The Robie House was the first Frank Lloyd Wright home that my wife and I toured. Our 45 minute tour led by Chris was great. She clearly articulated the prairie style design that made Wright's famous and helped us picture what it would be like to live in Chicago during the early 1900's. The home featured numerous "horizontal lines" on wood panels and beautiful windows. We learned that in the living and dining area, Wright purposely designed the roof, elevation of windows to allow the right or less amount of sunlight in a given season to allow rooms to be warmed in the winter and cooled in the summer. Adult tickets are $17 but we purchased a Groupon deal via Goldstar events that lowered the price to $12. Some guests purchased a "photo pass" that allowed you to take pictures inside. We didn't have a pass but still snapped a few pics. :) If you're a fan of Wright, architecture or Chicago history, make your way to Hyde Park and visit the Robie House. read more

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Wow. Frank Lloyd Wright and his horizontal lines. If you are a fan of his work, you must come here. It's about a half hour train ride from the heart of Chicago, and it is located on University of Chicago's beautiful campus (you should walk around the campus too). The tour is about 50mins-1hr. You can buy a photo pass for $5 (otherwise you can only take exterior photos). With the photo pass and fees, it cost $22 per person. Our tour guide was great..I wish I remembered his name! My bf is the architectural expert, but when I left, I felt like I really "got" the house, design, and layout. We equally enjoyed the tour. It's very cultural, not sure how much I would've gotten out of it as a kid, but as an adult it was a great experience. FLW loved this house. Out of all of the homes and places he built, this is one of the only ones he actively protested getting knocked down. Twice! He clearly felt an intimate connection with this design. read more

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I loved this house! We bought a Groupon because we were interested, and now I can't wait to see them all!! It was a fair price for an hour tour. There were a lot of areas of the house we could mot go in to, so that was a bummer. It would have been nice to feel the spiraling movement. We were told the smaller Saturday tours get to see more of tge house, so go on a Saturday 10-person tour!! Our tour guide was extremely informative. He clearly loves the job and loves the house, which made the tour that much better. The gift shop is a little pricey, but packed full of goodies. read more

Frederick C Robie House - The best room of the tour. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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FLW is a genius (at least my gf thinks so). We visited his home in Oak Park and had to stop here as well. Price: $15 for a guided tour. Location: Parking didn't seem to be a problem. The area was safe as well. Tour: Informative and less than an hour. You do learn a bit during the tour. read more

Apparently Frank Lloyd Wright has built many homes, but only few of them are open to the public. This is one of them, and not the best of the houses on tour. My cousin went to the Oak Park one and thought that tour was WAY better and worth the $15. This tour was $15 and totally not worth it. We spent most of the tour OUTSIDE of the home. Of the 9,000 sq feet home, we only saw about 2,000 of it, IF THAT! We only saw the front entrance, living room, dining room, kitchen, and a bathroom. There were three other bedrooms and three other bathrooms of this house and an entire third floor we did not see. Access to the third floor was prohibited. They said the home was undergoing restoration. I'd recommend checking out this house AFTER the restoration is complete! No pictures or big backpacks allowed!!! They will, however, securely store your backpack for you (for no cost) while you are on the tour. Parking in the area is TOUGH!! read more

The Robie House is a marvel of architectural history. The tour is about an hour and filled with details of the house and the families who lived there. Our tour guide (Wayne Johnson) was so knowledgeable and entertaining. If you haven't seen the house, located in Hyde Park, don't miss the tour. read more

We drove from Columbus, Ohio to tour this house. Before leaving, we made sure to check their website and see if they were offering 1:30PM, 2:00PM and 2:30PM tours. They were. Since we were traveling a long distance, we didn't know which tour we would arrive in time to take and didn't buy tickets ahead of time. We arrived and found out that they had arbitrarily and for no reason cancelled all remaining tours. No apologies, have since completely ignored my emails. Totally unprofessional and very disappointing. I'd argue that the Robie House is an international destination, but if you're traveling from any distance beyond the Chicago metro, just know that your tour can get cancelled at any time (including day of) with no warning. read more

The Robie House is a must see for the FLW fan. Tours take about an hour to go through the entire house. Although the house is badly in need of restoration, it is a visually stunning achievement of modern architecture. Like a lot of Wright homes, the house suffers from deterioration. The uncompromising design elements of Wright's genus that made this house a penultimate example of the prairie style can be found on display here. You will see fantastic leaded stained glass, fireplaces and built in furniture designed by Wright too. Unfortunately, the unwillingness of Wright to compromise when it comes to basic environmental conditions, practical life and seemingly intentional functional obsolescence (low ceilings, no insulation, weird stairways, and circuitous entry routes) have made the house hard to live in for its various occupants and subject to relentless deterioration. It is now a museum and is in need of support to survive. Visit the Robie House and be sure to donate to it's restoration. Recommend. read more

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Restoration in progress but well work a visit . Pretty amazing house built in 1910. Even has a built in central vacuum cleaner system , very high tech for 1910 ! read more

Frederick C Robie House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

"Less is only more where more is no good." -Frank Lloyd Wright. I'm an avid Frank Lloyd Wright fan. I'd like to see all of his architectural designs one day. Chicago has so much of his work on display. We were staying at a friends house a few blocks away from this restored beauty, which made visiting extremely easy. We walked to the house, but noticed they had ample parking in the neighborhood. The house is situated in the charming suburb of Hyde Park, in south Chicago. The Prairie style is my preferred style and, the Robie House is thus far my favorite house I've had the pleasure to tour. An American Masterpiece. The interior had the atttention to detail that was worth the price we paid. I was in awe. The guide we had, a very pleasant young lady, was knowledgeable and thoughtful. We were her very first tour, and her lovely mother was in attendance. It's one of the most personable tours I've experienced. I wish I could recall the young tour guides name. I could have spent all day there. They offer a tour that lets you take photos, which we purchased at an additional price. The tour begins and ends in the quaint gift shop. We purchased a few things to take home with us. If you're at all interested in his work, this is a must if you're visiting the city. read more

One of the most fulfilling cultural visit I have made. Worth its price. Guide and staff were kind and knowledgeable, not at all boring, mixing educational and anecdotal comments. Nice flow of the visit. Complement it w visit of Oak Park Frank Lloyd Houses, or your tour of UChicago. read more

Excellent tour for FLW nerds like my husband. Wayne our tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable.

Let's be honest. For all Frank Lloyd Wright's genius and innovation, his ego betrayed his brilliance, and Robie House is a prime example. For starters, really this place was inappropriate for Chicago climes. A house like this belonged farther south, in Kentucky or Tennesee, for example. Until modern mechanicals were installed here (at great expense), the place could never be heated above 50 degrees during a Chicago winter!!! Now that's a downright boondoggle of a failure. I don't care how great a designer he was. That plainly sucks. Also, the quantum of wood in this place, in a climate like this, having been designed in an era when the chemical industry had not yet invented all the sealants we have now, again signals ego over utlity. Wright was a knothead!!! It was apparent to me today when I looked at this place, that Robie House was a maintenance nightmare before it was ever built. And to compound matters, Wright built for ego and not for longevity. Clearly, if Wright had been wearing his utilitarian hat when Frederick Robie commissioned this place (in 1910), it likely would have come out quite differently. All my iconoclasm aside, of course the place is stunning; the details mind boggling, and one cannot help but revere Wright for his individuality if nothing else. After all, he was the first to build a house with steel. That is why the cantilevered roof stands today. And, while I'm on the topic, goddamn, did I ever get a righteous, inspiring photo of the sun peeking over the roof today. Here it is: http://static.px.yelp.com/photo/ymILWLeGj_5WqJgndRa6rQ/l read more

We just happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to stop by to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House! Lucky for us, we were able to purchase tickets for the very next tour, giving us about 15 minutes to mull around the gift shop. The house is revered as the greatest example of the Prairie School style, the first architectural style that was uniquely American Midwestern. It's fascinating to learn the story of the house and it's history. For being a great American family home, it's sad to learn that it didn't really have much of a family life. Frank Lloyd Wright designed not only the house, but all of the interiors, lighting, rugs, and furniture as well as the beautiful art-glass windows. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and open to questions. She pointed out the horizontal lines of the home as well and the hidden front door and cantilevered roof eaves. It's so amazing that a structure of this age still remains. The tour is short, about one hour, but that's long enough to view the genius of Mr. Wright. read more

Frank Lloyd Wright considered Robie House "the finest example of Prairie Style architecture." While people might disagree with his opinion of his own work, it's definitely the best local example of Prairie Style that is open to the public. The house has all the essential elements of the Prairie School, and executed artfully. Properties can be listed on the National Register of Historic Places under three criteria: if an important historic event took place there, if a person of historic significance lived there, or if the property is of exceptional architectural significance. Robie House was the first property to be listed on the National Register based on architectural merit alone. That being said, now is not the time to visit Robie House, in my opinion. The house has long been under renovations after coming under the administration of the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, but beginning in late 2008, the renovation schedule has been accelerated in order to complete the project in time for the house's centenary. Sections of the house that are normally part of the tour are closed off, which might leave visitors feeling frustrated or worse. In the meantime, fans of Wright's work should visit the Home & Studio in Oak Park, the Smart Museum (where the original Robie House dining room table and chairs can be viewed), and of course, visit the museum shop and/or make donations to assist in the restoration. read more

For whatever reason I think we got a ticket free, so the sticker shock wasn't as pronounced as it may be for others. An artchitectural landmark, the place is constantly being renovated, repaired and refurbished. Why? Form over function, baby. It may work for a sculpture inside your house, but as your actual house? No sirree. The tour is quite amusing, where the guides both hail Wright as the artist he was, and gently poke fun at him for the complete impracticality of this house in the extreme Chicago climate. read more

I was very excited to go visit FLW's prairie style house. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to find that it has been under construction for quite some time and it will indefinitely be under construction since funds are low or lacking - honestly, had I know that before we got here, I would have opted to visit FLW's Home and Studio in Oak Park. We had a great tour guide named Marc who has been a volunteer guide every 2nd Sunday at Robie house for 18 years. He alluded that he had studied architecture (and we gathered that he was involved in construction) and he was very knowledgeable about FLW and the construction of the home. It was refreshing to have a guide know what he was talking about and go into great detail about the architecture. The 9,000 square foot house is pretty amazing. It has all the detail you expect of an FLW home from the horizontal orientation to the overlapping 'rectangles' that make up the house to the patterns on the windows and carpeting. There is very little original furniture or furnishings left in the house which is unfortunate. This house has about 200 windows and light pours in from every angle. Because of the construction, we were unable to view the 3rd floor which houses all the bedrooms. The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business is right across the street and was designed with elements to reflect Robie House such as cantilevered floors. It's a remarkable sight to see the two buildings in person. The tour guide told us that the home has been passed along and is now property of the University of Chicago. If I recall correctly it was used most recently as an international studies office and then for an alumni association - I don't think either group cared much for preservation of this beautiful home. There was some Vietnam War protest that caused some exterior damage in the 70s. The years of neglect show in the interior and the cost to restore is estimated at $8m plus. I look forward to returning years from now and seeing the home as close to as it originally was. read more

For a Frank Lloyd Wright-ophile, this place is a definite MUST! My husband and I both love FLW and became even more enamored with his work while living a year in Oak Park. I ended up buying tickets to the Private Spaces Tour on a Sunday morning as a birthday gift to him :) Overall, we were both really impressed by the tour. The house itself is enormous...definitely one of the biggest (if not the biggest) one I have seen to date in person. It has an exquisite exterior. Apparently after changing hands a few times (and almost being demolished) this house finally made it into the (w)right hands and the FLW Foundation is spending a ton of money to renovate/repair it. It sounded like a lot of the exterior work is complete, and they did such a great job. (Even if you can't do the inside tour...just driving by this house will impress ya.) The private spaces tour got us access to some of the areas of the house that aren't on the "regular" tour, and we were allowed to take pictures inside! One thing to note, the house is still under renovations and the interior still needs some work, in addition a lot of the original furniture wasn't there. Even with this, we both really enjoyed the tour and got a lot out of it. The foundation did a good job of setting the house up with what they had. Also, they added some touches like furniture of the period and/or FLW replicated furniture, along with photographs to give you a feel for what the house "should" look like when completed. Also, our guide was fantastic. He was able to handle and answer everyone's questions, and really provided a great in-depth review of the house, its nuances, and history. Great experience. Well worth the money! I can't wait to come back and show it to my folks :) Come check this place out...all proceeds go to the foundation so the sooner we all go the sooner they can complete another Chicago gem! read more

My friend and I enjoyed a lively 1-hour morning tour with Phillip. I am a huge FLW fan and have wanted to see this particular masterpiece for years, so when I read that the multi-million dollar renovation was completed, I put this home tour on our weekend list. One of the most amazing things about the home should be stressed here: FLW used 60-foot long steel beams to cantilever (hang with no support from below) the higher floors from the ground. Think about that. 100 years ago that was unheard of. He was the first to use steel horizontally. So make sure you admire this structural magic from across the street, and how it impacts the beauty of the design. Some more original furniture in the house would be nice, to give us a better sense of what it was really like to live there, but the tour was easily worth the $20 entry fee. Warning: Our AT&T and Sprint cell phone networks didn't work anywhere in the neighborhood, so one of the Robie House bookstore employees was nice enough to give us a typed list of three cab companies we could call (because it happens all the time!) So I recommend scheduling your ride ahead if you can. Nice book store. Something for everyone. read more

What a shame ! I have been there with a friend of mine to visit the Robie House. A few ago, i visited the frank lord Wright Home and studio in Oakpark. It was gorgeous. So I was very excited to discover this place. I paid $15 for a visit and what a disappointment. We spend half of the time outside the building and we were told that the house is under renovation. We could only visit 3 rooms ! living room and dinning room. I have the impression I have been robbed at the Robie ! read more

If you happen to be down in the University of Chicago, with a hour or so to kill, (say you are sick of screaming kids at Museum of Science and Industry or maybe just took a wrong bus, then I would definitely recommend the Robie House. And go on a your, they're very informative (be sure to find the two fer one coupon at the Chicago visitors center). The construction and attention to detail in the thouse is amazing, not that i loved every aspect of it. FLW insisted that he design everything in his houses, the furniture, the fixtures, the windows, the carpets, the inhabitants clothes (if necessary), legend tells it that he even interviewed the mice. It is a great example of thinking about every aspect of LIVING in a space. Screw the MTV Cribs McMansions, this is my type of dream home. Maybe you should wait a few years to catch that wrong bus though, there is a lot of restoration going on, and maybe they will open the third floor by then. Oh yeah, and there's some cute Wright inspired trinkets in the garage/gift shop. read more

I didn't love the downstairs -- the ceilings were too low. But FLW's intention was to get people to hurry upstairs and to have a playroom for kids, so the low ceilings actually served their purpose. The 2d floor was great. I loved the room's symmetry (the fireplace is smack in the middle), the openness and floor-to-ceiling windows, the bountiful light (both natural and electric). Even the light sconces formed shadows on the wall that echoed the windows' designs. Chicago's got so much other architecture that I wouldn't go out of my way to visit Robie, unless you're a big FLW fan -- then it's worth the trip. Ranked 138th on the American Institute of Architects' Favorite Architecture list: http://favoritearchitecture.org/afa150.php read more

This is a great work of art! I love FLW! I think he was so brilliant, and led such an interesting life. Robie House is one of my favorites. It feels so modern, even though it's so old. read more

I took an "Images of American" class which talked about art and stories and its depiction of events during U.S. history. The class talked about this particular tourist site and once I learned about Frank Lloyd Wright, I immediately felt in love with his kind of architecture. Looking at pictures of the Robie House in a textbook was alright, but seeing and walking inside the house is a totally different experience. It looks sort of plain from the outside, but you have to go inside to truly appreciate it. I love that fact that light comes in naturally from all directions of the house. read more

The home and studio tour and this tour should be combined for maximum FLW fanatics. Seems it is constantly under renovation, but each time, I see something different and unique. The docents are well informed and always have extra tidbits of info. FLW had an interesting life, and was obviously full of talent. read more

As a Chicagoan there are many places that are must sees...and with Frank Lloyd Wright with his "prairie style" architecture, it is both very modern and shows his vision even over 100 years ago. My aunt and her companion wanted to go so we went today and had a great tour with Chris and five other people. Yes the house is undergoing renovations but they have done a fantastic job so far. The tour itself is a good look at FLW's style and his idea of "bringing the outside in" and for just about an hour its very in-depth. Parking was easy, found a spot right by the house. As this is at the University of Chicago, driving and finding a spot during the week might be challenge...in addition they only run tours Thursdays - Mondays. I will be back here one day and may try and take the more in-depth tour. read more

I was trying to find the Oriental Museum at University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus, and I stumbled right on a tour of this Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece! Joanna, our tour guide, was very informative, and enthusiastic. I had read the book, "Loving Frank", and have been intrigued with Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture ever since. This $15 was well spent, I plan to bring my parents back to tour the house in the fall. read more

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Great house and another great tour by the FLW Trust. Pretty similar to the tour of the Home & Studio in that they are run by the same people and have the same gift shops, but the houses are of course very unique. Great neighborhood to spend some time in and this is a can't miss. Terry was an excellent guide. read more

Frederick C Robie House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Historic and architecturally significant house on the campus of University of Chicago. Group tour began on time, led by friendly, fairly knowledgable guides. Restoration inside still in progress. Very short video intro. We arrived quite early and were able to exchange our pre purchased tix for earlier tour time with no hassle or extra fee. Took a few minutes to find parking along nearby boulevard but it was free and we enjoyed the short 3-4 block walk. Had a light lunch at Pleine Air coffee shop next to Robie House -- sandwich made to order and delish! Browsed the RH gift shop, which had a nice selection of books, jewelry, reproductions, totes and table linens but tended to be pricey. We chose not to pay extra $5 to take interior photos so I was a bit disappointed that none of the RH books had good interior photos of the restoration to date, just historic B&W photos, rather grainy. read more

Frederick C Robie House - Robie House (south view), by Frank Lloyd Wright. Prairie style architecture, c1910 ish. Beautiful greenery - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The Robie house is an excellent example of Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style architecture and hopefully it will be fully restored at some point in the future. As it stands, Robie house is just an OK tour since most of the house is still rather shabby. I've been to other FLW designed histories that are magnificent, I can transport myself to another time by walking the hallways. Alas, Robie house is not yet been transformed to its original glory. That said, the price of admission is utilized to help fund the renovation so I have high hopes for the future of the house. Parking is in very short supply and very high demand as the Robie house is located on U of Chicago campus. Take a taxi and save yourself the trouble of looking for parking. read more

I'll be honest, I know jack about architecture. Let's continue with the honesty: the only reason I wanted to go to the Robie House was because I saw it in the LEGO Architecture Series. And I thought it was going to be a huge mansion or something. Instead, it is a small (but deceptively large, according to our guide) house, with interesting little facts, and interesting little details. I think the tour guide did a good job explaining things, and the tour itself was pretty well organized, though a little short. Even so, I would still recommend people to go because it's pretty cheap-- I think around 10-12 bucks or something, it's moderately short - maybe a 35 minute tour, and it has some pretty good history. And it's built by that...famous architecture guy, I think he did some museum in New York too. read more

This tour was great! The house has been restored to near exactly as was originally built. Great easy 50 minute tour of the home. My favorite was the master bedroom and bathroom. read more

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I've been to many of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses, and this one is a little depressing in comparison because it's obviously not as well preserved as something like Taliesin or Falling Water. It is, however, a masterpiece just like all of FLW's homes. I felt so privileged to see it nearly every day when I was a student at UChicago. Take the tour-- it's worth it to know all the little details about the house and its history. It's a great way to spend a couple of hours on the South Side-- if you want to make a whole day trip of it, you can hit up the Oriental Museum and the Seminary CoOp Bookstore after your tour; they're only a block away read more

The Robie House is another Frank Lloyd Wright gem surrounded by the University of Chicago.I've been to Oak Park and Falling Water,so since I had the time,I had to do it. Like most Wright houses ,I can't imagine living in it.Wright had his ideas and I think you were supposed to adapt.But they are always a pleasure to see.This is a fairly large specimen built for a fairly rich man. There was no single feature that knocked me out but the overall effect is impressive.Wright is arguably more a sculptor than an architect.It's aesthetics and philosophy which dominate the structure.Engineering and comfort are secondary. read more

Frederick C Robie House - Front Robie House FR Wright - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

How could you give less than five stars for this icon? You can't. He's the guy other guys who wanna be the guy look at if they design houses. FLW only cared about the rooms people see, the public space, that was my take away from this experience... The home is perfectly located and funded by the U...inspiring for students there immersed in math and angles. read more

I liked seeing this place. I wish I could see it after the inside is restored, but I'll have to wait. I also wish I could see the top floor, but since there's no fire escape, that won't happen. The staff are really passionate about FLW, though the guide was a little inexperienced it seemed. Plus she kept saying that what she was saying was interesting, which is kind of annoying. I wish they sold some of the furnishings at the shop though. Like the rugs and the dresses he designed. Would be a little better than a rain poncho in a box with a logo on it. read more

This is a beautiful FLW home, and staff were very helpful. I ADORE the self-guided tour, and their audio tour was very well thought out and segmented so you can easily walk through the house in any direction and easily access the correct audio file. Staff are helpful and amiable, but aren't intrusive. You are free to discover the house on your own terms. We had a great experience with a staff member in the shop as well, who directed us to a must-see FLW-inspired staircase in a public building in downtown Chicago. read more

Nice tour, but very brief. Would have liked to see the whole house!! The movie that starts off the tour was very informative and helpful. My son and I HAD to come here as we had built the Robie house in LEGO and it was fun to see the actual building!! read more

This would be an eye catching building anyplace, but in this neighborhood it really jumps out at you. You would think that it would be negative, but the style really draws you in. Such a marvel because it would work in a modern backdrop as well as a gilded age neighborhood. read more

The Robie House is amazing & if you're a Frank Lloyd Wright fan or don't even know who this guy is you should still go see the house - talk about a man ahead of his time. The 1 hour tour was definitely worth it! We got there 15 mins ahead of time like our ticket suggested & we were told we were at the wrong location. We'd actually bought tickets for another tour at Frank Lloyd Wright's studio in Oak Park I believe (oops). The lady (Victoria I believe) was super friendly & nice about it & offered to exchange our tickets for a tour at the Robie house instead before we could even ask. She said it happens more than you'd think, & didn't seem to mind at all. The tour guide was great - very knowledgable and easy to talk to. read more