House on the Rock

Name: ______

House on the Rock

Throughout southern Wisconsin, the signs for the "House on the Rock" are ubiquitous—one simply can't miss them! Frequently these advertisements pique the interest of even the most road-weary travelers. Those lucky enough to have discovered the strange house will tell you that it is definitely worth a visit.

The first part of the house that one notices is the "Infinity Room," a precarious corridor that juts out 218 feet from the house—and without supports underneath! The room has over 3,000 windows, allowing visitors to peer down to the forest far below.

But the "Infinity Room" is just the beginning. Exploring deeper, visitors will hear cacophonous music coming from somewhere inside the house. Imagine a visitor's surprise upon finding that the music is coming from hundreds of automatic music machines, many of which are out of tune! An astute observer will note that while some of the music machines actually produce sound, others merely perform the illusion of playing. The silent music machines are mere placeholders that belie the fact that taped recordings are playing through concealed speakers.

After having heard the strange, slightly out-of-tune music, visitors can venture further to discover a large room of nautical exhibits. On display are ancient maps of the ocean and artifacts from different kinds of ships. Watch out for the 200-foot whale model that looms overhead! Finally, one encounters what is perhaps the most impressive exhibit of all: an enormous indoor carousel, covered in thousands of Christmas lights.

After an exploration that can last anywhere from an hour to an entire afternoon, visitors may emerge from the House on the Rock with the feeling that they've awoken from a dream. How is it possible to describe such a place unless one has seen it with one's own eyes? Even photographs fail to capture the surreal quality of the place itself. This "house" is not so much a home as it is a museum of antiques and architectural oddities. Ultimately, only one thing is certain: it is unlike any other place in the world.

Define the following words using context clues:

1)ubiquitous:

2)pique:

3)precarious:

4)peer:

5)cacophonous:

6)belie:

7)nautical:

8)surreal: