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Text Content

 * Events
 * Art/Architecture
   * All Tour Options
   * Miller House Tour
   * Architecture Tour
   * Architecture Guide
   * Architecture Story
   * Art Guide
   * Exhibit Columbus
 * See/Do
   * Downtown Columbus
   * All Attractions
   * Exit-76 Attractions
   * Family Fun
   * Recreation
   * Shopping
   * Zaharakos Ice Cream
 * About Columbus
   * Home
   * Welcome Center
   * Guides & Maps
   * Walking and Biking
   * Signature Events
   * Columbus – The Movie!
   * Site map
 * Eat/Drink
   * Downtown Dining
   * All Dining
   * Guides & Maps
 * Blog
 * Places to Stay


Select Page
 * Events
 * Art/Architecture
   * All Tour Options
   * Miller House Tour
   * Architecture Tour
   * Architecture Guide
   * Architecture Story
   * Art Guide
   * Exhibit Columbus
 * See/Do
   * Downtown Columbus
   * All Attractions
   * Exit-76 Attractions
   * Family Fun
   * Recreation
   * Shopping
   * Zaharakos Ice Cream
 * About Columbus
   * Home
   * Welcome Center
   * Guides & Maps
   * Walking and Biking
   * Signature Events
   * Columbus – The Movie!
   * Site map
 * Eat/Drink
   * Downtown Dining
   * All Dining
   * Guides & Maps
 * Blog
 * Places to Stay


Dan Kiley and Columbus
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Eero Saarinen
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Alexander Girard and Columbus
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Miller House
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Alexander Girard and Columbus
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Alexander Girard and Columbus
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Dan Kiley and Columbus
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Alexander Girard and Columbus
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THE MILLER HOUSE AND GARDEN

Miller House and Garden is owned and cared for by Newfields. Tours at Miller
House and Garden are made possible through the Columbus Area Visitors Center.

Tripadvisor puts Miller House Tour in the top 10% of attractions worldwide for
“consistently delivering amazing experiences.”




Book a tour


TOUR INFORMATION

Miller House is one of the most important mid-century modern residences in the
country, often mentioned alongside Fallingwater, The Glass House, and The
Farnsworth House as America’s best examples of residential modernism. This
hallmark of modern design showcases the talents of architect Eero Saarinen,
designer Alexander Girard, and landscape architect Dan Kiley.

Price: $30 per person

Duration: 90 minutes

The guided tour experience begins and ends at the Columbus Area Visitors Center
(506 5th Street Columbus, Indiana) and includes a brief introductory video and
transportation to and from Miller House.

Exterior photography is encouraged; indoor photography is limited to one time
and area. Your guide will apprise you of the guidelines. Still photography only,
no flash, tripods, and other photographic equipment permitted.

The Miller House tour is oriented to adults and children over 10. Children under
10, including toddlers and infants, are not permitted on this tour. All guests
must purchase a ticket, regardless of age.

To protect the carpeting and flooring at Miller House, you will be asked to
remove your shoes and tour the house in socks or wear shoe covers, which will be
provided.

See tour times and buy tickets.


ABOUT EERO SAARINEN...

Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect. His works in Columbus are Irwin
Union Bank (now Irwin Conference Center), North Christian Church, and Miller
House. The son of architect Eliel Saarinen, he studied with his father and came
to prominence in 1948 with his competition-winning design for the Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial (The St. Louis Arch). He also designed interiors and
furniture in the same simple, curving style as his exteriors.



From the Taschen book Saarinen, by Pierluigi Serraino: “Program, rather than
scale, was the focus of Saarinen’s consciousness as a designer…his goal in
designing domestic architecture remained unchanged even in later years:
simplicity of the plan and interior. The Miller House…embodies just such an
approach with astonishing clarity. To complement the stark quality of Saarinen’s
walls, interior designer Alexander Girard added a folk overtone to the naked
surfaces. The roof overhang extends beyond the glass line to shelter a five-foot
swath of open space all the way around the house. Landscape architect Dan Kiley,
Eero Saarinen’s long-time collaborator, designed a natural chessboard for the
site, in which the project occupies one of the squares.”


ABOUT DAN KILEY...

The Miller House Garden is “considered to be (Kiley’s) residential masterpiece
and an iconic Modernist garden,” and “the museum has established itself as an
excellent steward of the site, setting a high standard for the curatorial
treatment and management of Modernist landscape architecture. Their example is
worthy of study, praise, and emulation by other stewards,” according to the
Cultural Landscape Foundation.



Kiley and his Harvard contemporaries rejected the tenets of Beaux Arts design
that then formed the core of the landscape architecture curriculum and went on
to publish their own manifesto of modernism. To them, the field’s established
catalogue of historical references and hierarchical spatial concepts reflected
social conditions and intellectual assumptions that simply were no longer valid
in twentieth-century America. Accordingly, Kiley’s garden—like Saarinen’s
house—relies on a clear and strong geometric order, but without conventional
symmetry, reliance on fixed points of reference, or paths of circulation that
constrain the viewer’s experience. It is largely concerned with shaping spaces,
composing relationships of solids and voids, and manipulating the interplay of
volumes, rather than with creating specific garden views or with orchestrating
complex floral combinations or bloom sequences.

The landscape’s grandest feature is an allée of honey locust trees that defines
an axis along the west side of the house, extending almost to the limits of the
property. With finely textured buff-colored crushed stone beneath the entire
allée, the dark honey locusts stand out in sharp contrast, their lacy foliage
gently filtering the sunlight. Subsequent to the allée’s construction, it
received a sculptural terminus at each end: a bas relief by Jacques Lipschitz at
the south and a reclining female figure by Henry Moore at the north; both were
later sold at auction as part of the estate settlement.

Read more about Dan Kiley’s architectural landscape legacy


ABOUT ALEXANDER GIRARD...

“Eero Saarinen turned the interior design details over to Alexander Girard, who
enlivened the rigorous architecture with brightly colored rugs, pillows, and
wall hangings. “He made the house a home,” says Kevin Roche. “His sense of color
was remarkable.” Behind the cylindrical fireplace in the living room, Girard
designed storage cabinets for the Millers’ collection of antiques and art from
all over the world. For seating, he sunk a fifteen-foot-square conversation pit
into the floor. “The kids had overnight pajama parties in there,” recalls Irwin
Miller.”- from Classic Modern: Midcentury Modern at Home By Deborah Dietsch



“Most of Girard’s 3D work doesn’t exist any more. That’s the downside of working
on interiors, restaurants, exhibitions. That’s one reason why it is so important
that the Miller House be open to the public, as a top-quality example of what he
could do for space.” – Alexandra Lange, from Design Observer

Alexander Girard’s work imbued modern interiors with strong colors and playful
patterns that brought warmth and comfort to rooms that might otherwise have
seemed severe and uninviting. For the Miller House, Girard designed a wide range
of interior architectural details, including a 50-foot long main storage wall
and the conversation pit, as well as a seasonally changing program of textiles
that enlivened the interiors. Working with Xenia Miller, he selected ornaments
and antiques to personalize the house. He also designed several rugs for the
house, including one composed of emblems that represent family history and
associations. There are ‘Y’s for Yale (Mr. Miller’s alma-mater), representations
for each child, and additional symbols of meaning to the family. Some of the
chair cushions designed by Girard also feature the initials of family members.
His passion for folk art is also visible in the objects chosen for the interior
of the house. – from Indianapolis Museum of Art website

Go to the Alexander Girard page >

Learn about private. group, and special interest tours.

More tour options


COMMENTS FROM TOUR GUESTS

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA GUEST...

A total gem – a jaw-dropping example of modernist architecture incredibly
preserved and thoughtfully presented. Absolutely not to be missed. 
(Tripadvisor, April 2023)

CLEVELAND, OHIO GUEST- A MUST DO DURING YOUR STAY...

Don’t miss! – This tour is a must do during your stay in Columbus, but you must
book well ahead of your visit. Enjoyed the very knowledgeable tour guide and
visiting the mid-century home and gardens. (Tripadvisor review, Sep 2022)

WISCONSIN GUEST - THE MILLER HOUSE . . . SURPASSES THEM ALL...

The Miller house is exquisite. We have visited Wright’s Wingspread and
Fallingwater and Mies’ Farnsworth house. The Miller house as an example of
residential architecture and landscape design surpasses them all. (Tripadvisor,
Sep 2021)

CHICAGO GUEST - DO NOT MISS IF YOU LIKE ARCHITECTURE...

Do not miss if you like architecture. This is a comprehensive tour of an amazing
work of modern architecture. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, and the
house and gardens are packed with interest. (posted Oct 2020)

ST. LOUIS GUEST - UNBELIEVABLE, AND SO MEMORABLE!!!

Our tour guide was so friendly and knowledgeable … Highly recommended for anyone
who loves MCM design, or just has an appreciation for beautiful architecture. To
see the talents of Saarinen, Girard and Kiley all in one place is an incredible
honor… (posted Aug 2019)

PITTSBURGH GUEST - A MUST-SEE WHEN IN COLUMBUS...

Unbelievable residence. A must-see when in Columbus. Everything was truly
unique. I am at a loss for words to describe how interesting the architecture
was as well as the history behind the Miller Family. (posted Sep 2019)
Read more reviews of the Miller House tour on TRIPADVISOR


MILLER HOUSE
IN THE MEDIA

Miller House ranks alongside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Ludwig Mies van
der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, and Philip Johnson’s Glass House as a hallmark of
Modernist design (and) it is surrounded by some of the most beautiful Modernist
gardens in the United States. (Travel + Leisure)
The stone- and glass-walled house (contains) meticulously preserved interiors by
Alexander Girard, who sank the world’s first conversation pit into its living
room. (New York Style)
I have visited my fair share of iconic modern homes, but the moment I walked in,
this one felt unique. (Dwell)
Read more national media coverage


VIEW THE ARCHITECTURE VIDEOS


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE…

THE MILLERS

Learn more about J. Irwin and Xenia Miller



* *

 

KEVIN ROCHE

Learn more about the Kevin Roche architecture in Columbus, Indiana.



 * *

EERO'S BANK

Find out about the Eero’s groundbreaking bank in Columbus



* *

ALEXANDER GIRARD

Learn about the work of Alexander Girard in Columbus



* *

IRWIN GARDENS

See Irwin Miller’s childhood home and the Irwin Gardens



* *

Read about Miller House and Garden in the media

Learn  about the aluminum group chair, created for the Millers by Charles and
Ray Eames
Read the blog posts about Miller House (including photos)
Watch the trailer for the PBS American Masters feature on Eero Saarinen

Learn about the landscape architects of Columbus

Learn more about the Columbus architecture story

Book an architecture tour
Check out the Miller House and Garden Pinterest board
Dig deep into the Miller House archives






Leave a review on Tripadvisor

Leave a review on Google

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