There is something that can't quite be described about a successfully realized Frank Lloyd Wright interior. There is a serenity but also a simmering energy. I compare them to Stanley Kubrick's films - they just feel 'complete' as if every problem, every flourish (indulged or resisted), every angle, the placement of each component has been fully worked out until perfect but feels effortless. A trip to Oak Park to visit Wright's home and studio and then a short walk to nearby Unity Chapel affords one the privilege of standing in two of the greatest rooms in American architecture on the same day. The first - the Playroom/Theater Wright built for his children, with vaulted ceiling, grand piano tucked into the stairwell, mural of a cherished fable facing a second floor mezzanine that served both as seating for performances below or a choir stand for songs sung up above, is glorious. It made me want to liberate the Froebel Blocks from their display case and sit down on the floor and play or put on a show. It is a large room that feels five times as large as it actually is. Unity Chapel (NOT part of the Home/Studio tour) is, as Vincent Scully described it, the biggest small room in America - I think it may be the most harmonious of all of Wright's spaces and my personal favorite. Chapel admission is 10 dollars and tours are self guided - you can sit there for hours. Back to the Home and Studio - We returned to do the tour for the first time in almost 20 years and just soaked up these two brilliant buildings room-by-room. Our tour guide Linda A. was clearly passionate, supremely well informed, insightful and very funny. Judging from the rounds of applause that other guides received in the courtyard after the conclusion of their tours as we waited for ours to commence, I gather her peers were just as engaged and excellent. Particularly enjoyable was the frequent turning of the discussion to how Wright used his home as a lab, trying out ideas, constantly in flux, improvising and striving all the time. Side Note - a digression on the nature of Yelp reviewing itself. One couple on the tour had a very different experience. In the dining room of the Home the man pointed at the oak bands in the ceiling and declared they weren't oak. They looked like grainy old-oak to me and our tour guide said she thought they were but we could ask at the end of the tour. So began the Oak conspiracy - with the man questioning the veracity of the oak in every room (he was finally right in the Studio where some of the oak had been replaced by bass wood in the restoration). It just seemed kind of funny but when we did the wrap up at the end, as Linda received her well deserved ovation and fielded questions, this couple stalked away with him muttering 'That was terrible' It was, decidedly, not terrible but they chose to make it so. Food for thought. I decided when I started posting reviews that unless I encountered historic, hostile mediocrity I was only going to post rave reviews. We're not held to journalistic standards as Yelpers but there are so many variables that can create a single bad experience that I thought it more prudent to vote with my feet than rant. That couple would have posted a very negative review about a bad experience that did not, in fact, occur. Put it in the 'Grain of Salt' dept. For the Home/Studio tours - consider adding occasional tours where no photography is allowed (currently you can pay an extra five dollars to take photos on any tour) . It would be make the experience of the buildings a bit more enjoyable. read more

As someone who adored Frank Lloyd Wright in my teens and early 20s, this brought back a lot of memories and inspiration. I was initially concerned it wouldn't be "enough", just his house with some artifacts, but no, his home was his vision that he built, and there was more than enough for a completely satisfying and palatable tour for the expert and the newbie. Our tour was about 6 people on a weekday, and we were able to dialogue with the docent quite a bit on FLW's thought process for creating the house. If you have a car in Chicago, it's not far at all. I'd definitely recommend it to start your FLW exploration, and follow it up with Italian beef at Johnnie's (or the myriad of other local dog places). read more

Interesting tour of FLW's first home where he lived for 20 years. Tours are every 20-30 mins. Went on a weekday and did not need to book in advance. Our docent was a retired interior decorator who was knowledgeable and had great stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, which was about 1 hour. It's also a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. Very serene and peaceful neighbourhood with some cute shops and lots of great architecture. It was a bit of a trek by CTA, but totally do-able. The FLW home and studio is about a 15 mins. walk from the Oak Park station. read more

I took the $60 FLW around Oak Park tour and it was worth every penny. My guide/interpreter Carolyn was so knowledgeable and shared so many little tidbits of information with us, I'm not surprised she was voted as the best guide there. The tour includes the home, studio + balcony and then several homes in the surrounding neighborhood, with a 10 min rest break in between. They keep this tour to a maximum of 10 people which is just perfect to keep the atmosphere in each room quiet and on the intimate side. I loved listening to the information about FLW, his family and how they lived in the house and were a part of the surrounding community. This is a very comprehensive tour and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in architecture and design as well as those who just want to learn more about the area. read more

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Loved the home and studio and what I learned but the staff was uptight and scolded people who touched anything (sometimes innocently) no, i was not one of these people. prior to going it, i thought the place was going to be tiny since the tour guide told the ladies to hold our purses in front of ourselves so as not to bump anything. this was really, really not necessary as the house was big enough to hold both me and my purse. AMAZING. i also felt rushed. no time to soak anything in. 3 minutes per room basically. our tour guide (not the one i complained about) was cool. he was a volunteer too and answered a lot of questions. id recommend seeing this place but just be forwarned about the uptightness and fast-pace. read more

If you love Architecture this is a tour for you. I love anything that has to to do with Frank Lloyd Wright, so this was an awesome time for me. To see all his designs, it's amazing! read more

Wonderful experience. Follow the tour (30-40 minutes) of home and studio. add 5$ for the right to shoot photos ( too bad!!) but it's worth it. Afterwards you take 2-3 hours walk through The Park to see about 25 others houses! read more

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio - Stone sculpture " accent sprite" in the garden below the ginkgo tree. - Museums Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Volunteer very knowledgeable. The scale can really be appreciated inside. Pay extra if you want to photograph. read more

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Wow, I've been on tours of multiple Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes and buildings, this is by far the best and most interesting. First, the home and studio are beautifully restored. It Is fantastic to see the home restored as it was in the early 20th century. Next, the early designs of FLW have really stood the test of time. The home is still awe-inspiring. My 10-year old son wants a play room just like the Wright kids. The open design room in the studio is a fantastic, open design. It is Amazing that Wright was able to push the limits of building techniques to create new, wonderful designs. I've been on tours around Chicago, California and Arizona. The FLW home and studios equals or bests any of the other sites. read more

I agree with some of the reviewers below. The house is a masterpiece. Frank Lloyd Wright was a genius of his time but the way the Foundation tours the house is like dropping a bus load of tourist to take pictures and then get back on. You can barely experience the house, the rooms or the space. I guess most people don't care. They just follow mindlessly listening to the docent without understanding the quality of space he created. This is completely opposite of say the Farnsworth House where the group is small and they allow you to enjoy and experience the house in the landscape as it suppose to. Of course there is the also 'added' photography fee for the interior. While certainly the cost supports the foundation since it is a non-profit. The way they nickle and dime you is as bad as Bank of America. How much money can we extract from the tourists per visit and make it count! I had to take my friend to see this during our recent stay in Chicago. I visited this many years ago and remembered a much much better experience. There was no 'additional' photography fee. And if you are going to this amazing piece of architecture who isn't going to want to take pictures of it? The tour got to see the whole house and not an 'additional cost' for the private space. While I love the house and am an architect myself, the foundation fee scheme for tours is just as bad as some of the Chinese entry fee charging for tourist during my visit in China. read more

This tour is so good I did it twice in one month! First with some relatives, and it was so fabulous I brought my partner back and he loved it as well. I've been to a couple Frank Lloyd Wright houses before, but this tour of his house and studio provided insights into both the man and his architecture. It puts his work and principles in a very real band accessible light. The structures are brilliant and lovingly restored, and the tour guides are informative and passionate about Wright. This place is really a gem. read more

The tour is about an hour and very informative. We had a small group so it was nice and personal, however I will say that they enforced the "photo pass ticket" maybe because of the small group. If you are interested in Frank Lloyd Wright and/ or architecture then this tour is definitely well worth it. We were visiting Chicago for the weekend and staying downtown- it was only a 25 minute Uber ride to get here. I'm not sure what else is around here, it does kind of feel like in the middle of nowhere (from a tourism perspective) but definitely something worth venturing outside downtown Chicago for. The tour guide was extremely knowledgable about everything and spoke about Franks personal life toward the end of the tour, in addition to his works. read more

Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio - Museums Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Whenever my mother's family comes into town for Thanksgiving, they want to do something "cultural and relevant" (i.e. touristy.) The thing is, I always kinda roll my eyes when no one's looking and think "God, this is going to be so lame," but then we do it and I wish I'd done it years ago. My favorite such experience was doing the tours at the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio. It was especially ironic, because at the time I lived like a block away, and had lived in Oak Park for several years. I guess you have to be a little bit interested in architecture to get the most out of the tour. It's not going to be this fast-paced and exciting thing. But it is a fascinating study in the evolution of the sensibilities of genius. There are two tours: the guided tour of the home and studio, and the self-guided walking tour of various FLW homes in Oak Park. You'll probably want to do the home-studio first, since the home he built for his family was some of his very earliest work. It's basically a sketchpad for many of the ideas that made him such a revolutionary figure in modern architecture. The studio is more refined than the home, and is chock full of examples of what made the man such an iconoclast, like engineering feats that his contemporaries were quite certain would fail and result in the collapse of the still-standing building. The walking tour is less of an intimate experience, since you're just gaping at homes from the sidewalk, but it gives you a broader sense of the man's work, and provides the context for it by showing examples of the kinds of homes that were popular at the time. If I ever have to live in a Queen Anne home, I will wear a paper bag over my head so no one knows it's me living there. Gaahhhh! Queen Anne is like the roller disco of residential architecture styles. Did anyone ever really think it was a good idea? Really? Yeah, fascinating and enriching stuff, without being stuffy or boring. It's amazing to me that few of his homes look the least bit dated - he really tapped into a timeless kind of beauty. If you're the kind of person who rolls your eyes at "touristy" stuff, just give this one a try. And try not to break anything or set any fires. They're kind of not into that. read more

I wanted to go here because it was on the "1000 Places to See Before You Die." There I said it. I'm a sucker for lists and crossing things off lists! I knew a little bit about Frank Lloyd Wright, the man who designed the Guggenheim. The guided tour of Wright's home (from 1889 to 1909) gave me a great overview of his mission in architecture and design. I learned a lot about him (things I like and not like), and it was interesting seeing his designs in several houses in Oak Park. Too bad it is quite a trek to go from Downtown Chicago to Oak Park (at least an hour on the subway), but if you have time, then you should make the journey to see his home. read more

I love the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio. I mean I really love it. In my fantasy life I would want to build a house that takes a lot of cues from this home. I don't belive I've ever seen a better example of so much thought and care and planning put into a single residence. It's very sad that architects have not learned more from Frank Lloyd Wright. You may run into a couple younger docent Nazi's who must have been abused when they were teens (don't touch that!) -- but the seasoned professionals are always very polite and knowledgeable and a pleasure to talk with. read more

The tour was great, and I highly recommend that you also take the self guided walking audio casette tour of the surrounding neighborhood which has lots of interesting Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes in a few block radius of his house and studio. The interior guided group tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's actual home and studio was not what I expected, much more austere, and it was very cool to see where he lived and worked....but the tour itself went a little long and might have had a little too much detail for my personal tastes-- particularly after taking the neighborhood walking tour. But you'll probably love it-- im not a group tour person at all, and the group tour is the only way you can see the interior space. If you're apprehensive about your attention span i'd recommend planning the two tours (the neighborhood self guided tour and the guided tour of the house/studio) with a lunch break in between. MAKE RESERVATIONS! Oh, and if you like hot dogs, drive over to nearby Gene and Judes before heading back to the city. read more

One of the many architectural wonders I had to see. I was visiting a close friend that recently moved there and she also studied Interior Design so we were both excited. It was only a 20 min drive from where she lived. The curator was very knowledgeable, she basically told us everything we read in the books plus more. The house was magnificent; I only imagined myself in it while I was studying architecture. I marveled in every aspect of the house; especially the play room with the enormous skylight. The workroom is also a spectacle for the eyes. Wright was a genius in his time. Thank goodness the Guggenheim is only a train ride away. I managed to sneak a few pictures. Shh! read more

The house itself was beautiful. The view from every window had interest and perspective. I have a HUGE issue with our tour guide, Donna, who was condescending, glib, scripted and occasionally downright mean. We were only 5 minutes into the tour when she reprimanded a woman in our group for "leaving the group" when the woman took three steps back to look in the foyer from the living room, both of which were wide-open connected spaces. Reprimanded. As you would a 5 year old. She continued this same attitude throughout the tour. We were not allowed to remain in a room for even 30 seconds after her halting presentation because "there is a group right behind us"; tours were spaced 40 minutes apart. We had a variety of people in our group from many different countries, ages and demographics and by the end of the tour, we were all feeling chastised and disappointed in our guide's attitude. She treated us as nuisances and, as another commenter mentioned, seemed to be just WAITING for someone to step out of line. Toward the end of the tour, the same woman from the foyer asked the guide a question, to which the guide responded, "Well I am going to GET to that if you would just give me a minute!" in a put-off and rude tone. While I understand the no-touching, no breathing on it rule while touring the house, I do not appreciate paying $15/person to be treated with disdain. I have a teenage daughter and can get that attitude at home for free. read more

A fascinating site, well-interpreted by a lovely tour guide. I have a long held interest in architecture, and experiencing the creative birthplace of these great works in this playful setting was very enjoyable. Highly recommended! read more

Take out of towners to the FLW home fairly regularly. Tour guides are always very knowledgeable about the facility and FLW design motivations and principles. Fairly pricey for an hour tour. FLW was a bit of an eccentric / strange / bad? dude, but when tour guides are asked questions that even touch on some of these darker aspects of FLW they usually gloss over or take the question in a different direction. (I am not sure if this is a top down policy or if the tour guides have just drank the FLW Kool Aid.) A number of FLW houses in the neighborhood around the home / studio, so a pleasant walk through the surrounding area either before or after the tour. read more

I enjoyed this tour and the background info as a FLW fanatic. If you can get the ipod tour, take it. You can walk around the corner and see the flw creations (but only from the outside). Once a year, they do a fundraiser and you can head inside. If you want to do the inside FLW tour, hit Robie House on the U of Chicago campus. Inside it's quite cool, and more detailed. read more

Stunning! As a huge Frank Lloyd Wright fan this was a major must on my to-do. I recommend the guided studio tour, which lasts about a short hour. Dreamy to the max. Where I want to live. read more

A bit off the typical tourist path but well worth it if you are a admirer of American architectural history. The tour was was informative as well as being entertaining. read more

I'm an architecture/history/museum junkie, so of course anything Frank Lloyd Wright is right up my alley. I wasn't that impressed. The home is easy to find if you take the Green Line from the city. It's about a 15 min walk once you get off the train. Not bad, but a bit uncomfortable depending on the weather, so be prepared. Four stars for the house, tour and delivery from the docents. Perhaps I was a little underwhelmed after having seen Taliesin West (his Scottsdale museum - which I highly recommend). It's unassuming from the outside, so if you drive by quickly it's very easy to miss. read more

This should be a must for any tourist in the Chicago area or if you live in Chicago and have never been here. It blows my mind that in the late 1880's Frank Lloyd Wright had a vision that was completely different from the Victorian era. And going into his house, makes his genius become even more real. Every tiny detail was thought of. But what really made me say wow, was the dining room (I am not going to give away the wow). The tickets are reasonable at 15 dollars, but it will cost another 5 dollars to take pictures. Even though my group had a designated photographer, I could not help but break out my phone and capture a picture or two. After being caught, I also had to pay the 5 dollars. If you think you are going to have the urge to take pictures, just pay the 5 dollars and snap away. The tour guide was very knowable and was able to answer any question our group asked him. This is a must or anyone in the area. read more

Perhaps this review is biased, since I am comparing it to the other FLW tour I have done, Talisian West in AZ, which I really loved. I thought at $15 this tour was slightly overpriced, but I guess to keep this place restored is not cheap, so I am not really marking down for that. Our host was nice and knowledgeable, but stumbled at times and didn't really get me jazzed. The house itself had some interesting parts, but again, in comparing it to his other work, I just wasn't overwhelmed. The fact that the shop only had one small bathroom with a line for miles was no help either. At least parking was easy, and the walk from public trans is not too bad. I guess everyone should see this part of IL history, just keep the expectations realistic. read more

This place was unexpectedly awesome! I had no intention of going here while I was in Charlotte, but my friend suggested it and I had some free time, so made the trip out to the burbs to check this place out. I am no architecture buff, but I really enjoyed the tour of the house! It was just so interesting and neat to be shown all the little details of Frank Lloyd's creative genius. Just completely blew my mind. Made me really appreciate architecture and design in a way I never really looked at before. So much so, that what I've been looking for in my next home has completely changed! I would definitely recommend it if you are out in Chicago and have a few hours to fill. The neighborhood is cute with lots of little shops nearby, so it's a great way to see what it feels like to live in Chicago. You can also see some really cool looking houses nearby. read more

I'm a FLW fan and really looked forward to this tour. The home and studio were great. The tour guide, eh ... not so much. As others have said, I certainly could have done without the attitude coming from the organizer scolding us in advance not to touch anything or even brush against the walls. And it didn't get any better when our guide "pounced" on someone for getting too close to a dresser. It was like she'd been waiting for someone to do something out of line. In addition, our guide sounded tired and bored as was painfully apparent in her presentation. I know, I know -- you've probably done this lots of times, and that you're probably reciting a rehearsed script. But, maybe you could have made some effort not to sound semi-comatose as you droned your way through the schpeel. :-/ read more

I'll admit it..I'm a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright. So when I took my first trip to Chicago last August, this was a must see for me. I was just amazed by the architecture in this historical neighborhood. I brought a map and walked around to see the homes. I just am in love with this neighborhood. I'm a big fan of older homes because they were built with quality. One note of warning...when touring the neighborhood, please stay on the side walk and don't venture up close to the homes. People still live in them... I was told of how one Christmas...how a tourist went up close & inside one of the homes taking pictures... SO...stay on the side walk..because they will cause the police :) read more

Amazing. Took some friends here who weren't even remotely interested in architecture, and they flat out loved it. It's one of those uniquely interesting places where its obvious a genius left his footprint. Great gift shop for niceties that make for decent gifts/souvenirs. My only complaint: the tours are too rushed and quick. I'd much prefer to savor the experience. For out of town, or foreign travelers, definitely worth a day trip from the city. read more

I visited on a field trip during high school and was bored out of my mind. I visited a few months ago as an adult and loved it. A group of friends and I redeemed our groupons together, and we loved the tour. Our tour guide was beyond knowledgable and could answer any questions our group asked. It was amazing to learn the history of architecture before us, and it amazes me how influential one man was throughout the country. This tour is definitely worth your time and money. read more

What a great tour. This was my second visit to a Frank Lloyd wright home, first was Taliesin West in AZ (awesome!!) This property was one he designed earlier in his career and it was pretty cool to see how different it was when compared to the ones he designed later on in life. Our tour guide was great, very informative and had time to answer the questions of our group. If you have time they suggest you do an audio tour of the surrounding homes in the neighborhood. We didn't do the audio tour but walked on our own for a bit taking in the other homes which were of course Stunning! They made you wish to see the inside. Highly recommend. read more

My husband and I took the guided tour last weekend with my parents who were visiting. My mom had recently read "Loving Frank" was has been enamored with finding out more about Wright. This was the perfect way to spend an hour on a Sunday afternoon. The gift shop is wonderful and contains many beautiful items. I would love it if people would buy me several things from there. Our tour guide was great and our tour consisted of the four of us and one other couple. I was slightly annoyed that the couple brought their approximately 13 month old baby with them but what can you do. The women in the gift shop said that winter is the perfect time to do the house and studio tour because the crowds are always super small. Overall, I loved learning more about the house and studio and can't wait until the weather is nicer and I can do the neighborhood tours, too. read more

This is a nice tour for any FLW fan. The home and studio is beautiful as is the city of Oak Park. I would highly suggest a walking tour of the area as well to view many FLW homes in addition to other fabulous architects of that time. read more

We tried to do this on our own, it was kind of hard to navigate. Definitely recommend using a guide. It was really cool to be able to walk around the beautiful city and see the architecture though! Definitely worth the time spent! read more

Had a free night on a quick Chicago trip to check out one attraction after getting into Ohare. Selected this location after checking out Top Chicago sites on Google. Was duper excited to see it. Drove 45 minutes with traffic to be told by a staff worker "we close in 5 minutes", "yeah, our hours on Google are wrong". Asked if I could poke around for 5 minutes (I would have been happy to pay for the visit) and was told no. Too late to check anything else out at this point... Super bummed. Recommend checking their hours on their website and calling to confirm them before heading here to be on the safe side. read more

Visiting good old Frankys crib with his first wife Catherine, makes me want to be an Architect, oh wait I am, let me rephrase, makes me want to get my license lol. Franks house was very inspiring, it was emotional for me... being able to walk the same spaces that catapulted his theories and design ideas=Priceless. In addition I'm pretty amazed of what people could do back then, without CNC routers, he he he. Definitely worth checking out, if your an architecture nerd. read more

As an art history major, it's hard not to love Frank's home & studio. Yea, we're on a first name basis :) I went for probably the 3rd or 4th time to the home & studio over Thanksgiving weekend this year. I would recommend buying your tour tickets online, if possible, or buying them the morning of because it gets pretty busy. We went around 11:30ish and weren't able to do a tour until 2:30. Not a problem because we went to Winberie's for lunch and Petersen's for dessert but if you have a tight schedule you probably wouldn't be able to wait around for 3 hours. Highly recommend the home & studio though if you are interested in architecture or art history! I really want an Inglenook in my future home now, thanks to Frank! read more

Definitely worth a visit if you are in the Chicago area! I got tix for the house & studio tour & for the walking audio tour of the neighborhood ($30), which will take you by 19 houses Wright & his studio designed & the Unity Temple. BTW, it's WELL worth the admission fee to Unity, about $7. The interior of the place is quite incredible! And if you're doing the walking tour during colder weather, it's a great place in the middle of the tour to warm up. I've since heard that they offer a tour of the neighborhood houses, including the interiors, for about $125 for non-members. Sounds like a total STEAL! read more

Good guide here, very passionate and had many nice tidbits. The building is beautiful, inside and out. It's nice you can see many other FLW-designed buildings in the area too. One negative is a female gingko tree that smelled literally like poo. You can smell it even in the shop. Ah, nature! read more