Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House — Attraction in Rockford Township

A typical tourist goes to Disneyworld; if someone comes to a Frank Lloyd Wright museum is most likely because the person admires his work, knows some about his less than friendly behavior, and most likely is someone well traveled who knows about architecture. Some are professors; many come from afar. Add to that the fact that the admittance ticket costs US$25 for a guided tour by a volunteer which is not cheap (in perspective: same price as the Moma in NYC; while the Louvre costs €17 and the Smithsonian is free) and for those reasons you expect the experience to be memorable and at least feel welcome.

These people who manage this place need help. First of all, the house had modifications: the upholstery was changed (colors, patterns), the French doors were replaced, the bathroom sink and toilet were replaced, the Formica in the kitchen counter, some door handles, the dishwasher, the refrigerator, and the range were replaced. Many (nice looking) light fixtures are recent additions. The house was significantly expanded after Wright’s death. Yes, the owners made an effort to hire contractors and architects somehow connected to late Frank Lloyd Wright, yet the house is not 100% “authentic”. While that does not take away from Frank Lloyd Wright style and geniality at all, it should ground the staff and make sure they treat the visitors with some level of gratitude for the visit. It is a house with great influence and design by Frank Lloyd Wright house (who I admire) but it is not the Sistine Chapel. I got particularly upset with the fact that even if the place is open between 11:30 and 2:30, that does not mean you can freely visit the place during those times. You need to pre-book space in the only 2 daily tours that only fit 10 guests at a time which start at noon and 1pm. You cannot visit the house on your own and if you did not read the fine print on their website, you are out of luck and will not visit it as they are not accommodating and do not appreciate the effort visitors make to come here. A Google maps search will very likely make you lose your time as it does not mention the need for booking tours. When we were there, we saw 3 ladies from California (again: not your typical tourist: fans and opinion makers) who did not reserve space in the tours (which were sold out) and lost their time. The guide could easily accommodate 3 extra people, and ask everyone to spread the word that reservations are needed in the future and that was a one-time exception. As an alternative, they could have allowed the 3 ladies to visit the house with the group yet without the explanation. Eventually, the staff could enter the 21st century, have the place with scanning codes posted on stands in strategic places and only be there monitoring to avoid people would touch anything. That would allow the visit to be self guided and guests to read the explanation on their phones (in multiple languages). No reason to make the 3 ladies miss the visit. They are fans of Frank Lloyd Wright and did not deserve to be treated that way. Frank Lloyd Wright was known for having a bad attitude, but he had his geniality to compensate for that; the staff/volunteers don’t. In particular when charging $25 for a house that had several...

The Laurent House is worth the visit! It's incredible to see the space with your own eyes. What was always amazing about Frank Lloyd Wright's work is how form meets function. Aesthetically pleasing and functionally thoughtful, this specific house is one of the only he built with wheelchair accessibility as an objective. From the carport that was an add-on to the way the drawer doors drop down and the hanger pole in the closet is at a lower convenient height, and so many more things, not to mention the lighting and upholstery and wooden walls (with a unique design of their own), this house is probably the most thoughtful I've ever seen for someone in a wheelchair. Recommend for anyone - also, we went during COVID and they enforced masks and it was a small group for the tour...and the tour guide was a former architect himself, with a passion for Frank Lloyed Wright, so he was able to answer all...

A gem of a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian home built for a wheelchair-bound client in post WWII America. Highly recommend!!

Like all Wright designed buildings open to the public, this was in use until 2012- which is the year in time of any restoration. The furnishings are beautiful. As with all his clients, Wright was friends with the Laurent’s, working together on the designs and furnishings. The hardware is original to the house, supplied by Laurent who worked at Rockford’s National Lock.

As in all historic home tours, one must pre-book a tour at scheduled times, $25 per person. (A bargain for a Wright home) The tour is led by a knowledgeable docent, describing the ‘why’ behind Wright’s design choices for this, his only home for a wheel-chair bound client.

The tour is just around an hour in length, wear comfortable shoes. The tour is accessible for those who are...