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Mission

Ten Chimneys Foundation’s Mission

  • Preserve and Share the buildings, furnishings, collections, and grounds of a national treasure – Ten Chimneys, the estate created by Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne.
  • Serve as a continuing resource and powerful inspiration for theatre, the arts, and the art of living.
  • Offer public programs consistent with the Lunts’ varied interests and core values, while maintaining the integrity and intimacy of this extraordinary estate.

Ten Chimneys is a National Historic Landmark, a “Save America’s Treasures” project site, and is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places. Ten Chimneys is owned by the non-profit 501(C)3 organization Ten Chimneys Foundation, Inc.

Unique among historic sites, Ten Chimneys offers guests a virtually barrier-free tour of an estate replete with original furnishings and overflowing with the romance of the Golden Age of Theatre. Tour guests are placed in small groups (usually no more than ten guests per group) and are led through the estate by highly-trained docents. Docents share stories that interpret not only the objects and décor of the estate, but also the lives and values of its remarkable creators. When visiting, you will feel as if Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne have just stepped out for a moment . . . but will be right back to welcome you through their gracious home.

Estate Tours of Ten Chimneys are offered May through mid-November, Tuesday through Saturday (plus October Sundays), rain or shine. In general, tours begin every 15 minutes from 10am to 2:45pm, and leave from the Lunt-Fontanne Program Center. Reservations are highly recommended. Please call our reservation line at (262) 968-4110 between 9am and 4pm, Monday through Saturday to reserve your tour time. A credit card is required to confirm your reservation. Visa and MasterCard are both graciously accepted.

2011 Tour Admission Rates

Full Estate Tour: $35 per person

Tour guests are placed in small comfortable groups and are let through the estate by our knowledgeable docents, offering an engaging and personal experience for everyone who visits Ten Chimneys. The Full Estate Tour includes the three-story Main House, the rustic Studio, the enchanting Cottage, restored gardens, and the exteriors of the Poolhouse, Greenhouse, and Creamery. Guests should allow two hours, including shuttle ride to and from the estate.

Buy Out an Entire Full Estate Tour: $175 total

For anywhere from 1 to 10 people

You can also buy out all ten openings for a Full Estate Tour of Ten Chimneys for up to ten guests, for the special price of $175 (vs. $350 to purchase ten individual tickets). The tour is yours to fill as you like: bring one special guest, or fill the tour completely with a party of 10, including yourself and your invited friends and family. Limited to one “private” tour, per party, per day.

Main House Only Tour: $28 per person

This tour is designed for those who may have difficulty traversing the full estate, and features the fourteen rooms in the Main House. Guests should allow ninety minutes, including shuttle ride to and from the estate.

Group Rates for 20+ Guests

Group rates are extended for advance reservation to groups of 20 or more guests. Please visit our group tour page for more information.

Ten Chimneys is located just outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the town of Genesee Depot. Please see our driving directions for suggested routes from Milwaukee, Madison, or Chicago.

“Exceeded all my expectations - a truly unique and first class destination!” - Wausau, Wisconsin

“Lovely, Darlings! Interesting, Gracious, Artistic!” - Leawood, Kansas

“Thank you for taking me back to a very gracious era. You let me walk in the footsteps, and visit rooms where the most talented enjoyed their time.” - Chicago, Illinois

“This may be the best 'home tour' I have ever been on. From the moment you enter to the final curtain. Everyone involved has taken great care to every 'scene.' I applaud all of you and may you have a long run! Many thanks.” - Vail, Colorado

“Wonderful! - After the tour I felt I had known the Lunts.” - Racine, Wisconsin

“A thrilling tour soaking up the atmosphere of this brilliant couple's home and exquisite grounds. A wonderful peek into the past surrounded by the glamour of a bygone era.” - Madison, Wisconsin

“Enchanting - a true act of love and devotion. Bringing to life the times and joys of the American Theatre.” - Port Washington, Wisconsin

“I was transported to another era - a time when hard work, graciousness and fine living were something one aspired to.” - De Pere, Wisconsin

“Loved the tour! Truly was 'the tour of a lifetime.' We'll be back.” - New York, New York

“I didn't really know who the Lunts were before I toured, now I feel I know the Lunts, their friends, the era, and, I dare say, a little more about myself! Quite an experience!” - Tampa, Florida

Full Estate Tours

Full Estate Tours provide the optimum Ten Chimneys experience. Full Estate Tours feature the eclectic rooms of the elegant three-story Main House (including the Entry Hall, Garden Room, Flirtation Room, Drawing Room, Library, Belasco Room, Helen Hayes Bedroom, Laurence Olivier Bedroom, Noël Coward Bedroom, Master Bedroom, Lynn’s Dressing Room, Lynn’s Sewing Room, Dining Room, and Kitchen), the Swedish-style log cabin Studio, and the enchanting Cottage, as well as the exteriors of the Poolhouse, Greenhouse, Creamery, and other outbuildings. Guests should allow two hours for this comprehensive tour.

Main House Tours

Main House Tours are offered to those who may have difficulty traversing the full estate. This tour features over fourteen rooms in the estate’s
three-story Main House. Guests should allow ninety minutes for this tour experience.

The “Ten Chimneys Experience”

The Ten Chimneys tour has been specifically designed to retain the feeling of Lynn and Alfred’s beloved home. The interiors and décor remain as they did when the Lunts lived here, with all their furniture, books, window coverings, and objects d’art lovingly restored and in the exact places they were left. Many guests say it feels as if the Lunts have just stepped out for a cup of coffee and will be back any minute.

The heart of the Ten Chimneys tour is storytelling. The stories of the Lunts, the interiors and collections of the estate, and 20th Century theatre and world history, are brought to life by each tour guide’s ("Docent") own style and love for Ten Chimneys, and all reflect universal and inspiring themes. The stories interpret not only the objects and décor of the estate, but also the lives of its remarkable creators. Docents do not lead their tours from a script, but select relevant anecdotes from a large collection of stories they gather during their extensive 14-week training. Docents encourage questions and tailor the tour as much as possible to the interests of each group.

The Ten Chimneys tour experience connects with a wide range of individuals, and previous knowledge of the Lunts is not necessary for the tour to be inspirational and relevant. And, with over 100 volunteer docents sharing stories from their own perspective, every tour is unique. The estate is so layered with creative details and whimsical touches that many guests find they discover something new with repeat visits.

The Lunts were known for their “Design for Living,” which was not only their 1933 hit play with Noël Coward, but also how friends and admirers remember the commitments they made to their high ideals of graciousness, lasting relationships, attention to detail, passionate pursuit of excellence, whimsy and joy, dedication to craft, and the necessity of retreat and rejuvenation. Ten Chimneys Foundation is committed to making tours a meaningful and relevant source of inspiration for the “art of living” for generations to come.

  • All tour guests should be comfortable walking and standing for the duration of their tour.
  • Full Estate Tour guests also need to navigate multiple flights of stairs and traverse lovely, but sometimes uneven, terrain.
  • Since the majority of the tour is indoors, weather does not greatly impact the tour experience. Tours run, rain or shine.
  • Prior to visiting, please alert us to any mobility limitations you or anyone in your party may have, and let us know if you will be bringing a wheelchair.
  • Due to the estate’s fragility, we regret that children under 12 are not permitted to tour. Reservations are highly recommended.
  • We welcome walk-ins; however, we cannot guarantee availability. We strongly suggest calling ahead before visiting.
  • Tours of Ten Chimneys are the perfect group tour experience, now with a streamlined reservation process: No deposit required, No cancellation fees, and No pre-tour payment.

Please call our Reservation Line at (262) 968-4110 to book your tour. Visa and MasterCard are graciously accepted.

Do you know someone who would just love Ten Chimneys? Why not treat them to one of the most inspirational tours in the country? Tour gift certificates are $35 and good for Full Estate or Main House Tours during the current season. Please call our reservation line at (262) 968-4110, or stop by our Museum Store, to purchase a keepsake gift certificate for that simply-divine someone.

Banner photo credit: Zane Williams Photography.
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Reservation Line

Please call (262)968-4110 to book your tour. Visa and MasterCard are graciously accepted.



Group rates are extended for advance reservation to groups of 20 or more guests. Please call (262) 968-4161 ext. 203 to book your group’s visit.

Tour Information

Tour Brochure

2011 Estate Tour Brochure  (5.47MB pdf)

Dining Information

Dining List (58kb pdf)

Lodging Information

Lodging List  (59kb pdf)

Map and Directions

Detail Map  (184kb pdf)