We would like to tour the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Oak Park. I know that we could do a self guided walking tour of the outside of the buildings for free, but what is the most cost effective way to tour the insides? From what I gather, there is a fee to tour the FLW home and the Unity Temple. Any suggestions?

Check with the Chicago Architecture Foundation. This tour looks like it might fit what you want:
https://tickets.architecture.org/public/show.asp

Lee Ann

Thanks. It looks like their tour is of the exteriors.

Sorry, the link didn't go where I thought it would. The "Frank Lloyd Wright by Bus" tour features a one-hour interior tour of his home and studio as well as the Unity Temple. Would that work for you?

Lee Ann

I believe most of the FLW houses in Oak Park are privately owned and not open to the public for tours. The Home and Studio tour is well worthwhile, as is a visit to the temple.

There are also a few Hemingway sites -- his birthplace, a small museum and his childhood home (private).

Small town to produce two geniuses!

Elin, if I were single, I think I'd spend a few weeks in Chicago and take one of those Chicago Architecture Foundation's tours every day!

Seconding Fra Diavolo on most of the houses being private, perhaps open annually for some sort of festival? But that is speculation

But it is worth the trip for his house and the Temple, and you can enjoy the others from the street.

The Robbie House at the University of Chicago is now open to the public, I believe, and is spectacular.

I like Wright's piano in his own house. I thought we should do that to my wife's piano, but the idea didn't go anywhere.

As earlier posters have said, most of the homes in Oak Park are privately owned and not open regularly. The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust sponsors an annual tour that includes approsimately 10-12 houses in late May. Different houses are featured each year.

The group limits the number of tickets so they sell fast, even at $100 each. You can get info about next year's tour when its posted at www.gowright.org. You can tour the Wright home and studio throughout the year.

Thanks, everyone. I guess we will probably do the guided FLW home tour and then a walking tour of the other sites. Don't know if we'll pay to go inside the Unity Temple.

We visited the Robie house several years ago.