Meadow Brook Hall In Rochester Hills Plans New Visitor Center

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — Meadow Brook Hall plans to build a new visitor center that will include modern amenities and new spaces to expand its vibrant collection of tours, events, educational programs and community experiences.

The $2.7 million construction project will expand behind the existing family garages in an effort to keep the historic integrity of the estate buildings while creating modern and functional spaces.

Part of the 4,800 square foot center will be built using some use of the historic garage's space and will feature a welcome gateway to greet guests as the estate's new formal entrance, rerouting the standard entrance to provide a magnificent first look at the 88,000 square foot historic home.

The new center will also include an open-air plaza and a patio for gathering, an orientation gallery, a learning center, an interactive exhibition and gallery space, a multimedia theater and more.

Construction is expected to start sometime in 2023.

"It is difficult to overstate how impactful the new Visitor Center will be for the future of Meadow Brook Hall," Meadow Brook Hall Executive Director Bill Matt said. "This project will energize our efforts and establish Meadow Brook’s future as a premier destination for families, couples and people of all ages."

HopkinsBurns Design Studio, the Ann Arbor-based architecture firm who specializes in historic preservation for properties such as the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, was selected to design the new Visitor Center.

Built in 1929, Meadow Brook Hall is the historic home of Oakland University founders Alfred and Matilda Dodge Wilson and the fourth-largest historic home in the nation. In 2021, Meadow Brook celebrated its 50th year as an historic house museum, cultural center and events and wedding venue.

A philanthropic campaign is now underway and has already raised a quarter of the overall fundraising goal of $2 million. Several named giving opportunities are still available.