Architecture Buffs: Frank Lloyd Wright Travel Idea

November 15, 2012 | By Linda Smith

Wright’s home and studio in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago.

Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect and interior designer who was born in 1867. His work includes original and innovative examples of many different building types. His colorful personal life often made headlines, most notably for a 1914 fire and murders at his home in Wisconsin. Wright was recognized in 1991 as “the greatest American architect of all time.”

My book club recently read a book about him called “Loving Frank” by Nancy Horan. We decided to take a trip to Chicago and Wisconsin to tour some of his famous homes.  We flew into Chicago and visited Oak Park where his home and studio are, then took a tour of The Robie House on the University of Chicago’s campus.

Wright’s home, Taliesin East, in Spring Green

We then drove three hours to Spring Green Wisconsin to tour Taliesin East where he lived and still has an architectural school. (If you fly into Madison, Wisconsin the drive to Spring Green is only one hour.) We took a four hour tour of the property, which is over 600 acres.  The tour cost is $80.00 a person – and they offer several other shorter tours, including a “Loving Frank” tour.  You can find more information at www.taliesinpreservation.org.

There are not a lot of hotel options in Spring Green; we stayed at the Spring Green Motel only three miles from Taliesin.

If you are into architecture, this is a great  3- or 4-day trip to see many examples of Wright’s work!  He built over 500 buildings and many are in the Chicago and Madison area.