Visit The Work of Frank Lloyd Wright

By Gothamist on Sep 22, 2010 7:00PM

Frank Lloyd Wright, native son of Wisconsin, built many of his masterpieces in Wisconsin and some in Illinois—ideal for a weekend of architectural real-estate lust. If you want to stay in Illinois, drive to nearby Oak Park, and walk (or Rollerblade) along the neighborhood streets. It was here that Wright perfected his Prairie Style architecture and you can walk by the twenty-five structures in the neighborhood designed by Wright, including his home and studio, as well as his modern masterpiece, the Unity Temple. A bit farther out, the Dana-Thomas House in Springfield was designed by Wright in 1902, and has a magnificent collection of site-specific Wright-designed art glass and furniture.

Or head out to Wisconsin, where you can visit Wright’s own 600-acre estate, Taliesin, in Spring Hill, WI or Wingspread, the 14,000 square-foot house shaped like a four-winged pinwheel, in Racine, WI, and built for the Herbert Fisk Johnson family. While you’re in Racine, stop by the S.C. Johnson Wax building, a must-see for Wright fans. And to complete your trip, spend a few nights at Wright’s Seth Peterson Cottage, in Lake Delton, WI (about 3.5 hours from Chicago), available for vacation rentals year round.