Frank Lloyd Wright Housewalk in Oak Park Offered Mid-May
The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust presents its 2019 Wright Plus Housewalk on May 18, inviting the artistically curious to explore a variety of architectural forms located in the historic Chicago suburb of Oak Park. The Wright Plus Housewalk offers the unique opportunity to tour stunning interiors of eight private residences – open to the public only on this tour.
Wright-designed buildings on the walk include the William G. Fricke House (1901), a study in architectural geometry with distinctive wood banding and leaded glass windows; the William E. Martin House (1903), a stunning Prairie composition featuring original murals and a water garden; and the Francis J. Woolley House(1893), an example of his pre-Prairie style work, on the walk for the first time.
Also making their Wright Plus debut are the John S. Van Bergen-designed George L. Smith House (1914) featuring original art glass windows throughout; the Ernest P. Waud House (1914), an open plan Tallmadge & Watson design with Prairie style furniture; and the Ashley B. Smith House (ca. 1925), a charming French Eclectic style home designed by Wright’s contemporary Robert E. Seyfarth.
The walk also features two lavish Prairie-style homes, the Barrett C. Andrews House (Tallmadge & Watson, 1906), a blend of Prairie style and Arts & Crafts details, and the George D. Webb House (Henry K. Holsman, 1910), a grand country home featuring elegant woodwork and original light fixtures.
In addition, visitors are invited to tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio where Wright experimented with space, light, materials, furnishings, and decorative arts, as well as Unity Temple, Wright’s greatest public building of his Prairie era.
Ticket sales are now underway with ticket prices starting at $95 (until March 31), then increasing by $5 to $10 monthly on a tiered pricing schedule. Fast Passes are available for priority access to all ten sites. Trust members enjoy discounts and special privileges at the Housewalk.
The Wright Plus ticket includes free basic admission through the end of 2019 to: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, newly-restored Robie House, The Rookery, and Unity Temple (self-guided tour). For more information, visit flwright.org/wrightplus.
Photo: Dining room prow, William E. Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1903), Oak Park, IL, Credit: Courtesy of Frank Lloyd Wright Trust. Photographer: James Caulfield
About the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust
The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, owner of Wright’s Home and Studio, is a leading national nonprofit organization based in Chicago, an area with the largest concentration of original Wright sites in the world. The Trust operates public tours and programs at five Chicago area historic sites: Wright’s Home and Studio (1889/1898) and Unity Temple (1905-08) in Oak Park; the Frederick C. Robie House (1908-10) located on the campus of The University of Chicago in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood; The Rookery Light Court (1905) in the Chicago Loop; and Emil Bach House (1915) in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. The Trust is preservation steward of the Home and Studio and Robie House.