Alden B. Dow Home and Studio

08/29/2026

Soaking up the last few weeks of summer at the Home & Studio. 🌤️

08/26/2026

The reception room is one of the first things to greet you as you enter the Home & Studio.

With its bright raspberry and moss-colored walls, open ceiling, and expansive windows, it welcomes you in and invites you to explore the space.

There are several hidden details to discover in this room, too. The lines of the ceiling appear to continue outside, lining up with the trellis just outside the windows. There's also an inscription hidden in by the window, be sure to ask your tour guide about it!

08/21/2026

You’ve seen the details, now come see the full picture.

Putting all the pieces together is part of the fun. Explore the architecture, take in the artwork, and see what catches your eye along the way.

Ready to experience it for yourself? Visit abdow.org or call (989) 839-2744 to book your tour.

08/13/2026

Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming students visiting from Okaya, Japan, through the Mount Pleasant International Relations Council's sister city exchange program.

Their visit was especially meaningful because Japan played an important role in shaping Alden B. Dow's architectural style. During his lifetime, Dow made two transformative trips to Japan that had a lasting influence on his work and design philosophy. Ideas inspired by his travels can still be seen throughout the Home & Studio today.

We were delighted to share the Home & Studio with this wonderful group and hope they enjoyed their visit to Midland!

08/11/2026

The gardens around the Home & Studio are looking especially beautiful this summer!🌷🌿🌼

Maintaining the grounds is an important part of preserving the character of the Home & Studio. Our landscaping is thoughtfully cared for with the Dow family's original gardens and approach to the property in mind.

(Shoutout to Pete and Dan for all their hard work keeping everything looking beautiful this summer!)

Scroll to the end to see an archival photo…

08/06/2026

Our 2026 Camp Season officially wrapped up last week!

Thank you to all of the wonderful campers, families, and community supporters who helped make this season possible. It was a fun-filled summer with campers designing structures, building dioramas, watching films in the Home & Studio, canoeing, and visiting local structures to experience architecture and design in our community.

We are so grateful for another memorable summer of creativity and fun!📐🎨✏️

08/04/2026

Good morning from the Home & Studio!☀️
We hope your week is off to a wonderful start.

06/01/2026

Do you know an apprentice architect, dabbling designer, or abecedarian artist in 7th-9th grade?

Secure their spot in either (or both) Alden B. Dow Home and Studio Summer Design Camps!

Our Design Camps feature exploration of not only the Home and Studio, but another Mid-Century Modern Midland structure, examination of artists like Andy Goldsworthy, Louise Nevelson, Jackson Po***ck, and Yayoi Kusama, copicous creative construction - clothing, dioramas, mobiles, and more! - as well as bowling in our rarely revealed tunnels and canoeing on the pond that surrounds what Architectural Digest called "one of the two most beautiful contemporary homes in America."

Design I does not have to be taken before Design II and each camp has openings so your camper can attend BOTH this summer if they would like.

Each camp is $190 per four-day session, which run Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM to 4 PM on their respective weeks.

Design I: June 22-June 25
To book now, please visit https://fareharbor.com/abdow/items/691155/availability/1945607701/book/

Design II: July 13-July 16
To book now, please visit https://fareharbor.com/abdow/items/691156/availability/1945621490/book/

For more information on this year's Design I and Design II camps, please contact Gerianna Lake at [email protected].

05/15/2026

"Mid-Century Modern Midland" co-authors Craig McDonald, Alden B. Dow Home and Studio Executive Director, and Carol Neff stopped by WNEMTV5news this week, speaking with Christine Winter about their upcoming book signing on Saturday, which precedes an earlier lecture focused on - You guessed it! - Mid-Century Modern (MCM) architecture in the Midwest.

Join Erin Hawkins, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications at Visit Columbus, on Saturday, May 16 for her talk, "Different by Design: How Columbus, Indiana Became an Architectural Destination" at 11 AM at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library auditorium. If you haven't yet registered for this FREE and fascinating discussion, please do so at https://bit.ly/42ioCK4

A bit later in the day, stop by Barnes & Noble Midland, 6800 Eastman Avenue, from 3-5 PM to continue your Mid-Century Modern Saturday here in the City of Modern Explorers. Books will be available for purchase at the book store, but will not be sold at the library.

If you missed our hometown authors on WNEM, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6Zgg0OqfMk to watch the interview.

05/14/2026

Alden B. Dow Home and Studio Executive Director Craig McDonald sat down with "Good Morning Mid-Michigan" host Matt Barbour to discuss a full day of Mid-Century Architecture, coming up this Saturday, May 16 here in Midland.

In addition to chatting about the lecture, "Different by Design," from Visit Columbus Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications Erin Hawkins, happening at 11 AM at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library, and the book signing for "Mid-Century Modern Midland" from 3-5 PM at the Barnes & Noble Midland, 6800 Eastman Avenue, Craig provided a brief overview of Mr. Dow's architectural legacy as well as the educational programs offered to students at the Home and Studio.

If you didn't have a chance to see the segment live on , please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuNULbEYVtA

We are grateful to Matt, Darren, and the rest of the "Good Morning Mid-Michigan" team for spending a bit of their AM with us. Thank you from the Home and Studio.

If you haven't yet signed up for Saturday's lecture, there's still time! Please visit https://bit.ly/42ioCK4

Craig McDonald is co-author of 'Mid-Century Modern Midland'