The Big Treehouse facts for kids
The Big Treehouse is an amazing tree house that's about 5,000 square feet big. That's like a really large house built right into a tree! It was started way back in 1983 by a college student. You can find it at the Shady Oaks Campground near Marshalltown, Iowa. Over the years, it has grown bigger and more amazing, becoming a popular spot for visitors to explore.
Exploring The Big Treehouse
The Big Treehouse is truly huge, covering 5,000 square feet. It has 12 different levels, reaching up to five and a half stories high! Imagine climbing that high in a tree.
To get to the first 11 levels, you can use a spiral staircase with 60 steps. It winds its way up, giving you great views as you go. For the very top level, the 12th one, you'll need to climb a ladder.
On different levels, you'll find cool things to do. There are tables where you can relax. You might even enjoy some birdwatching or find quiet spots for meditation. Plus, you get awesome views from many spots!
The tree house has electricity and even a telephone. It also has comfy porch swings and a microwave oven. You'll see a 50-foot long flower box, pretty rope lights, and a grill for cooking. There are even cool models of famous bridges inside! You can walk across models of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway bridge and the Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridge.
A special walkway called "Skywalk 2000" winds around the tenth level. It also goes around the spiral staircase and the model of the Rainbow Bridge. It's like a fun adventure path high up in the tree!
How The Big Treehouse Started
The idea for The Big Treehouse came from Michael Jurgensen. His family owns the Shady Oak Campground. Michael was a college student in the spring of 1983 when he first thought of it.
He had six big stacks of wood sent to the campground. Then, he started building right next to a maple tree. By the summer of 1983, the first floor and part of the second floor were already finished. Michael has continued to add new and exciting parts to the tree house every year since then!
The Big Treehouse in the News
The Big Treehouse has been shown on TV! It was featured in two episodes of a show called Iowa's Simple Pleasures on Iowa Public Television. These episodes were "Canoeing, Howell's Florals & Greenhouse, The Big Treehouse, Cedar Rapids Kernels" and "Excellent Exhibitions."
A writer named Eric Dregni also wrote about it in his 2006 book, Midwest Marvels. He said that even the famous "The Swiss Family Robinson" family, who lived in an amazing tree house in a story, would be super impressed. He wrote that they "could only dream of all the amenities in Jurgensen's never-ending treehouse." That shows just how cool and full of features The Big Treehouse is!
