Wright Way Illinois: Chicago Inside Out
June 23-27, 2010
Daily Itinerary (subject to change)
Wednesday, June 23. Oak Park
Travel to Oak Park, home to the world's largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings. Begin with a visit to Unity Temple, Wright’s first major public building, constructed of exposed concrete that was poured in place. Walk down Forest Avenue past Wright’s Frank Thomas Residence, Peter Beachy Residence, and Arthur B. Heurtley Residence before arriving at the privately-owned Hills-DeCaro Residence for an interior tour. Afterward, pass the Nathan Moore and the William Copeland residences before arriving at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio where you’ll enjoy a tour and behind-the-scenes access to areas that are not open to the public. In the late afternoon, enjoy a wine and cheese reception in the Studio Drafting Room before returning to Chicago to enjoy a welcome dinner with your fellow travelers at North Pond, an Arts and Crafts-style restaurant in Lincoln Park.
Thursday, June 24. Chicago’s North Shore
Explore the stunning American and English Arts and Crafts decorative arts collection of Crab Tree Farm, located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Enjoy a group lunch in downtown Lake Forest before visiting two extraordinary Wright-designed homes in the area. Tour the privately-owned Ward Willits House and Charles Glore Residence, a Usonian design of deluxe proportions, featuring a floating staircase, separate dining room, workspace, and servants’ quarters.
Friday, June 25. Downtown Chicago
Marvel at Chicago’s soaring towers and historic architecture as you travel down the Chicago River on an architecture river cruise. Back on land, enjoy a group lunch before heading to Grant Park for a private, behind-the-scenes tour of Buckingham Fountain. Go underground with Chicago Park District historian Julia Bachrach to get an exclusive tour of the fountain from below. Use the rest of the afternoon and the evening to explore Chicago on your own.
Saturday, June 26. Downtown Chicago
Spend the morning exploring the new Modern Wing of the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago. Enjoy a group lunch at the Burnham Hotel, housed in the former Reliance Building designed by Charles B. Atwood in 1890. The Reliance Building was the first skyscraper to have large plate glass windows make up the majority of its surface area and is internationally recognized as the direct ancestor of today's glass-and-steel skyscrapers. In the afternoon, tour the restored Monadnock Building, which was the world's largest office building when completed in 1893. End the day with a visit to the Richard Driehaus Museum, one of the grandest residential buildings of 19th - century Chicago, now restored to its original spendor.
Sunday, June 27. Hyde Park
Tour one of the most important buildings in the history of American architecture, the Frederick C. Robie House. Take in the sweeping horizontal lines, dramatic overhangs, stretches of art glass windows, and open floor plan that make the Robie House both a masterpiece of the Prairie style and a forerunner of modernism in architecture. Explore the recently-restored private spaces of the home, including the third floor, open to the public for the first time. While in Hyde Park, travel to the Wright-designed, privately-owned Isidore Heller Residence for a tour led by the homeowners. The Heller House features yellow Roman brick on the exterior, waxed white oak and autumnal colors on the interior, as well as the famous Heller Maidens, decorative sculptures on the third floor exterior.
