Taliesin

In stark contrast to my last post, nearby Taliesin by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright is a study in form, grace, and restraint. There is some rumor that the original House on the Rock was built in a sort of touristy retaliation to Wright’s home, a poor copy of a quirky Asian-style house, but that may or may not be true.

You can find the real thing in Spring Green, Wisconsin, about 10 minutes north of House on the Rock. Taliesin (pronounced tah-lee-EH-sin) is Welsh for “shining brow” and is built on the brow, or ridge, of the hill.

History of Taliesin

Taliesin I

The property was already in Wright’s mother’s family and even had a few structures designed by him when Wright built Taliesin in 1911. The house is in his signature Prarie School style, with long, low, lines and banks of windows to let nature indoors as much as possible. He built it chiefly to escape his old life in Oak Park near Chicago – and his first wife. Taliesin was to be a refuge for Wright and his new lover, the wife of one of his Oak Park clients.

Scandal would follow Wright to Taliesin in 1914, however, in the form of a horrific mass murder. Suffering from paranoia and possibly other mental illnesses, the Wright’s chef was let go. In retaliation, he murdered Wright’s lover, her two young children, and four other house and studio staff. During the attack, the cook also set fire to several of the bodies and most of the residential section of the house. Survivors of the attack and neighbors worked to put out the fire and save the studio and Wright’s work. Wright himself was away on business.

Taliesin II

After that tragedy, Frank Lloyd Wright rebuilt Taliesin, but he only lived in it sporadically while working on other projects – most notably the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. He only returned to live here fully in 1922, after that project was done. In 1925, an electrical fire burned down the residential wing again.

Taliesin III

A second rebuild and a costly divorce from a second wife left Wright deeply in debt, but a group of investors raised enough money for Wright to keep Taliesin. He would end up living there the rest of his life, until 1959. (Though by 1937, he, his third wife, and their fellowship of students would migrate annually between here and Taliesin West in Arizona.)

Many of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most prestigious projects were planned in the studio at Taliesin III, as it was called. The famous Fallingwater, the affordable Usonion houses, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City were all drafted here.

Buildings at Taliesin

Besides the house itself, there are many other Wright-designed buildings on Taliesin property. 18-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright designed the interior of Unity Chapel in 1886, making it his earliest work. He built a whimsical Romeo & Juliet Windmill in 1897 for his aunt’s boarding school. That school, Hillside Home School, he completed buildings for in 1903, He inherited the land and school later, and turned into an architecture/artist fellowship space in 1931. In 1955, he added the Hillside Studio & Theater.

In 1907, he built Tan-Y-Deri (“Under the Oaks”) for his sister’s family, who worked at the boarding school. It’s based on his “A Fireproof House for $5000” design. The Midway Barn – midway between Taliesin and Hillside – features a signature Wright spire on the roof. The Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center was finished in 1967, after Wright’s death. Originating as the Riverview Terrace, it houses a restaurant and meeting space, though now it primarily serves as a gift shop, ticket counter, parking, and starting place for all tours of the property.

Touring Taliesin

First, a word of warning – Google Maps will try to take you straight to the house if you type in “Taliesin.” Instead, navigate to the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center across the street. All tours start here.

It’s also a good idea to book your tour ahead of time. There is limited space on each tour and they sell out quickly. I want to say that after visiting House on the Rock, I stopped by here around 3:00 and the only tour available was the shortest version, starting at 4:00. It looks like times are different now, or maybe there were more tours last summer, I’m not sure. As always, check times and prices before you visit.

Tours

Taliesin regularly offers four types of tours daily. The most comprehensive is the 4-hour Estate Tour. A shuttle from the visitor center takes you to Hillside for a complete tour, then you walk 1.5 miles, past the Romeo & Juliet Windmill, Tan-Y-Deri, and the Midway Barn, and ending with an hour-long tour of the house itself. Halfway through they serve light refreshments, and there are two bathroom breaks along the way. But there are gravel paths, uneven stairs, and “considerable” hills, so make sure you can manage the walk before you book.

The Estate Tour costs $98, or $93 for students, teachers, seniors, and military. The tour is offered once daily at 9:15 am.

The Highlights Tour is almost the same as the Estate Tour, but without the 1.5 mile walk and in half the time. After touring Hillside, you are driven through the estate, past the farm, to a tour of Taliesin. It takes 2 hours and 15 minutes and costs $70, or $65 for students, teachers, seniors, and military. The Highlights tour is offered 2-4 times a day, with start times at 10:15, 11:15, 12:45, and 2:15, though not every slot is offered every day.

The In-Depth House Tour takes 2 hours and just focuses on the house, its furnishings, and the landscaping around it, plus Wright’s extensive art collection. This tour costs $62, or $57 for students, teachers, seniors, and military. It’s offered at 9:30 and 2:00, but some days just at 2:00.

The Introductory House Tour, the one I took, lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes. It covers most, but not all of the house, his studio, and the courtyard. It costs $42, or $37 for students, teachers, seniors, and military.

It’s worth noting that children under the age of 8 are not permitted on any of these tours, though there are school programs available. You can also request an accessible tour at least three weeks in advance, or book a private tour for $200 per person, per hour.

(It’s also worth noting that these tour prices are expensive! Right now, if you book online before April 30 – for any date in 2024 – you can get 20% off with promo code EB20.)