10 Gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright Houses in Oak Park That You Can Visit
Did you know there are over 20 stunning Frank Lloyd Wright Houses in Oak Park that you can explore during your Oak Park visit?
From renowned estates like the Arthur Heurtley House to his home and studio, to architectural gems like the Hills-DeCaro House and Nathan G. Moore House, we are sharing our picks of the ten most gorgeous homes with Wright’s influence in this historic Chicago suburb.
Frank Lloyd Wright Homes
Oak Park boasts the highest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes in the world. Throughout his career, Wright designed roughly 25 homes and public buildings throughout the village where he lived and worked.
Today, Oak Park draws thousands of architecture buffs who travel to take self-guided walking tours and admire these iconic structures firsthand. Here is a peek at his home and studio, plus more residential designs.
Arthur Heurtley House
Where: 318 Forest Ave
The horizontal lines and overhanging eaves showcase Wright’s signature prairie style. With its open floor plan and abundant natural light, the Heurtley House exemplifies Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture.
Nathan G. Moore House
Where: 333 Forest Ave
Designed by architect George W. Maher and completed in 1895, it predates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie homes. With its low-pitched roof, deep eaves, and horizontal emphasis, it embodies the Prairie style. The house survived a terrible fire on the 3rd and 4th floors. Frank Lloyd Wright spearheaded the renovation.
Walter Gale House
Where: 1031 Chicago Ave
This horizontal two-story brick home features the style’s hallmarks – low-pitched roof, dramatic overhanging eaves, and casement windows banded together to maximize light. Inside, the open and airy floor plan has spaces that flow seamlessly from room to room. There is an abundant use of natural materials like wood, brick, and stucco, along with built-in furnishings crafted with clean lines.
Frank W. Thomas House
Where: 210 Forest Ave
This house is one of Oak Park’s earliest Prairie houses with horizontal lines, natural materials, and wide overhanging eaves that characterize the exterior. Inside, built-in furnishings and an open floor plan reflect the Prairie style’s emphasis on simplicity and function. The Thomas House was innovative for its time and set the tone for Oak Park’s Prairie School architectural heritage.
Peter A. Beachy House
Where: 238 Forest Ave
An early prototype of Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses, this home features a low-pitched roof, overhanging eaves, and an open interior floor plan. The structure makes dramatic use of natural light with art glass windows and doors. The Beachy House is a unique transitional design that bridges the Victorian and Prairie styles in Oak Park.
Hills-DeCaro House
Hills-DeCaro House
Where: 313 Forest Ave
The Hills-DeCaro House is considered a quintessential example of Wright’s organic architecture that integrates structure with nature. The open floor plan with central fireplace epitomizes Wright’s philosophy of blurring indoor and outdoor spaces. The home has one of the original ticket booths from the World’s Columbian Exposition (Chicago World Fair) of 1893 near the rear yard.
Laura Robeson Gale House
Where: 6 Elizabeth Ct
The Laura House is a pretty simple home built with stucco and wood on a small, winding street in Oak Park, Illinois. The front entrance is partially hidden by a tall brick pillar and leads into the hall inside. A huge brick fireplace divides the hall from the living room at the front. At the back is the dining room, with built-in shelves.
William G. Fricke House
Where: 540 Fair Oaks
The William G. Fricke House is a sprawling home designed by the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It was built in 1898 and has some of Wright’s first ideas for what would be known as his Prairie style. The house has strong horizontal lines that make it look long and low. Bands of art glass windows let in natural light. Inside, the rooms flow openly from one to the next. This openness shows Wright’s vision of connecting the indoor spaces to nature outside. The Fricke House is considered one of Wright’s early masterpieces and an important Oak Park house.
Robert P. Parker
Where: 1019 Chicago Ave
Oak Park was the ideal place for Wright to develop and refine his Prairie style in the late 1800s and early 1900s. With its distinct features, the Parker House showcases Wright’s emerging Prairie aesthetic before he achieved worldwide acclaim.
Edwin H. Cheney House
Where: 520 N East Ave
Flowing lines that hug the earth, overhangs that seem to stretch out like sheltering arms, and ribbon windows that infuse the rooms with light. This design by Frank Lloyd Wright showcases an inventive open floor plan that erased boundaries between indoors and outdoors.
Oscar B. Balch House
Where: 611 N. Kenilworth Ave
Built in 1906, it exhibits signature Wright features like strong horizontal lines, overhanging eaves, and bands of art glass windows. The open floor plan, generous use of light, and integration with nature reflect Wright’s organic architecture.
More Oak Park Resources
- Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
- Best Summer Events in Oak Park
- 2-Day Oak Park Itinerary
- Where to Eat in Downtown Oak Park
- Best Frank Lloyd Wright Souvenirs
- Unity Temple: A Visual Tour
Final Thoughts on Frank Lloyd Wright Houses in Oak Park
After touring the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, it inspired me to walk the neighborhood of Oak Park in search of other designs by the famed architect. It was an incredible experience to see the legacy that he created in Oak Park.
The homes are beautifully created and maintained after more than a century. Oak Park is a wonderful community and I feel fortunate to live amongst these gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright houses.
