Taliesin — Attraction in Town of Wyoming

I visited Taliesin with my daughter, who is an aspiring architect. Because of her interest, I booked the four hour tour, and I’m glad we had Dan as our guide. He did an excellent job of balancing Frank Lloyd Wright the man with Frank Lloyd Wright the visionary, which really enriched the experience.

That being said, this tour is a lot. If you have any concerns about being able to walk or stand for four hours, I recommend reconsidering. The website does note that this tour is not accessible, but it is difficult to overstate how inaccessible it really is. At the house itself, there is only one room where you can sit, and you cannot lean or touch anything throughout the visit. A docent even accompanies the group to ensure that rules are followed, which makes sense for preservation but it is something to be aware of.

A few other important things to know: • There is only one bathroom stop during the entire four hours. • The walking portion includes about 1.5 miles of steep hills, gravel, and grass with no benches and very little shade. • You will definitely encounter bugs. Bring bug spray, you will need it.

To be fair, all of these caveats are listed on the website. It is my fault that I either missed them the first time or overlooked them in my excitement to book an immersive tour.

The tour itself is informative and engaging, but in terms of physical demands, it is not for everyone. I wish I could say I enjoyed the tour, but I spent the last two hours of it being uncomfortable, so I just didn’t. A couple of stops along the way to sit, have a drink, and use the restroom would go a long way to improving the tour experience.

If you have any doubts about your stamina, I recommend the two hour bus tour. It covers almost all the same highlights except the barn, which you cannot enter anyway, and Wright’s sister’s house, which is not particularly remarkable.

Overall, the four hour tour is worthwhile if you are fit and deeply interested in Wright’s life and work, but for most people the shorter option is the...

Comfort: I took the 4-hr estate tour on a very hot summer day (the high temp that day was 94 if I recall). I was prepared with a garden hat, sunblock and cold water bottle. There were places to refill my bottle, and the guide did a great job of keeping the group's comfort in mind. They served us cold water, lemonade, and cookies once we "hiked" to the main house. The "hike' is a groomed gravel path and a short walk through cut grass. I am 40+ years old and I was the youngest person on the tour (by quite a bit it seemed). No one had trouble with the hike or traversing the structures. The indoor spaces were mostly kept cool. Bathrooms were sparse, so don't miss an opportunity to go.

Presentation: Spencer was our guide. He was knowledgeable and attentive. He gave concise presentations, then opened up to answer questions. He was careful to point out when he was speculating his answer rather than insisting he knew the truth in every case. He fostered conversations, rather than lecturing.

Opinions: I found the school fascinating - both the structures and the stories behind them - particularly the drafting studio. I also enjoyed the multiple outbuildings on the property. It was intriguing to see what could have been mundane spaces - a dining hall, a windmill, a barn - made unique by virtue of FLW's design. The view of the lush summer countryside was gorgeous! The final stop - Taliesin - was wonderful and unique.

I highly recommend the estate tour if you are interested in seeing more detail and getting a taste of what living, working, and learning in that environment would...

This was my fourth FLW house to tour. I was pleasantly greeted by the gift shop building which turns out was a restaurant designed by FLW and operated for many years. I want to say that the four star rating is due to the person who chose to park in the lawn and that nobody did anything about it. Please take a walk around the entire restaurant/gift shop ask there is soo much to see! I was happy to pay the swelled prices for a sandwich, cookie and water so I could "take in the space as designed". There were many other peeps buried in their phones! There are 5 disappearing windows and a rotated octogon in the ceiling design. There is also classic compression and release as well as the typical "window wall". Please don't be a sheep and play with your phone or look at the merchandise. You are in an FLW designed space and can linger as you please. Unlike most of the tours... Sit in a chair at a table and soak in everything from every direction. Up, down and side to side... What the heck,! Change seats! Cus you can! And have the time before or after your chosen tour.

The reason you give for the "one vehicle " I saw in the afternoon is very weak at best... That "one vehicle " could have been parked in a myriad of other places until the daily tours were completed. Like where the docents parked. The choice of the "lawn" shows absolutely no effort on the part of the person making the decision. If I were you, I would be thoroughly...