Wright in WNY: A Group Tour Itinerary

Buffalo is a goldmine for architecture.

Some of our country’s brightest architects left their mark on Buffalo – from Louis Sullivan to H.H. Richardson to Louise Blanchard Bethune to Robert Coles and, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Wright’s decades-long friendship with Darwin Martin, led to the construction of more than a half dozen of his designs here – and made Buffalo one of the premier destinations to tour Wright’s work more than a century later.

In this itinerary, we will cover all the group-friendly stops for your next trip to Buffalo, New York.

Day 1

Your first day is a big one! We can handle the logistics of your visits to both the city and summer estates of the Martin family, which show Wright’s genius across two different palettes. PLEASE NOTE: The other stops of your trip will need to be individually coordinated.

Now onto your first stop! The Martin House is the family estate businessman Darwin Martin commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design, along with the Larkin Administration Building (more on this later!).

The home is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s earliest and most important works. It’s a prairie-style masterpiece characterized largely by its expansive size, open spatial plan, and organic design principles drawing inspiration from nature. While on-site, you’ll hear fascinating stories about Wright and his enduring friendship with the home’s owners, Darwin and his wife, Isabelle.

Following the tour, your group can enjoy lunch at the on-site Statler Café, which can be arranged in advance to accommodate any dietary restrictions. And don’t forget to visit the Museum Store for souvenirs! There are also ample public restrooms to take advantage of   before embarking on a scenic drive along Lake Erie to your next stop.

Twenty years into their relationship with Wright, the Martin family commissioned the architect to design a retreat on the shores of Lake Erie. After years vacationing in Lake Placid, they sought a summer home closer to their urban residence, yet equally restorative. The result was Graycliff, one of Wright’s most ambitious summer estates. This stunning campus spans 8.5 acres, featuring two houses and gardens designed by both Wright and renowned landscape architect Ellen Shipman. The “Jewel on the Lake” captivates visitors with soaring balconies offering breathtaking views in every direction.

As you head back to the city, grab dinner at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, which boasts four floors and nine bars for your group. The menu features a little something for everyone and a full lineup of in-house brews. If the weather is nice, step out on their New Orleans-style wraparound copper roofed patios to enjoy Lake Erie sunsets. Please coordinate with the restaurant for your group’s reservation.

Get a good night’s sleep because there are more Wright designs to see tomorrow!

Day 2

There are still plenty of Wright sites to see in the Queen City! NOTE: You will need to arrange individual accommodations for each stop on today’s agenda.

Your second day starts at the Fontana Boathouse along Buffalo’s picturesque Black Rock Channel. It was initially designed for the University at Wisconsin crew team, who failed to raise the necessary funds for its construction. In 2007, Anthony Puttnam, a Wright apprentice, was selected to realize the Fontana Boathouse in Buffalo. This beautifully symmetrical structure with Wright’s first perfectly flat roof is now home to the West Side Rowing Club. Tours are available through Explore Buffalo.

Next, the group will head to Forest Lawn Cemetery to see Wright’s Blue Sky Mausoleum. This was the last of four projects Darwin Martin commissioned from Frank Lloyd Wright (including the Larkin Administration building, the Martin House, and Graycliff). It was yet another project that went unrealized at the time, though. In 2004, Anthony Puttman, a Wright apprentice, completed it. In true Wright fashion, the mausoleum “broke the box” of traditional memorial architecture by seamlessly integrating with the landscape and using the blue sky above as its ceiling.

For lunch, head to Eckl’s located in Buffalo’s Larkin District, one of the city’s most impressive transformations. Enjoy casual Buffalo staples like chicken wings and beef on weck or opt for something a little lighter with a wedge salad and lobster bisque. Please coordinate with the restaurant for your group’s reservation. Eckl’s is conveniently located within walking distance of the former Larkin Company Administration Building, the commission that first brought Frank Lloyd Wright to the area. There is a pair of informational plaques designating where the office building once stood that your group could pay a quick visit to.

From there, you can cruise on over to The Buffalo Transportation Pierce Arrow Museum for the Frank Lloyd Wright Filling Station. Completed posthumously to Wright’s specifications in 2014, the two-story, 1,600-square-foot filling station features a second story observation room with a fireplace, restrooms, an extensive copper roof, and overhead gravity fed tanks. It nicely complements the robust Pierce Arrow automobile exhibit that celebrates Buffalo’s luxury automaker. Limited tours are available. Please visit their website to book your group.

End your night at Chef’s, an Italian American restaurant known for leveling up a classic dish. The spaghetti parm is spaghetti tossed in butter, topped with mozzarella and then broiled until perfection. Please coordinate with the restaurant for your group’s reservation.

Buffalo is an unassuming beneficiary of the lasting friendship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Darwin Martin. Securing work here, one of the largest and most important cities in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century, helped put Wright on the map outside of Chicago and paved the way for future prominence.  In just two days, you can see take in restored masterpieces, meticulous landscapes, posthumously-built projects, and stunning vistas…the Wright way.