Follow along the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail to learn about America’s most famous architect and his home state, Wisconsin.

A home the Frank Lloyd Wright lived in on his family homestead.

I went to a high school that was designed with heavy inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright, but not by the architect himself. Although I knew nothing of Wright, I appreciated his aesthetic on a primal level, from the low entryway ceilings that opened invitingly into common areas, to earthy colors, and expanses of windows bringing nature in. When I made my first trip to Arizona to see Talieson West, I felt an immediate familiarity and sense of homecoming, realizing for the first time that it was Frank Lloyd Wright’s vision that had appealed to me so much (even in imitation).

That trip to Talieson West made me want to go to Wisconsin, to the original Talieson, to see it and other sites that were true Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Fortunately, 2017 marked the 150^th anniversary of Wright’s birth and the kick off of the official Frank Lloyd Wright Tour.

The self-guided architectural tour meanders through nine counties of southern Wisconsin, Wright’s home state. There are nine stops on the drivable tour that starts on I-94 at the Illinois state line, heads to Madison and on to his home in southwest Wisconsin. Posted signs along the highways help guide the way. You’ll find the structures to be varied in look, function and geographic area. But they are all recognizable as having that Frank Lloyd Wright “look.” Each distinct, they all have a story to tell.

Two things struck me most about a Frank Lloyd Wright building – how contemporary they still look and how far he extended his reach beyond the structure to the furniture and artwork. Wright made his mark everywhere he could. In the course of the tour, I learned a lot about the man. I didn’t always like what I discovered – he was stubborn, egotistic, brash, but also brilliant – which just made this multi-dimensional man all the more interesting to lean about as the tour, and his story unfolded.

While I didn’t get to take the entire tour (3-5 days is recommended), there were five sites, in particular that had a real impact on me.

SC Johnson Administration Building and Research Tower in Racine 

This building is the worldwide headquarters of household cleaning produce manufacturer, SC Johnson which makes everything from Glade® to Saran® wrap. One of the 1939 building’s key features is the Great Workroom with its wide-open space, supported by massive tree-inspired columns. This is primarily where the administrative staff sat, mostly women, with the higher-ups in offices around the edges and upstairs. It’s still a fully-functioning office building but an area in the center shows desks set up from different time periods, showing how things were modified such as the three-legged chair. Great looking, people kept tipping over and women didn’t like it because they couldn’t cross their legs. Wright insisted that the chair was good for posture if people would just learn to sit in it properly. But after Mr. Johnson brought Wright in for a meeting and deliberately rolled a pencil off the desk so Wright would pick it up, the architect did so and promptly tipped over. He changed the chairs to four legs.

The Research Tower came about 10 years after the administrative building. There’s a replica of a 1950’s lab set up where scientists developed products. It’s easy to imagine what life was like in there because it’s set up as though the crew just left for lunch and you get to take a look around in their absence.

Imagine working here! People still do but this center area serves as a time capsule for what the work area was like in the 40’s and 50’s in the SC Johnson Administration building.

The stacked, circular labs at the SC Johnson company, are set within a square-shaped tower, making it another dramatic building on the Johnson campus.

Wingspread in Wind Point
The Johnson family asked Wright to build a homestead for them too. H.F. Johnson, Jr., (third generation) had Wright create the sprawling 14,000 square foot home with four wings (thus the name), in 1939. The home is stunning. Outside, it connects to the lush, undulating prairie land. Inside, bedrooms are small but the center area is huge. Wright felt people shouldn’t be retreating to their rooms but should gather and engage. A 30-foot, multi-sided chimney rises up in the center, creating various conversation pits. A spiral staircase leads up to a lookout-loft where the Johnson children would oversee the expanse and play games.

One especially storied feature of the home is the tall fireplace on one side of the home’s core. Instead of the typical short, horizontal stacks of wood to burn, Wright envisioned tall, leaning tree branches. Problem was, when the bottoms of the branches were lit, they collapsed and the tall branches fell into the livingroom, sending the family into a panic. Oops! There was also a brilliant concept for a long dining table that could be set in the kitchen, complete with food, then slid through an opening into the dining room. Things tipped, making for a messy dinner party. I liked that the tour reveals Wright’s foibles too and doesn’t just glorify him! It makes him more real and makes the tour more authentic.

You’ll note in many Wright buildings that the entryways have low ceilings. Some tour guides told us it was to create a sense of calm and safety while others said it was to make you feel just uncomfortable enough that you wouldn’t dawdle and would, instead, move into the open, high-ceilinged room where the spirit could soar.

A central core of fireplaces created multiple seating areas in the Johnson home which Wright designed down to the furniture.

A stunning fireplace that didn’t quite work out as planned in the Johnson home, with the spiral staircase that led to the lookout on the roof.

Monona Terrace in Madison
Wright fought for this project to be done, first proposing it in the 1930’s with a vision of making it a civic center on the shores of Lake Monona. After many setbacks, it was finally completed in 1997, partially using Wright-inspired designs. Wright’s vision is still all over the structure, including the dizzying, cylindrical parking structures and vast windows overlooking the lake. The building serves as a convention center, special events venue and, on the rooftop, even a place for lunchtime yoga sessions with views of Madison’s state capital building. There’s also a plaque up there, commemorating that Lake Monona is where singer Otis Redding’s plane went down, an interesting but bittersweet bit of history to contemplate over lunch.

Talieson and Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center in Spring Green
For me, this was the mother ship of all that is Frank Lloyd Wright and the essence of his sensibilities. The 800-acre estate overlooks the Wisconsin River which, the day I visited was rushing from the pouring, springtime rain. As you’ll see from my photos, the damp day only intensified the beautiful, pastoral scene.

The home has been rebuilt twice, after two fires (one involved murder and arson but the tour guides don’t like to focus on that). On the property, you’ll also see Tan-y-Deri the charming home Wright built for his sister, Jane; and the Romeo & Juliet windmill tower. Full of interesting angles, neighbors were sure the notoriously strong winds of the area would blow the tower over. But Wright had designed it to break and divide the wind!

Also on the property is the Wyoming School, now called the Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center. Take note of the student dining room with its different shapes of tables. Wright used to put students in charge of creating different configurations of tables for group dining, as an exercise. Because Wright thought through every aspect of his buildings, his directions, instructions, and influence were ever-present.

Tying the whole set of structures together is such beautiful scenery. Wright’s love of nature was nurtured here. But he even controlled that, wanting only certain color of livestock to roam the pastures because they went better with the scene, ever the designer and orchestrator!

The juxtaposition of lines and sharp angles is an interesting blend with the curves of the pastoral land on Wright’s homestead. This can seem incongruous for a man who wanted to connect with nature, deeply. Yet, it works.

Along the side of Frank Lloyd Wright’s studio wing of his home on the family homestead, metal bars combine function, form and style in the lush garden.

Burnham in Milwaukee
Wright also wanted to build homes for the average American family that were affordable. There are only 16 models of the American System-Built Homes remaining in the Midwest. A cluster of six of them are still standing on West Burnham Street and Layton Boulevard. I couldn’t believe they were built in 1915 and 1916, especially seen near more traditionally-designed homes of that time. The Burnham home is available for touring. The others are currently occupied.

For people interested in architecture, design, functionality, food and fun, taking Wisconsin’s Frank Lloyd Wright Tour gives it all to you, leading you around this beautiful part of the state, getting to know many different aspects of it. But then again, as would please Wright himself, that’s all by design.

When you go:

Wisconsin’s tourism site, TravelWisconsin.com makes following the Trail easy, suggesting routes and stops along the way. See my suggestions, below and stay tuned for posts about Kringle, one of the iconic foods of Wisconsin and a great food tour that gives you a taste of the food scene and history in Madison.

When in Racine:

A staple in many restaurants in Wisconsin is fried lake fish, like perch, with potatoes, slaw and a slice of bread. This is from the Yardarm Bar & Grill.

Racine Art Museum (RAM) – Curators told me the museum connects to Wright’s ethic of honoring craft and handmade objects. Exhibits are a mix of interesting, beautiful and whimsical. The museum is just small enough that it feels doable without having to speed through. The RAM seeks to inspire creative thinking among visitors, in hopes they will take that energy out into the world and use creative ideas to make the world a better place. Nice.

Racine Heritage Museum – Just down the street from the RAM is a museum with a completely different vibe. The multi-storied, historic building feels like you’re meandering through someone’s attic with historic finds and a few oddities. You’ll see a mummy laid out in one room and a salute to light house lights in another. There’s an impactful exhibit about Racine’s involvement in the Underground Railroad.

Yardarm Bar & Grill – Eating here makes you feel like you’re dining aboard a boat. The vibe is fun and the hospitality of this family-owned and run restaurant makes it a must-stop. It’s known for its burgers and local lake fish, especially perch. You’re as likely to find fellow tourists at the next table as you are the locals who the staff knows well.

Doubletree by Hilton Harbourwalk – A scenic, comfortable homebase in Racine, step outside and see gleaming boats in the harbor and water as far as you can see. It’s almost as big of a treat (even more, dare I say it) than those amazing, warm cookies Doubletree is famous for.

When in Madison:

Madison Children’s Museum – Even for adults, its a fun and educational with just the right amount of quirkiness. The exhibit “From Coops to Cathedrals: Nature, Childhood, and the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright” would be a great stop before or after having done the tour because it makes everything FLW more understandable, from the man to his designs. Be sure to go to the rooftop garden to see chickens, fun sculptures (which you may have seen from street

When in Madison, everything centers around the gleaming, white state capital which is open to the public. The inside is such a surprise!

level) and great views of the city.

Eat and drink in Madison – Take a tour with Capitol City Food Tours for an efficient and fun way to get to know the city. I learned history tidbits while enjoying filling tastes and sips of Madison’s food culture on a  leisurely (but calorie burning) walk. Capital City Brewery off the railroad tracks, has a Bier Garten out back with a relaxed, backyard vibe, covered outdoor bar, big seating and eating area and a stage. The place is really popular with cyclists.

Stay in Madison – Residence Inn Madison West/Middleton, provided a spacious room, hot breakfast and a free shuttle around town.

When in Milwaukee:

I wanted to spend more time exploring this city’s treasures,  but could only devote a couple of hours to the Harley Davidson Museum. If you’re a Harley person, you’ll be in hog heaven. If you have never really given them much thought, like me, you’ll still enjoy it; for instance, I didn’t know Harley Davidson originally made bicycles. The wall of engines as a design element was sleek and kinda sexy, and the bedazzled motorcycles were amazing. I even bought a t-shirt!

 Read other articles by Courtney, here.