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Please arrange for the bus driver to pick guests up after the tour at the Greatbatch Pavilion. This two-hour, docent-led tour explores all of the structures on the estate in addition to a few areas not visited on any other tour offering, including the lower level of the Martin House. Your group will enjoy a docent-led, live virtual exploration of the Martin House. Using the Zoom platform, participants will view the collections and enjoy a look at the historic landscape along the journey. Questions can be posed to the docent by using the chat function to create an engaging experience for all participants.
The legacy of this pivotal period in American history can be found in a variety of historic home tours, walking tours and museum collections along the route between the Laurel Highlands and Buffalo. Martin and Barton were colleagues at the Larkin Company, and Wright also designed houses for other Larkin employees William R. Heath and Walter V. Davidson, as well as the Larkin Company's administration building. The conservatory is an indoor glass-enclosed garden for protecting, cultivating, and showcasing rare and tropical plants.
Tours
From family fun days to engaging lectures to craft beer tastings, we encourage you to visit our event calendar throughout the year for information about the festive happenings at Martin House. Designed to last approximately 40 minutes, you will set your own pace as you move from stop to stop. The tour can be enjoyed anytime, even if the site is closed for public tours. Wright’s timeless design of the Martin House continues to inspire, impress, and attract visitors from around the world. Closer to Pittsburgh, you’ll find a magnificent slice of American heritage at Frick Pittsburgh, or take a tour of Pittsburgh’s architectural treasures offered by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. Also recommended is a hike or a bike ride on a portion of the longest multi-use trail in Pennsylvania – the Great Allegheny Passage.
A perfectly symmetrical sink and window overlooking the backyard and lake. Everything about Graycliff is meant to maximize lake views and cool breezes coming into the house. The waterfall and pond feature are meant to make it seem like Lake Erie itself is flowing through the house and into the middle of the estate.
Martin House Plus Tour
Along the way, your docent will expand on the Martin/Wright story to provide a more detailed context for these architectural masterpieces. The Martin family abandoned its Buffalo house soon after Darwin’s death, leaving it deteriorating and open to the elements for more than a decade. In order to save the main house, he subdivided the property, which led to the demolition of the pergola, conservatory and carriage house and construction of apartments in their place. The Martin family also sold Graycliff in 1950 to an order of priests who would substantially alter the site from Wright’s original design.
We ask that group tours arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled tour time. If arriving by bus, parking and arrival directions will be sent after your reservation is complete. The entrance to the main house shows off the classic Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style architecture.
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Now, nearly 130 years later, this early Wright design may soon become a reality. Last month, an ad hoc committee assembled by the Friends of Nolen Waterfront, an organization shepherding the effort to reshape Madison’s waterfront, gathered to hear design propositions from three firms tasked with reimagining the area. Wright was commissioned to the design the boathouse shortly after opening his studio.
Enjoy a delicious light fare spread, assorted wines, and conversation among friends in the historic Barton House, Gardener’s Cottage, or lower level of the Martin House. Along the way, your docent will expand on the Martin/Wright story to provide a more detailed context for this architectural masterpiece. This room has a beautiful fireplace and a very generous sized terrace with incredible views of Lake Erie. The transition from the living area to the Fern Room offers a feeling of stepping into nature without leaving the home.
The Martin House is breathtaking with the lights dimmed and candles lit. This seasonal docent-led tour is a wonderful opportunity to explore spaces not offered on any other tour offerings including the lower level of the Martin House, Darwin Martin’s home office, the guest suite of rooms, and the staff dining room. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the main house so you can see straight through it, giving you a view of the Lake even from the other side of the home. In 1950, Graycliff became home to a group of Piarist Fathers, a Hungarian order that adapted the site as a school for underprivileged youth and hub for Hungarian culture. The Fathers altered Wright’s design and built more structures on the property. The only structure that still remains is their former gymnasium, which was converted into Graycliff Conservancy’s current Visitor Pavilion.
Behind-the-scenes candlelight tours on Thursday evenings in december. Following the reception, guests will be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Martin House. A fun and inspired night out for all, this tour is offered to groups in the evenings. We recommend you reserve your group tour at least two weeks in advance to ensure availability of the tour time and docents.
The story of Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House is a long, classic tale of redemption. What was originally Wright's crowning achievement in residential architecture turned into decades of abandonment and despair. There was surely a time when it seemed as though this architectural gem would be lost forever.
Three of the original elements — the pergola, conservatory and carriage house, which were demolished decades ago – are rebuilt in the first-ever reconstruction of Wright buildings. Located just 25 minutes south of Buffalo by car, the Graycliff Estate sits on a bluff along the Lake Erie shore. The organic style architecture accents the beautiful surroundings. The central part of the home has large glass windows on each side so you can see the lake from the other side of the house by simply looking through it. The waterfall and pond feature was designed to give the illusion of the lake continuing through the house and into the estate itself.
Stretching to the east, just beyond the back terrace, is a breathtaking panorama of the Youghiogheny River Gorge and the beautiful Laurel Highlands mountains. There are many ways to support the Martin House – become a member, attend a fundraiser, support an education program, shop in our store, or fund an art glass window. No matter how you give, you are advancing our mission to preserve, interpret, promote, and sustain the Martin House for future generations. The Martin House Restoration Corporation operates guided public tours and presents educational programs for both volunteers and the general public. Of the Martin Complex's six buildings construction on the Barton House began first and not only was it the first building of the complex to be completed but also the first of Wright's in Buffalo. Upon arrival at the Pavilion, groups will have the opportunity to view the current exhibits and interactive features of the visitor center, take exterior photos, and use the public restrooms.
A walk from the Martin House down the pergola leads you to the Conservatory, where a 9’ 6” replica statue of Nike, also called Winged Victory, stands stoic among the plants. Wright provides a dramatic 180’ view of the statue from the front entrance of the house. To be a dynamic and celebrated masterpiece of innovative architecture inspiring and attracting visitors with the power of design in harmony with nature. Architect Explores Chicago's Hidden Architecture & HistoryToday on AD Architect Lynda Dossey leads us on a walking tour of Chicago, highlighting the captivating details found in its storied architecture. Built between 1926 and 1931, Graycliff was designed by the renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for Isabelle R. Martin and her husband, Larkin Company executive Darwin D. Martin. Graycliff served as the Martin summer home from 1927 to the mid-1940s.
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