This Frank Lloyd Wright property is currently undergoing a massive (and I do mean massive!) renovation project that is not scheduled for completion until sometime in 2019. Visitors would be well-advised just to avoid trying to go to see the place until they can do so without the tractors and torn up landscaping. Also worth noting: On the day that we went for a tour, the fact that they were closed that day was NOT disclosed on their website, nor was the construction. This is very unfair to would-be visitors and struck both of us as the place purposely keeping essential information to itself in order to lure tourists there for the money despite the renovation interruptions. read more

For fans of Frank Lloyd Wright or all-American architecture, a visit to the Darwin Martin House is a must. It should blow your head off to learn that one of his most significant work is only a couple hours drive away from Toronto. Yes Toronto, there is more to Buffalo than just cross-border shopping, football and hot chicken wings... at least when it comes to modern American architecture. There are a handful of Wright-designed projects in Buffalo, but none more important or accessible than the Martin House. Given free reign to do virtually whatever by one of his most important clients (Martin was instrumental in Wright securing the commission for the sadly-demolished Larkin Building), FLW took this opportunity early in his career to explore to the extreme his Prairie Style design principles, producing an extraordinary mansion that reflected the family values of both Wright and the Martin family. In typical Wright fashion, we actually had a hilariously hard time finding the entrance, until discovering 10 minutes later that visitors must begin via the adjacent ultramodern building (Greatbatch Pavilion), where the scheduled tours begin. If you opt for the in-depth tour (which I highly recommend), you will be for a good hour led through both floors of the main house, as well as inside of the other houses built on the complex. Our guide projected much knowledge, down to the details like the window designs and how the roof drainage system works. Try not to mind so much the in-progress reno jobs. I am sure once the restoration is complete the whole site will best showcase Wright's original vision to our modern-day eyes. But even as it is now, the house expresses much magnificence that gives visitors a good glimpse of life inside a special FLW home. Some plights though: photography is forbidden, and there aren't much in terms of parking options (the Martin House website recommends parking at the nearby Buffalo Zoo and asking the House staff for a parking token). read more

I'd have given it 5 stars, but I felt the $15 admission fee was steep considering you only get to see one main floor of the house (which was not very far along in the restoration process). What you do get to see is stunning. As big of an asshole as he was, Frank Lloyd Wright was an amazing architect and one of the greatest minds of our century. In the front room, there was a beautiful half-crescent moon brick inlaid fireplace. When you turn around, there is a row of small rectangular windows, with glass panels running along the outside underneath each window. It was explained to us that these glass panels were perfectly placed just to capture the outside light, reflect that light into each of the rectangular windows (which when originally built, all contained intricate art-glass pieces done in Wright's famous pieced-style), which is in turn reflected down onto the carpet and across the room, bringing the eye up along the walls and then to the fireplace. The entire room was designed to be in harmony with nature (as all of Frank's work).. the walls contain gold-flecked paint between the earth toned brick, to mimic natural light. The woodwork was said to be like branches of trees reaching up to the sky (the ceiling), and giving way to the fireplace (representing sun and moon). His work speaks to me like poetry. It's just so moving. It's a shame they wouldn't allow even non-flash photography inside the complex. I did manage a few pictures of the re-constructred terrarium. I was a little turned off by the awful metal and glass structure they're building right next door, it's supposed to be the new visitor's center. It's hideous and looks very frigid - it just struck me as such a polar opposite to Frank's work and I think he would've disapproved of it greatly. It distracts the visitor from the remaining structure of the Darwin Martin Complex completely. That said, this is definitely an exceptional piece of work and architectural history that is absolutely worth a trip out to see if you're in Buffalo. read more

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I'm afraid I can't write as glowing a review as the other Yelpers. I mean don't get me wrong, Wright was an amazing architect and the Martin complex is a jewel in the necklace of structures he's built in Buffalo and across the U.S. But as a museum experience it was just o.k. The tour (basic) and admission does not come cheaply and the museum is far from finished, only two rooms are complete on the first floor and the second is completely off limits. I'm glad the house is being restored to it's former glory just not as glad to be funding the progress... read more

Visited this place for the 1st time on 7/6/11 & it was amazing!! The main house is still being restored but there's still plenty to see that will give you more than just a basic idea of Wright's vision & genius. One thing I noticed right away is that the pergola, the covered walkway from the house to the greenhouse, works in its concept: the day that I was there was pretty warm, high 80s, & the walk thru the pergola was quite cool, just like Wright had planned. The tour guides, even the one who was in training while we were there, were both very knowledgeable & very friendly. GO HERE, it's a chance to see American architectural history, especially Wright's Prairie school of design. There's also a very cool package tour of this house and Graycliff starting at about $26. It's well worth the price to be able to tour both places. You can conceivably do both in one day (morning & afternoon) but plan for 2 days. read more

If you like FLW or even just enjoy beautiful architecture, take time to visit this home. It is beautiful, the renovation is stunning, and it's seemingly only just beginning. The docents are knowledgeable and well-spoken, and the 45 minute tour is worth it! The Greatbatch Pavilion located next door is another gorgeous example of architecture, and the staff there is wonderful. We hosted an event there for dinner, and they were nothing but accommodating and friendly. I would happily visit and work with them again. read more

This is the 4th Frank Lloyd Wright home that I have seen, including Falling Water. The others are all great too, but Darwin Martin is my favorite. It is absolutely stunning in every regard -- the work of an architect to whose genius I bow. The guide did a GREAT job of pointing out all the amazing features of the house and telling us why it is such an outstanding work of architecture. His enthusiasm was infectious. If you are anything resembling an architecture buff, it would be a shame to go to Buffalo and not take the tour of the Darwin Martin house. read more

You've probably driven by it. If you haven't, you've at least heard of it. But have you checked it out? We did the tour here after doing the tour at Graycliff and it was a fun juxtaposition. Graycliff was light and airy, the meeting of rock and water. The Darwin Martin House on the other hand is much darker, helping you understand the motivation for Graycliff. The tour comes with headphones so you can hear the tour guide. On the whole I think that's cool. I did turn them off whenever I was close enough to hear without them. But it was useful if you were toward the back, wandering, or otherwise far away from the tour guide. It's also really nice if you have difficulty hearing, especially in potentially noisy groups. The stops on the tour change depending on the state of construction so you may get to see different things if you go on the tour multiple times. Honestly, I enjoyed Graycliff more but I'm glad that I did this one as well. It's nice to understand an important piece of the city's history a little better. read more

This is an outstanding tour. I would do this tour again. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of detail and information. A pleasant surprise. Well worth the price. read more

The Wright complex is wonderful. I'm not sure the building has looked so great in a long time. Our tour in late July 2010 did not include the interior of the main house since they were doing asbestos abatment, but they gave us the slightly different tour that more than made up for the difference. The docents are excellent, if a bit slanted towards Wright (to be expected I guess). The history, the architecture and the restoration work are top notch. Don't miss the visitor's center (Greatbatch Pavilion). It's a restrained piece that compliments the Martin house in a way that does justice to both buildings. The audio visual presentation starts with your back towards the house as the images are displayed on glass. At the conclusion of the presentation, the screens go dark and the house is reflected in the glass. Bravo Toshiko Mori, Bravo! If you are in the area, dig deeper into the website and take the combined tour with Graycliff in nearby Derby. It's another Wright house for the same family on the shore of Lake Erie. It was done after the Martin house and your can see what the same architect does when he has a limited budget. Fantastic read more

Visiting the Frank Lloyd Wright Martin Complex takes some planning. You can only view the inside of the home on a guided tour. They have different types of tours, but I highly recommend the 2 hour  Martin House + Tour (adults $37) which will take you to all the spaces included on the Martin House 1 hour tour, plus the second floor of the Martin House, the first and second floor of the Barton House (1903), and the first floor of the Gardener's Cottage (1909). The docent guiding our tour was phenomenal and highly informative. You can view the amazing architecture, interior furnishings, and stunning art glass windows. Frank Lloyd Wright was definitely ahead of his time. The house is unlike any other home built in the neighborhood. It looks like something that would be built today. The spacious free flowing interior rooms are modern and something people today would love. The tour starts out in the beautiful exhibition space next door which compliments the home well. Even if you only have a few minutes it is worth a stop in the center, which has a phenomenal floor to ceiling view of the outside of the home, as well as information on the history of Martin and Frank and the creation of this masterpiece. The group tours starts with a video, and then your walk begins. The Martin Complex is made up of six interconnected buildings. Frank Lloyd Wright designed this estate for then wealthy Buffalo businessman Darwin D. Martin. The house is a great example of Frank's Prairie House style. Definitely in my top 10 list of things to see while in Buffalo. The only downside is that you are not allowed to take pictures inside. Only outside the home. The renovation of this site has been a community labor of love. It has been slowly restored to the state that you see it today. There are still more projects in the process of being completed. The fireplace restoration is set to be complete in March, and this spring the landscaping to be installed back to it's original state. read more

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So much fun !! At the end of the tour Martin Lawrence comes out dressed as Shanayay. Enjoy Bob!

45 million has been spent so far renovating.. A shrine for FLW fans read more

The house is amazing, obviously, with the intricate glass and wood work. I enjoyed looking at the well-kept grounds and renovations, but my only complaint was our docent. Kathleen M., our tour guide, never completed a thought, jumped from topic to topic, from fact to fact and made the tour information nearly impossible to follow. She kept claiming these men were geniuses and brilliant (I get it) but I could never really understand how because she would start a sentence like, "Buffalo is actually the second most..." And then start another thought!! She did this countless times. She claimed to have been working there 10 years. This tour guide needs a script and then I'll give it 5 stars. read more

Right there in a regular neighborhood, not far from the zoo. I can't imagine what it would be like to live across the street or around the corner from this gem. It is kept in pristine condition. The grounds are manicured; lush and green. We visited the gift shop, the horse barn and stalls, the solarium (green house filled with plants, orchids and a winged victory statue) and the covered walkway to the main house. Thrilling. read more

I liked it. I was in Buffalo for work, and needed to visit this site. Before getting a full time music job (yes, they exist), I worked for a prominent Frank Lloyd Wright organization in their shops as an Assistant Manager and I was the primary Sales Trainer....so I have a bias as well as a background. I developed an interest in FLW's work via working in that store. After so many years, it just had hooks in me, so when my day job brought me to Buffalo for a week-I made a point in taking a tour. The Experience.... Visitor Center They have good signage. I took a cab to the site, and immediately knew where to go without asking any questions. The staff at the visitor's center were nice, and provided just the (W)right amount of information. I knew the essentials-where the tour started, where the bathroom was, and what I could do in the mean time. Ok, I also thought it was awesome that they had a visitors center. Having the ticket sales/people waiting for tours separate from the shop functioned extremely well! They had enough displays available to view that you could easily kill 20mins before a tour. If you read every last sentence of information, probably 45mins. I treated it as a refresher in FLW history, and spent more time on the info that was specific to Darwin Martin and this specific site. The Tour I opted for the 2 hour in depth tour. The price seemed pretty fair at just under $30. The docent was good-had an awesome voice (full and projecting-never struggled to hear a word), and the docent bringing up the rear was great too. I think the one in back was in training, and was playing crowd control while observing the front docent. My tour ran over by about 15mins; for me, this wasn't any big deal. I booked my tour on a day where I was free for about 8hrs, with a solid 5hrs budgeted for travel to/from the site, the tour, and shopping. As strange as it sounds, at over 2hrs, the tour still felt rushed. There is a LOT of ground to cover in two hours, and I'm not talking about the historical side. There is a ton of square footage included in the tour. I liked the spaces that we were allowed to see, it felt like we were able to see enough to get a good feel of the vision of the house. Our docent hit on several key elements of Wright's style, but didn't mention the five influences of Wright. If you are familiar with Wright, this isn't a big deal, but he made some allusions that would have dove tailed perfectly. We saw areas that were in various states of restoration, ranging from fully restored, to barely started. I could see this tour going up to around $45 and 2.5-3 hours, if logistics permitted. However, $30 seemed like a bargain to see this many distinct spaces...even if at times it felt more like "Here's this space...cool, ain't it?" The group size was a bit larger than I expected at a sold out 16, some of the spaces felt cramped with this many people of varying mobility levels. I do not recommend the indepth tour if you, or someone in your party, is mobility challenged-the house is not handicap accessible (it's a historic site built in the early 1900's), there aren't hand rails on the stairs, and you are walking all of maybe 5mins. Overall, I enjoyed the tour. The spaces were astounding. I learned a good chunk, and got a refresher on other elements. It made me smile hearing all of the Chicago references. I made a point in NOT telling the docents about my Chicago/FLW connection until after the tour. The docents were spot on, available for questions without giving spoilers for key elements of the tour, gave clear information, and were very enthusiastic about the house. I got a nice reaction out of both docents when I told them my FLW/Chicago connection as well as my military connection. Shop Ok, there was no way I was going to go on a tour, and NOT do some shopping. However, I have different tastes and represent a different demographic than most FLW site shoppers. A. I'm only 26, B. I'm not rich, C. I prefer black t-shirts, and D. I don't own a house. So, I got the two items that I planned on getting (I browsed via their website first) and two items on impulse. The tour ended in the shop, but to avoid the crowd, I opted to take pictures of the exterior at that point. This gave the shop a chance to clear a bit before diving in. They sell three varieties of shot glasses/shooters...that was an impulse buy for me. The shop staff were efficient, but I didn't notice any upselling, or much interaction beyond just moving the lines as fast as possible. I liked the merchandise selection, but the shop felt pretty small. I did have to remind myself "you don't have much room left in your suitcase", they had several books that sparked my interest. Some of the t-shirts, I think would make awesome posters. Overall I liked it. It was well worth it. A must see if you like Frank Lloyd Wright. read more

I've lived in Buffalo for 20 years now and have gone to the Buffalo Zoo more times than I can count and can't believe it took me this long to visit! It was a gorgeous date day with my 17 year old. We decided to play tourists and visit. I had read that reservations were recommended so we arrived at 3pm and called to see if we might be able to get in without one, they said yes so we parked the car. What a gem right in my own backyard! Visitors enter through the Greatbatch center pay admissions and watch a short video about the the Martins, Wright and the complex. We moved from there to the tour. The volunteer docent was very knowledgeable and full of passion. She emphasized the foresight of Frank Lloyd Wright in building the main house and other areas of the complex. It was fascinating to hear the work and commitment that went into restoring the facility as we had people in the tour group that have been through the complex during the multi-phases of the restoration process. Such dedication. Definitely recommend! Educational and relaxing. Just wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking around and standing for about 1.5 hrs. read more

This is a stunning work of Frank Lloyd Wright's early career. The restoration team has been so hard at work with this property. It looks fantastic. I am excited to go back once it has been more completely restored. We went on the in-depth tour and it was worth every cent. The tour guide was fantastic. This place is a gem that we are lucky to have in Buffalo. The new visitor center is great, as well. Stunning architeture in itself. read more

Went here with my girlfriend and paid like 20 something dollars a piece. Half the building is still under construction and the tour guide was mediocre. They also had some weird dude standing in the background who would yell at you if you wandered away to look at something. read more

The Junior League of Buffalo, Buffalo News Multi-purpose room is spectacular. Located in the basement of the main home, the space offers multimedia capabilities and plenty of space. The Darwin Martin is an architectural GEM for Buffalo and I would encourage you to take time to visit. There are many things I learned about Darwin Martin like the barrel chair and first floor window designs are famous in architect and design fields. read more

What a great way to spend our time in Buffalo! We had a very interesting tour with Karen Smith. Love learning about the heart and soul that was put into this home. Walking through, I imagined what it was like growing up in the family--it was warm and welcoming and so appeasing to the eye. I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area. I would wait to do the 'extended' tour until more of the project is completed, although it may be interesting now too! read more

If you're a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, this is not to be missed! The tour starts in a beautifully designed visitor's center. We did the two-hour "plus" tour, which covers more of the grounds than the basic tour and includes the Barton House and the Gardener's Cottage. (Be aware that there are stairs to climb and you're on your feet for the entire two hours, with no place to sit down.) Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided lots of information about the history and restoration of the house. Although the restoration is not finished, the property is still unique and spectacular. read more

Beautiful restoration in progress! Great tour guide and friendly staffed from reception to the gift shop. Most tours are either one hour or two hours. We were happy with the one hour. Part of the tour is outdoors, so plan accordingly if you go in the winter. Street parking only, so plan a little extra time. Tours seemed to fill up quick and reservation are recommended. They do not allow you to go inside the house without a tour. read more

A must see in Buffalo. Amazing Frank Lloyd Wright complex and superb restoration. Know that the main home is still undergoing restoration and on our 1.5 hr tour we did not go into the gardeners home or upstairs in either the Barton nor Martin home. Our tour guide although very knowledgeable was bossy control freak. She was rude and totally treated the group as if we were kindergartens. And since there was a volunteer chaperone on the tour she should I have just left the "discipline" to the chaperone. read more

On a recent trip to Buffalo, we stopped in to tour the Dwight Martin House. They have guided tours, and we decided to take the intensive two hour version, which was well worth it. It included both the main house, where interior renovations are still on going, and two additional buildings that have been completed. It gave a good picture of Frank Lloyd Wright's interiors as well as how he went about creating the exteriors. It was truly fascinating and a great break. read more

Buffalo is lucky to have such an amazing peice of architecture within its borders. This is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpeices and the last few years, so much money has gone into restoring this home and preserving it for years to come. Nice gift shop (Wisteria Shop) with unique and beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright gifts. The Visitor's Center is beautiful and a work of art in and of itself. And if you take a walk about a mile further - you can see the privately owned Davidson House on Tillinghast that is also a Frank Lloyd Wright home. read more

Took the 1 hour tour of this beautiful house. I love Frank Lloyd Wright. If you have time make sure you see this!

This was a interesting House to see even though they are still doing a lot of restoration work.on it. I do agree that the $15.00 admission price is rather steep. read more

We visited the Martin house and did the 2-hour tour. There was much construction work going on outside the house--they are working on the landscaping--but the inside was beautiful. Our tour guide was the perfect mix of knowledge and enthusiasm. Definitely a must-see for architecture fans, and for anyone who enjoys seeing beautiful spaces. read more

Worth every penny to see a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. Tour guides were informative and friendly. Do yourself a favor and check it out! I would also recommend seeing Graycliff south of the city, they do some kind of double deal if you get tickets for both FLW houses. read more

The Martin House was what convinced us to make the 7-hour drive to Buffalo*. It was worth the trip. The visit begins with an interesting a/v presentation in the visitor's center. Our docent was very knowledgeable and personable. The foundation restoring the Martin House has done some wonderful things, and I look forward to seeing the fruit of their ongoing efforts in a few years. btw - our other discovery was Buffalo itself - a very interesting and human city. We will be back to get to know the city better. read more

We took the one hour tour. Renovations were going on but mostly outside. Words cannot express the beauty and symmetry, compression and release in this marvelous home. Our docent was so helpful, sharing the sad historyistory of how the house was abandoned by Mrs. Martin during the depression. But the folks who got together to restore the house have done an amazing job, returning a masterpiece to it's original glory. Go see this house. You will be in awe. read more

Came to the Darwin Martin house for a local beer tasting event with yelper extraordinaire Krista M who also just happens to be my sister. And upon pulling up and parking I was blown away by the architecture that was put into this building just being on the outside of the building made me really appreciate what great structures and buildings buffalo has hidden away. I had no idea this place existed and so close to the buffalo zoo which I would go to as a child. The beer event was also well organized and the "tickets" we where given has no value at most stations they just simply wanted you to taste their beer and taste lots of it lol. The pearl street brewery was my top fav. While the brewery with the loganberry beer was second I just wish I could recall their name... Guess I tasted a lot of beer that day haha.... Well after a quick google search everyone needs to check out Resurgence brewery down on Niagara st in blo. Since joining yelp and attending some events it has definitely opened my eyes on how much stuff there really is to do in this great city. Thanks yelp. read more

I 'discovered' the Martin house at 16, driving alternative routes from the west side to Bennett High for summer school. It was before the pergola, conservatory and stable had been demolished. It stopped me dead in my tracks, it's ghostly magnificence extravagant and stunning. Who ever dreamed when much of the complex was destroyed that it would ever be restored so lovingly. My heart felt thanks to all responsible. Exquisitely done. That said, I see the visitors center, while carefully considered and a beautiful piece of architecture, as an intrusion. The pavilion creates a new dialogue with the house that I feel is a distraction from the older and more satisfying one between the Martin house and it's Victorian neighbors. Mrs. Martin's complaints about the proximity of her house to her neighbors, and interesting historical point, evaporate with the demolition of the neighboring house on Summit. The complex stands out too much as an attraction rather than seeming integrated as it previously did. Hopefully the landscaping, which I assume will be re-created, will help integrate the house in it's original environment. Still, It's thrilling and worth repeated visits. read more

In a lovely neighborhood perfect for walking around in - short walk to Delaware Park and the Zoo, and there's plenty of street parking around the house. The complex itself is large and there's various tour options available. I loved our 1 hour tour ($17). There's also the option to do a 2 hour or very special one day a week renovation tour. Our tour guide was wonderfully knowledgeable and enthusiastic and gave us a really fascinating tour of most of the first floor of the house (the public receiving areas), minus the servants' dining area, which was under renovation. There's so much to take in about the house and grounds and the amount of detail that went into every single aspect of the house was really interesting. There's nothing roped off so you really get to experience the house firsthand. Highly recommend for those interested in history, architecture, art, or interesting characters, as FLW definitely sounds like one. read more

A true master work of art by Frank Lloyd Wright. They've done a wonderful job restoring this site to its original grandeur. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and friendly. The complex is located in a beautiful historic Buffalo neighborhood designed by famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the man who designed Central Park in NYC. read more

We took our Thanksgiving guests to the one-hour tour of the Darwin D. Martin House and it was fabulous. Our docent, Luis Clay, was great; loud enough so everyone could hear and funny, to boot! One of our guests is a student at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA, where he studies furniture making and was especially interested in the chair design and cabinetry throughout the house. All of us were very impressed by the ongoing renovation of the house and hope to tour it again in the future. read more

Great tour, exceptional guides. However there are just too many people on the tour. We paid extra for the in-depth tour, as we have done at other Frank Lloyd Houses. Unfortunately there were 20 people on this tour. It's really difficult to get a good feel for what you are seeing with that many people crammed into sometimes small spaces. Please make this a better value and limit tour sizes. I would not recommend based on that. read more

Simply spectacular! I took the tour and loved it, now I want to see all the other Frank Lloyd Wright properties. Next time I am in town I will definitely be taking the tour again. A must see in Buffalo! read more

My real score is 3.25. I think whether or not you enjoy the Darwin Martin House Complex has to do with why you have come there: if you are a Frank Lloyd Wright aficionado determined to see as many of his properties as possible, you'll be pleased. If you are there to learn more, you will probably be left wanting. The main house is currently closed for asbestos remediation and, rather incredibly, there aren't even photos of the interior on display. We saw the other buildings but no photography is permitted inside (no, not even flash-free) so the only shots we were able to take are the same as those any passerby could snap. The docent was really sweet but didn't give a focused presentation, leaving out facts like the dates of construction and completion and saying vague things such as, "It is a real Chinese puzzle" to discuss the architecture while emphasizing really obvious points like the horizontality of buildings. The few rooms we did see (and there were only 4) weren't well staged with period furniture, though there were a few chairs and settees here and there. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown. read more