the philip johnson glass house

The best example of architectural history in the area. Well worth a visit if you get the opportunity.Important to book ahead if you plan to be near this beautiful town of New Canaan.

Fantastic example of mid century modern architecture. Well worth a visit. Spend the day shopping in the quaint boutique village of New Canaan!

A contemporary of well known architect Landis Gores, Johnson was one of the 'Harvard Five' who settled in the area after the war. The tour and grounds are a wonderful way to see what the leading visionaries of the last century saw for us in the 21st century. A broader discussion of all of the Five and how they worked and influenced each other would have been nice but don't miss this.

This is a site with great history on an iconic architectural building and setting. The docent gave a great historical tour. The art gallery is great! It has changing exhibitions from the collection of Johnson. We really enjoyed hearing about the conception if the building ,site and gallery. It was a well spent afternoon. I highly recommend it . If you want to continue in the art trail try Silvermine Art Gallery after lunch in one of the good restaurants in New Canaan.

Great tour.Explore the various buildings.Knowledgable guide.Art work is fantastic and best part of the tour.Well kept.Takes about 2 hours.

The Glass House and surrounding estate is breath-taking, and a must-see for those visiting Connecticut/New England. The docents take their time with you and are very knowledgeable about the site. The focus on Johnson's life was also very interesting and helpful in understanding the concept of the development of the property.

:Philip Johnson donate his iconic residence, the glass house, when he died at age 103? We had a wonderful docent who led us through the house, grounds and art collection while explaining the history, philosophy and cultural place of it's creator. It was fascinating afternoon. I highly recommend going.

I actually caught a glimpse of Philip Johnson's partner on the day that I was at the New Canaan town hall and ever since then I knew I had to make the pilgrimage to the house. I was an esteemed house sitter for the John Black House - aka the Teaze House on Frogtown Road - so, wouldn't you know that it was kismet on that rainy day that there were two cancellations for New Canaan Community Day and my friend and I were the last two on the bus to the windy property off of Ponus Ridge Road - an ominous rainy day added to the mood of the fog display as we approached the Glass House - as the fog subsided - all of us admired the large scupltures and sparse furnishing and were directed to a fortune cookie fortune and could not believe that this was the one unique piece of art on the glass living room table - but the real treasure was the artwork in the underground bunker - it was something out of and Egyptian tomb - pieces that Mr. Johnson had bought and stored, that will be regularly displayed and his guest house is going to be totally renovated - original textiles from italy made with gold thread - you could hear the parties of days passed with Jackie O and Isabella Duncan clinking crystal champagne flutes in the background. Drop by it is worth a trip through the looking glass....our tour guide was fantastic!

My husband grew up in Stamford and our family have been visiting the area ~40 years but somehow never made to the Glass House until today.The site is much more extensive than expected, even though I read the tour info in advance.Our guide was Amy Russell who was very gracious and knowledgeable, she not only talked about each house/structure/art work, but also how the landscaping was designed for best views including how the trees were pruned for max canopy effect.Even though I'm generally not a Modern architecture fan, the overall effect of the beautiful grounds and careful design & siting are still so worthwhile for all visitors.We booked the 2-hr site tour, which starts at the Visitor Ctr's Media Wall.Just as each reservation confirmation info indicates, it's best to arrive at least 20-min early so you can start on the Media Wall's vintage photos and short films which were very interesting & informative.Each tour has capacity of only 12, so booking in advance is essential.If you can't get a reservation, can try to see if there any no-show before a tour time slot and you might be able to get in.The Visitor Ctr also has complimentary lockers for you to store bulky items so you don't have to carry these during the tour.The Glass House's season is short, May - Nov. 30 each year so plan in advance!As to the cost of the tour, by being members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation there is a $15/pp discount which does make the pricing quite reasonable.

We took the two hour tour, and were glad that we did. It takes you to all of the buildings and you really get to understand the place better than if you only see the Glass House. If you plan to go, be sure to buy your tickets in advance because the tours fill up fast.We had a knowledgeable and helpful guide, and though I knew relatively little about Philip Johnson when I arrived, I left with a good idea of what this place was and why he built it. While the glass house itself was very interesting for its stark simplicity, the other structures on the property were just as intriguing. The art gallery (built like a bomb shelter) was impressive for its design, intended to house art on panels that could be rotated into our out of view. I also liked the guest house (though you can't actually go in at this time) and the sculpture building.The visitor center where you check in for your tour is in the lower level of the administration building, at the rear of the right hand side. There's a wall of small screens displaying slides and videos that are worth looking at while you wait for your tour. Numerous very high priced objects are displayed in the waiting area; nothing was affordable to us.Park in the lot across the street, and if you buy your parking pass online with your tour tickets, you won't need to deal with the parking machine.I enjoyed my visit and was very glad I came. However the pricing on the tour is, in my view, excessive ($50 per person for the two hour tour) and a deterrent to a return visit.

On the plus side, we had fine weather for the self-guided tour. Essentially we had the grounds to explore at our leisure and at each building there was a docent more than eager to tell us about the building, the art, the Johnson family background, whatever. On the negative side is the cost - $75 a head. Given the condition some of the buildings are in - the Gallery particularly as well as the guest house which remains closed due to mold - one wonders if anyone is paying attention. We were lucky to have wonderful weather. Do not go on a rainy day.

Well done tour of a spectacular example of architecture of it's time. Arrive at the visitors center for your tour and you are whisked away on a bus to the location of the house a few miles away. Very well informed guides take you through the property and its several out buildings. Rain or shine it's a wonderful experience - the views, inside the Glass House itself, the art and sculpture collections. You are in the art and get a real feeling for how it must have felt living in this property as well as a feel for the times. Tours can be group or private and have several time length options. Also enjoyable are the design items for view and purchase in the visitor center. There's parking close by and its accessible by train as the station is across the street.

This was on our 'bucket list', we booked our tickets 4 months in advance to ensure we would get to see it while we were visiting New York.If travelling from NYC the train from Grand Central Station to New Canaan is a breeze - the train system over here is well dialled in.The office from The Glass House tour is literally directly across the road from New Canaan railway station.The staff & guide were very friendly and informative. The Glass House was one of a number of Philip Johnson's structures on site (guest house, studio, underground gallery, sculpture gallery, etc).Our visit coincided with Fujiko Nakaya, a Japanese artist who produces fog sculptures will wrap The Glass House in a dense mist that comes and goes.So for anybody interested in art, design or architecture this is a must see.

We booked a late morning tour last week and believe it was one of the highlights of our recent trip to NYC. Catching a north Metro Train from Grand Central Station the trip to New Canaan, Connecticut was an express which only stopped twice en route. It took a little over an hour and was pleasant to see the changing countryside as we headed to New Canaan.Alighting at the station, the information booth is directly opposite the station. They recommend that you do not drive as there is limited parking. Access to the Philip Johnson site is via booked tickets only and you need to check-in at the Information office to join the tour. Groups are small and are led by a very knowledgeable tour guide who commences the talk in the mini bus which takes you to this wonderful estate. The website covers the information you need to know.Be sure to wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking.After the tour we spent a little time in the town of New Canaan visiting the shops and enjoyed lunch at Chef Luis Restaurant, 129 Elm Street. If you are interested in Modernist art and architecture this is a definite must-see.

Mr Johnson's philosophy of the entire property as part of the home is so evident. The tour is so complete and gives the participant a well rounded history of Mr. Johnson's and Mr. Whitneys love of architecture, nature and art. You will enjoy this, and be sure to sneak a peak at some of the Harvard Five houses in town!