While, off the bat, one would most likely not be interested in touring a business facility for fun,…read moreI actually made the conscious decision. It's free -- you just need to book in advance online! If you're interested in Frank Lloyd Wright and the history of SC Johnson, or even if you're not, it's still an interesting tour. I couldn't book the 2 hour tour that added other Wright sites, but it was still a good tour nonetheless. Bathroom breaks are limited; be sure to use the ones in the Golden Rondelle building, which is where you check in and meet for the tour (arrive 15 minutes prior). Each person must have a physical photo ID on them, only water is permitted on the tour (no food or other beverages), and no photography is allowed inside the buildings. It was a large group tour with adults and kids. The kids were well behaved, but as a younger child, depending on their interests, it may not appeal to them. They do offer a Jr. Architect badge for children -- I overheard the guide offer one to a teenager. I later asked if I could have one. She humored me. Our tour guide Dawn was great -- an enthusiastic speaker who kept the group engaged. She also did a fantastic job taking pictures of me and my family in front of the FLW desk in the Rondelle Center. It's imperative to have your physical photo ID, not just a picture of it. Two people arrived with only photos of their IDs and were initially turned away. The manager later contacted the guide and they were allowed to join. They have free postcards you can write and they'll mail them for you in the check-in area, along with magnets and some stickers. Bathroom breaks are limited to the Rondelle Center and, at the end, Fortaleza Hall, where the Lily Pad gift shop is located. During the tour you must wear a lanyard tracker and stick with the group. A security guard follows the last person to ensure this. The tour isn't fully handicap accessible and they don't supply wheelchairs. The part most likely to be inaccessible is the research tower, which contains a narrow concrete spiral staircase and steep steps. My father-in-law rested on a bench outside; the security guard stayed with him and took him into a building that showed a video of the research tower interior, which was nice for him. We entered the research tower first, then headed into the administration building (there's a low-grade ramp to the entrance). You learn about the infrastructure and desks, which were quite interesting: you can see the lily pad columns and sit in one of Wright's ergonomic chairs at the desks. I think they mentioned there are only three original walnut Wright desk tops -- one in the Guggenheim, one at the Institute of Science in Chicago, and one in Racine. Wright was definitely brilliant and talented, but from the stories about his interactions with SC Johnson, he could also be extremely resistant to legitimate complaints-- narcissistic, stubborn, and dismissive -- from his three-legged office chairs to the Pyrex tubes he designed for the windows to shield what he called the "abhorrent" views of Racine. Haha. You can see his influence on the Art Deco movement and modernism, as well as his imprint on organic architecture. The last building was Fortaleza Hall, named after the city in Brazil that one of the Johnson family visited; that trip changed his perspective and opened his eyes to philanthropy. The plane on display is a replica of the plane Johnson flew to Brazil. Fortaleza Hall has an elevator and was also designed by renowned architect Norman Foster. Inside Fortaleza Hall it's not extensive; 15 minutes felt a bit too short in my opinion because my husband and I went to the Lily Pad gift shop first, as recommended by our guide. I did breeze through it and found some interesting tidbits. Overall, I highly recommend it -- but book in advance online!

Holy security. We…read moretook a tour on a Sunday and showed up at the proper time. ***NOTE: If you are going on a tour - park in the small lot by the gold flying saucer looking building. It's to the left of the front gate. Walk into that building. I really liked the tour - we had to cut ours short to get to Wingspread in time. The security guards were accommodating and walked us back to the main entrance so we could leave. I would recommend this tour - not my favorite but still very cool, and another off the master list of places to visit.