Frank Lloyd Wright Home Family Christmas Tour
WHAT: Family Fun Days featuring Victorian Christmas Tours
WHEN: Saturday, December 8 & 15, 9-11 am
WHERE: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park
HOST: Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust
OUR RATING: Do It!
If you are looking for something to do a little further afield this winter, why not stop into the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park for free tours by kids and hot chocolate. Although aimed at families with kids, Family Fun Days are appropriate for all ages and give you a unique perspective on this gem of Chicago history.
We arrived early on Saturday morning at the house located in Oak Park, just west of the city. At first, we were worried about parking, but it seemed that street parking was available, so we pulled up and started our tour.
The tour was given by junior interpreters, which might have been a problem, were it not for their general eloquence and affable moods. The tours focus on the Wright family’s celebration of Christmas, but more importantly allow you to experience the whole house for free (it usually costs $15 for adults). The charming Shingle-style home truly draws you in with its nooks of rooms opening up into unexpected music rooms, hidden galleries and gorgeously constructed furniture.
This tour is special also because afterwards you are privy to Wright’s studio, where drafting materials are laid out, giving you a sense of a man who never stopped creating. Also in this area, children can learn more through playing with replicas of the very blocks Wright used as a child to construct his early masterworks.
Finally, no wintertime tour would be complete without the deliciously creamy (and free!) hot chocolate and coffee offered in the courtyard by a decidedly cold, yet jovial, pair. Visit if you can. Great for kids, couples and the architectural buff.
P.S. Thank the kids in each part of the house and be a good listener. But don’t stare them down as they talk – actually look around at what they’re speaking about. It takes a lot of spunk to memorize a script and spend your Saturday mornings talking to a bunch of strangers, so these kids are pretty awesome.