent but some sort of kindness and customer service could be gained. It really takes away from the overall experience. Being repeatedly spoken down to isnt necessary. We are all there to appreciate the art.

Finally made it to the famous Philip Johnson's glass house in New Caanan. It's usually hard to get tickets here as they are only open for a few months during the summer and fall. Even during the season, they don't open everyday.. Weekends are almost always sold out so make sure to reserve tickets in advance. You check in at the visitor center and a shuttle bus takes people to the glass house as it's in residential area. It only fits 13 people or so in the shuttle bus so it's a fairly small group tour. Our guide, Teri was amazing. She was knowledgeable and professional. Glass house is awesome and the tour includes not only the glass house but 3 other gallarie on the same premise. Unfortunately, brick house was closed. The tour was very informative and I had a lot of fun but I'm taking 1 star off as I think it's really overpriced. I paid $50 for the 2 hour tour but I think it would make sene if it's more like $25-30. I still don't regret visiting though!

The Glass House is a modernist architectural monument owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Tours are available, but must be booked in advance. http://philipjohnsonglasshouse.org/

I bought two tickets for the Special Exhibition tour back in June to coincide with the Yayoi Kusama infinity room and Narcissus Gardens exhibit that's going on right now. They were not cheap - about $100/ticket for a 2 hour tour. They were worth it. Seeing how small they kept the tour group size and the level of knowledge that the docent had, I wouldn't want to visit the Glass House any other way. That also explains the pricing, because upkeep for a property of that size is no piece of cake. BEFORE - Pay for a parking pass (no issues with this, came with electronic ticket). You'll need a printer to print everything out. If you don't, you'll have to buy on your own at the lots and I think it has a time restriction. The parking pass is good for the entire day, which is great if you want to walk around downtown. - Get there early. Check stuff in the lockers if you want. - You cannot drive to the House yourself. You get to the visitor center and then you're mini bus'ed over. - They have tons of umbrellas in the van and in Da Monsta in case it's needed. - We didn't bring water and paid $2 for a bottle of water. They do not allow any other 'food' on site. AT THE PROPERTY - Lots of nice houses on the way to the property (modern and non-modern). - The walk down to the pond is pretty slopey. - I am prone to bug bites and didn't get bit, even though we had to walk through some tall grass to get down to the pond. I did spray my legs with bug spray before leaving the visitor center. They spray for ticks in all the commonly walked areas. Our docent had long pants and hiking shoes on. - We were with a group of ladies who had an interest in art. This made our tour more interesting as they had good questions. Our docent was also very well prepared with books/photos to share. I didn't have time to do research beforehand, so that worked out well. - I'm typically not a tour person and probably would cringe at 2 hours - but this really went by easily. We were naturally done with everything by the 1.4 hour mark and got picked up. - HEAT: We went on the 1pm tour on a hot humid day, in September, and it was not fun in that regard. There was no shade and the inside of the Glass House didn't have any breeze, definitely no air conditioning. At least the sun wasn't out. NOTE: They do have a lot of rules - if you're the type of person who runs late and/or likes to bend the rules, best to move on.

The tour starts at the small office with pictures of Philip Johnson's life and career. Seemed interesting until I was shocked to see a picture of him and his wife in Potsdam, Germany in 1937, four years after the Nazis took power. Digging deeper I found K. Varnelis 1994 paper in the Journal of Architectural Education (titled "We Cannot Know History") detailing Johnson's avid admiration for Adolf Hitler and his regime and his work to promote it in the United States. Not a word of this mentioned anywhere on this tour or its exhibits. At the entrance to the estate, the guide asked us what the gate, with two massive stone pillars and a heavy metal bar between them represented to us. It took a few days until I remembered: it's a replica of the gates used in smaller forest concentration camps in Eastern Europe during WWII. This is especially relevant since at the end of the tour on the drive back to New Caanan, the guide hit us up for contributions to maintain the site; people have a right to be told about the man honored here before they're asked for donations.

An absolute treasure in New Canaan. Philip Johnson's gorgeous home and property, run by such a laid-back and knowledgeable crew. The gift shop is beautiful as well.

Historical house tours are funny, little subcultures all unto their own. An assorted group of strangers, led by a docent, tromp the grounds and poke around the kitchen cabinets, bedroom and desk of the great man or woman who lived in -- and maybe even designed and built -- the place. Often these groups consist of two types of people: retired folks who may or may not have an intense interest in the subject, and on the other hand younger people who likely work in architecture, the building trades, art or design, or museums. The docent on our tour was good (she herself has an architecture degree), and she helped to establish a sense of drama as we passed through the front gate and followed the path to the house (drama that Johnson himself took pains to create in his design scheme). We also learned some interesting details about the site. Like, for example, that it was built on the location of an old farm. Johnson retained some of the elements, like stone walls that snake through the landscape, and the traces of a path that he reused to approach one of the new structures he designed. There was plenty of time to look at the house (two hours!) and the various ancillary buildings (three gallery spaces, a guest house, a pool, etc). Pictures were allowed on our tour (not on all, though), so there was lots of snapping and clicking. There are art works by Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, John Chamberlain, Bruce Nauman, and a few others on display in the gallery buildings.These were included in our tours, but I think there are different tours, at various prices, so check on the options. One of the most interesting works on the site, I think, was a circular, concrete sculpture by Donald Judd, One thing I'd suggest for the organizers is that it would be great if we could go on a brief driving tour to see some of the other homes (there are several) built by Johnson's colleagues in New Canaan. We're already in a van driving to The Glass House, anyway, so it seems like it could work. I'd never visited New Canaan before, but the name to me always had a sort of John Cheeveresque ring of money and privilege. It is definitely that, with huge homes and lots all along the drive from the visitors' center to the house. Summer's a nice time to visit (although it can be really hot), but it would be great to see in the fall, with the autumn landscape interacting with the house. It's really easy to get to from New York -- The New Canaan train station on Metro North is directly across the street from the visitors' center.

Very rude tour guide with patronizing attitude. You're an employed tour guide, you don't personally own the place!

Have been hearing about this place for ages since relocating to the east coast. I have to say the whole experience was lackluster. $45 ticket for the guided tour. Our tour guide was great and informative but I just found the overall experience to be very blah~ There really wasn't too much to see, a lot of the sections were closed or off limits. For the price, and the distance we traveled I just expected a little more. Also they were pretty strict with many rules. Overall not impressed and wouldn't recommend it.

The Glass House is an icon of modern architecture. A pilgrimage many architects will do at least once. Interestingly enough though I was the only one on that day's tour. Certainly the $30 1-hr tour might be more than enough for the general public but it probably isn't enough to absorb it all it and ashame to miss the other buildings. Those who are interested gets bumped to 2 hr $45 and 2.5 hr $100 if you wanted a more extensive tour of the grounds. Therefore I recommend at least the 2 hr tour. You are driven to the site from the Visitor Center which is right next to the train station so making the trip from NYC is quite easy. Everyone one is friendly and helpful. Our docent was really knowledgeable and had lots of information, historical facts to talk as she led us around. I did the 2.5 hr tour which gave some time to enjoy the buildings and photograph it but you are not allow to wander much from the prescribed path. While I understand the need for preservation of the grounds the ability to see the structures as they are indented within in the landscape can frustrating but at the same time I'm sure the snobby rich neighbor don't want people wandering around. You never get to see the lake. The Glass house is only one of the many buildings within the land and while it might be the most important, the rest of the buildings play in the architectural evolution of Philip Johnson.

Wow what a spectacular place. I have to give it 5 stars, it wouldn't be right otherwise! This is an experience not to be missed. There's so much more to the Glass House than meets the eye. I would recommend not overdoing the research and looking at too many pics, it's better to go into it with some mystery. We went on a $75 self guided tour, that's about $155 total for two people. It was absolutely the way to go. You get a lot more time (we were there for 2.5 hours) and you're able to explore the grounds independently. (The self guided tour also includes additional buildings that are not included in a standard tour). There are plenty of guides around to help answer any questions. The staff there were fantastic, 5 stars for them alone. It is expensive to go here, yes, but imagine what it takes to preserve such an historic landmark on 49 acres, in New Canaan. Your dollars are going towards keeping The Glass House alive. The only problem I had was that the sculpture gallery was closed, so if that's essential to your visit, inquire when it will re-open. It was disappointing, but these buildings are aging and need all necessary renovations to keep them beautiful. I look forward to getting back soon to have the full experience! The store is also fantastic, we purchased some truly exceptional pieces for our home. Highly recommend!

Was very disappointed. The worst $100 I've ever spent. The service was very bad and they treated us like school children, waste of money and time. I was really excited to see that. Compared when I went to see falling water, I fall in love with that place and the stuff was so polite and kind. Not gonna come back and recommend it to any of my friends. I'd rather visit falling water again and again

I have taken the official tour of the property years ago. While the glass house itself and the guest house are iconic and have a lasting place in architectural history, the property itself is less than interesting. This past spring I was involved in a photoshoot on the property. Some of the staff, particularly the PR people were difficult to work with. This attitude was repeated when I attended the Summer Party in June with friends. Just so aggressive and rude.

Wow! What an experience. Now, it was a perfect autumn day and the weather was a delight, but to see such architecture and art together was a treat. The Glass House itself is truly awe inspiring and the sculpture and art galleries were stunning. My only disappointment was to not be able to go to the lake and see the sculpture and structure there but the 2 hours flew by and I highly recommend!

I have read about this place for years and it was a real treat to be able to finally see it. It did not disappoint. There are several separate buildings one for each of Phillip Jonson's activities. The main house, the guest house, the art gallery, the sculpture gallery, the library, the studio, Da Monsta?, etc. You don't go to all of the separate locations on all of the tours so be sure to check the tour you are choosing to make sure you will see what you want. The tours are tightly controlled, even a little anal but it could be worse. Our guide was pretty good and sort of causal. I can only imagine if the guide was as anal as the rules our guide explained at the beginning, it could be torturous. Well worth the trip.

This was an excellent destination for those interested in architecture. We did the one hour tour which was well organised with an excellent guide. We found it to be just the correct amount of time for an overview of the property and to see inside the house. We drove from Stamford and bought a parking voucher with our online ticket. The municipal parking lot is about 2 minutes walk away. There are rest rooms and lockers at the visitor centre and some nice items to buy which are pretty pricey but excellent quality. The air conditioned shuttle is comfortable for the 10 minute ride. We liked the tour very much and would have given it 5 stars had they honoured our Australian National Trust membership which is listed on their International Reciprocal Program.

The Glass House - Philip Johnson is laughing somewhere in heaven. This has to be one of the stupidest marketing tools ever - but we were even stupider to fall for it. Listed as one of the top 5 things to see/do in Greenwich, CT area - it is like solving a mystery as to where exactly it is (falsely advertised in the website as being on elm street), when the hours are (they are non-existent) and exactly how to tour the house (keep guessing!). The website will not give you the location - only the location of the tour office which of course was closed for the season (? what?). That office (your first clue) resides in a large brick and glass building on elm street with large signs that read "the glass house" posted on the building in numerous places. You think you might have arrived - but wait - this is a brick and glass building and certainly not a house. Now imagine your further disappointment when you are led around the back of this building to a loading dock and see an 8x8 office before you with yet another sign announcing "The Glass House" - (you think, maybe I am getting warmer) but this time it says The Glass House Tour Office. and of course it is closed and looks a disaster from your view outside the window.Papers lying everywhere and unorganized. Yes, that's when you realize you've been had. Maybe The real Glass House wherever it is located on Ponus Ridge Road, and as they would have you believe, somewhere between heaven and earth, is beautiful and worth it - but the website is nebulous and ridiculous. Like everything in Greenwich, the tour is crazy overpriced and in this case, in our case, certainly much ado about nothing. If this is amongst the top five, then I've reached the conclusion that there really isn't much to see at all in the area. In addition, I think the previous reviewers were too embarrassed to say that they had been ripped off. lol

A great day was spent here with a group of friends. We did the guided tour that started at the visitor center in downtown New Canaan (an awesome town to walk around, shop, cocktails, lunch, etc.). The visitor center was wonderful - the guides were very informative and it made you want to come back after the actual tour of The Glass House and look over things again with a different perspective. The tour of Philip Johnson's property was about 2 hours and all felt it was one of the best things Connecticut has to offer. We were there in the late fall, every season would be great to see the structures, artwork (which gets switched they say) and especially the views from the spectacular property. Time and money well spent!

if you know what the glass house is, you probably have already been here. if you dont know, and you are a fan of modern architecture and art you should make a trip to here. just remember, this is not some big museum, this was a guys house that is now a historic landmark. After a short bus ride from the visitor center in downtown new canaan next to the train station, It is a short walking tour - on the property we saw from afar the old farm house (not open), the new red and black visitor center (not open), the chain link ghost house (not open), the little studio (not open), the brick visitor house (not open), the small scale lake side porch (not open) - and the parts we were able to tour - the glass house, the art gallery building, and the sculpture building. I really enjoyed the tour but wish we had known we would only see such a small portion of the buildings (maybe it says this somewhere on the website). I think they have tours that allow seeing more of the property though. I did enjoy it, and if more of it opens up I will probably go back - i bet this is beautiful in the fall and at sunset.

Beautiful land + informative tour. Ask about the underground passage that is full of snakes.

I 100% regret buying tickets. I was so excited to visit this Glass House, but Good Lord, dealing with the ticket sales was enough to make this a living hell. For $45.00 and a "courtesy fee" I would expect the ticket sales people to have a modicum of competence. They were rude and antagonistic. They forgot to include parking and it was my fault for not asking. My tickets are for later in the month and I no longer care if i go because they treated my like such crap. Very poor service. No one at the house answers their phone or calls you back. Apparently this attraction is so popular that they can get away with treating you like unworthy garbage.