A D&D History Tour Of Lake Geneva

Several staffers from WotC attended Gary Con this weekend. Aside from lots of gaming, they also went on a tour of historic TSR locations. Gary Con is held in Lake Geneva, the birthplace of TSR, the company which launched Dungeons & Dragons back in 1974. The "Gary" of "Gary Con", of course, refers to D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, and started the year of his passing in 2008. Here are some of the places WotC's staff visited.

The location of the very first Gen Con

The location of the very first Gen Con

The location of the very first Gen Con

Gary Gygax's old house

The first TSR building, a few blocks from Gary Gygax's house

Another Gen Con location​

 

[TerraDave]

Its funny to see the pictures of the Horticultural Hall, looking as it probably did back then. And I am guessing Kilwin's Chocolates is where the original Dungeon Hobby Shop was located.

 

[Celebrim]

Horticultural Hall is a beautiful building... and it amuses me to imagine the thing that is overflowing Indianapolis taking place in that little room the size of a rural church's fellowship hall. Perspective is such an amazing thing.

 

[Cam Banks]

Sovereign Press/MWP office was on the same block as Horticultural Hall until we all relocated. Lake Geneva is a fun town to visit but it's pretty awful to live there, personally.

 

[SwivSnapshot]

A big thanks to the WOTC crew for coming out to Lake Geneva. I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Side Tracks workshop led by Chris Perkins, and thoroughly enjoyed myself, although another 6 hours would have been appreciated.

 

[Polyhedral_Columbia]

Interesting. Thanks! Any more photos? What about the later, big TSR office place?

 

[Polyhedral_Columbia]

Sovereign Press/MWP office was on the same block as Horticultural Hall until we all relocated. Lake Geneva is a fun town to visit but it's pretty awful to live there, personally.

What is awful? Tourists? Prices? Traffic? Would you say more?

 

[Polyhedral_Columbia]

double post

 

[Polyhedral_Columbia]

Too bad TRPGers aren't rich enough to buy those places (GG's house and the beautiful Horticultural Hall) and turn them into TRPG cultural meccas. Atkinson?

 

[Henry]

Technically wasn't Gary's house the site of the very first Gen Con? Supposedly it was a bunch of out of towner friends he and others invited over in 1967, sand tables and sleeping bags (or at least that's how I've heard it told...)

Anyone here confirm or deny ol' Gen Con 0?