The Guest House at Wingspread, which opened in January 2002, completes founder H.F. Johnson’s vision of eventual expansion of the facilities “for overnight accommodations of guests.” Conference participants now lodge on the 36-acre Wingspread grounds.

Just a few steps from Wingspread and The House, the Guest House offers conferees elegant overnight accommodations in a woodland setting.

Designed in harmony with the prairie style of Wingspread, the 42-room Guest House settles quietly into the bluff above the pond, its zigzag shape disguising a residence nearly three times the size of Wingspread. Our conferees now stroll from Wingspread across ironwood bridges and into a fireside created to make them feel at home.

The living room is floored in warm Brazilian cherry, the sofas and chairs carefully selected for comfortable conversation. The harvest table of flame birch was made from an aged log recovered from the cold depths of Lake Superior. A massive fireplace of limestone, flanked by books, faces an opposing wall of glass, which opens on to a terrace and the pond. The guest rooms look out on woods and water and invite deep sleep.

In walks to the nearby lighthouse on Lake Michigan, in chats on the terrace over coffee, or feet up on an ottoman before a roaring fire, our conferees now have the ideal setting for developing trust. From trust comes candor, the sinew of any honest discussion reaching to the heart of things.

The 38,000 square foot building can accommodate 42 people. Conferees have breakfast at the Guest House, lunch and dinner at Wingspread, and later relax in the Guest House living room with drinks and hors d ’oeuvres.

The guest rooms, nooks, and gathering areas have state-of-the-art telecommunications capability, which allows internet access 24 hours a day.

In keeping with the Foundation’s mission, the Guest House and its surrounding landscape is a model for sustainable design. The entire building, including interior products and materials, minimize the Guest House’s impact on the environment and reduce energy costs. The building uses mostly natural materials, many locally made or of recycled materials made with non-polluting manufacturing. The Guest House was built among woods and a pond behind a restored ravine, and landscaped with native plants.

Many guest room furnishings are manufactured locally, and fabrics consist predominantly of natural, renewable materials. A Milwaukee weaver designed colorful chair throws for each room.

From conception through completion, we have strived to harmonize green design with comfort and elegance for our guests.

The Guest House is for conference participants only. It is not open to the general public.