A Visit to Taliesin

In June my son and I made another stop for Mr. Frank Lloyd Wright. This time we were driving through Wisconsin and stopped to tour Taliesin in Spring Green. It is a lovely part of the state. We enjoyed the scenic roads through the dairy farmlands and stopped to buy some cheese. The skies were low and had been threatening rain all morning. As we got closer to Spring Green, it did start to rain lightly. It certainly wasn’t a “gully washer” and it did not deter our intention to tour Mr. Wright’s studio.

However, the weather must have deterred some less-hearty souls, because when our tour was announced at the front of the gift shop we were the only ones. So, we had a private tour! We had not really done our homework before going to Taliesin. As we often do, this was an unplanned and unscheduled trip. We were lucky to have the route to take us to Taliesin. The tour took us through the school and studio. There is so much to take in. These are inspiring spaces, and it is exciting to think of how many others have felt the inspiration here.

Since it was a rainy day, we could see the effects of the weather on the buildings. This is not good. Apparently, Mr. Wright did not care for gutters on his buildings, because there is significant water damage to the eaves and walls. One can hope the damaged parts can be repaired in time to save the rest of the building. We viewed the dining hall in the school, and there were wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. We also went into the studio, where people were working. Presumably, these are interns being mentored in the theory of Mr. Wright. I wonder how he would have used a computer and AutoCAD?

After our tour was complete we had a nice lunch back at the Visitor Center. Mr. Wright also designed this building. His hand can be seen in everything he did.

Taliesin is definitely worth the effort to visit. As with the Oak Park, IL studio it is interesting to see how his talent evolved. We look forward to a return trip.

Taliesin