Ultimate Plus℠ Package
Extend the magic of Wright Plus to a unique long-weekend experience, including accommodations. Immerse yourself in six spectacular events in four unforgettable days.
Featuring:
- Invitation-only Chairman's Reception in the spectacular lobby of Chicago's Rookery Building, and Private Tour of the Burnham Library.
- Private Passage to Wright’s North Shore, a delightful all-day excursion with a tour of privately owned Wright-designed homes located in Chicago’s exclusive North Shore neighborhood. Ultimate Plus Exclusive.
- The celebrated Wright Plus Housewalk. You will enjoy a Housewalk Fast Pass – allows immediate access to all Housewalk homes. No waiting in lines.
- A private lunch and lecture exclusively for Ultimate Plus guests on the day of the housewalk.
- Exclusively Wright Dinners, private dining at an exquisite Wright-designed home.
- A gourmet breakfast at the hotel and a private tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Frederick C. Robie House.
- Three nights’ accommodation in a deluxe room (double occupancy) at the historic Carleton of Oak Park, Official Hotel of Wright Plus 2012. Includes welcome basket.
- Transportation to and from all events as well as a Sunday drop-off at Chicago’s O’Hare airport (directly from Frederick C. Robie House Tour).
Ultimate Plus Weekend Package:
$2350 FLWPT member; $2600 non-member
Single room supplement: $325
Purchase a membership today to receive member pricing.
To order by phone: 877.848.3559. Mon – Fri, 9 am to 5 pm (CST).
Chairman's Reception
Thursday, May 31. 5 to 7:30 pm.
Private tour of The Rookery, 5 to 5:30 pm. Ultimate Plus Exclusive.
Courtesy of The Rookery.
Start off your Wright Plus experience with an elegant reception at the beautiful 1905 Wright-designed lobby of The Rookery Building in the historic financial district of downtown Chicago. Mingle with fellow Ultimate Plus guests, Wright enthusiasts, and VIP guests at this invitation-only event. Enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and live music, while exploring this grand building and perusing our silent auction. Before the reception, Ultimate Plus guests will enjoy a private tour of the Rookery Building's Burnham Library, where Daniel H. Burnham planned the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. All proceeds from this evening support the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.
Friday Excursion: Private Passage to Wright’s North Shore
Friday, June, 1. 9 am to 5 pm.
Ultimate Plus Exclusive.
(Photo left) Glore House. Courtesy of Tony Berardi and Sally Good/Photofields.
(Photo right) Bach House. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Enjoy a day trip to Chicago’s exclusive North Shore to tour privately owned Wright-designed homes. Start your day with a visit to the private Charles F. Glore House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1951), nestled on over an acre of wooded property. The dramatic location overlooking a ravine, impressive cantilevers and beautifully renovated interior, including a two-story living room, make this a spectacular residence.
Stop for lunch overlooking Lake Michigan at the private Michigan Shores Club, designed by Daniel H. Burnham.
The afternoon brings entrée to the much earlier William F. Ross House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1915) and the Prairie style Emil Bach House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1915).
Wright designed the Ross House as part of the Ravine Bluffs Development for his attorney, Sherman M. Booth. Landscape architect Jens Jensen contributed to the project. Of the original plans, which included a town hall, a stable, two train stations and many residences, six homes were built. The development boasts several Wright sculptures, as well as the only known Wright-designed bridge. With a plan derived from the architect’s 1905 “A Fireproof House for $5000,” the Ross House represents one of Wright’s most successful efforts at a modestly priced home. Enjoy a private tour with homeowner and restoration architect John Eifler.
An artistic gem and a Chicago landmark, the Bach House is a triumphant design for a small, urban dwelling. Among its unique features are the wood trim and built-in furniture, all from a single walnut tree, and the interior color scheme that Wright termed “sunshine.” The home is being restored by preservation architect Gunny Harboe, who will be present to discuss the restoration process.
This all-day excursion includes breakfast, lunch and transportation via deluxe motor coach.
Departs from: The Carleton Hotel, Oak Park, Illinois
Wright Plus Luncheon
Saturday, June 2. 12 noon.
Ultimate Plus Exclusive.
Nineteenth Century Club. Photo: Panoramio Groups.
Ultimate Plus guests enjoy a private luncheon in-between touring the homes on the housewalk. Join us at the landmark Nineteenth Century Club (178 Forest Ave, Oak Park) for a luncheon and lecture with David Bagnall, the Preservation Trust’s Curator and Director of Interpretation. Frank Lloyd Wright’s mother and wife were once members of this private club. David will provide more insight into the homes on the housewalk.
Exclusively Wright Dinners
Saturday, June 2. 6 pm to 10 pm.
Limited number of seats available for individual purchase. Please contact Lise Braithwaite at 312.994.4012 for pricing information.
Enjoy an exclusive, intimate experience combining a magical Frank Lloyd Wright home and the exquisite cuisine of an acclaimed chef. Cocktails, live music, private tours, conversations with the current owners, and culinary creations by a celebrity chef make memories of a lifetime. Limited number of guests per home. Transportation provided from the Carleton of Oak Park.
Select from these dinner venues:
Avery Coonley House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1907), Riverside, IL
Photograph courtesy Dr. and Mrs. Eastman.
Enjoy dinner at the privately-owned Avery Coonley Residence. Wander through the estate’s sunken garden and elegant lily pool and admire the spectacular interiors. The Avery Coonley House represents one of Frank Lloyd Wright's finest early structures. The Coonleys had investigated the architect's other homes and remarked that they saw in his work "the countenances of principle." Wright stated in his autobiography, "This was to me a great and sincere compliment. So I put my best into the Coonley House."
Hills-DeCaro House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1906), Oak Park, IL
Photographer: James Caulfield.
Relish a rare opportunity to be in a home whose exterior exactingly recreates historic photos but whose interior now appears more as Wright intended than during his clients’ residence. Relax with drinks in a newly and exactingly recreated pergola that originally stood on the grounds and admire a piece of Chicago history – a restored ticket booth from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
Isidore Heller House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1896), Chicago, IL
Photographer: James Caulfield.
Celebrate magnificent architecture and the culinary arts at one of Wright’s seminal creations in historic and beautiful Hyde Park. One of the architect's earliest explorations of three-story designs, the dwelling is most recognizable for the monumental exterior frieze by sculptor Richard Bock. In the Heller House Wright also experimented with many elements that would come to characterize his later Prairie residences. Savor a memorable culinary experience in this grand and elegant home.
Participating Chefs:
Chef Gale Gand
Recognized in 2001 as Outstanding Pastry Chef by The James Beard Foundation and Bon Appetit magazine and in 1994 as one of Food & Wine’s Top Ten Best New Chefs, executive pastry chef Gale Gand studied at La Varenne in Paris before opening Trio and later the renowned four-star Mobil, five-diamond AAA, Relais & Chateaux Relais-Gourmand restaurant Tru with culinary partner Rick Tramonto. Gand participates in Michele Obama's Chefs Move to Schools initiative, is the author of seven cookbooks and has her own root beer company. Chef Gand has been on Iron Chef, Martha Stewart, Oprah, Julia Child’s Baking with Julia, and was judged Bravo’s “Top Chef.” A supporter of green practices, Gand is a member of the National Restaurant Association’s Conserve Initiative Action Council.
Chef Leonard Hollander
Chef Leonard Hollander is the executive chef at Oak Park’s trendy bistro, Marion Street Cheese Market. His culinary creativity is paired with sustainability, and his cuisine is rooted in local and seasonal ingredients. Chef Hollander began his career in Cincinnati and honed his skills at Los Angeles restaurants before moving to Chicago, where he worked with some of the city’s most prestigious chefs and fine dining establishments, including Ambria and Avenues at the Peninsula Hotel.
Chef Daniel Herskovic
Daniel Herskovic is the founder of the catering business www.chefdaniel.com and creator of Mayana Chocolate. A graduate of Oberlin College , where he discovered his interest in the culinary arts, and The California Culinary Academy, Chef Herskovic has trained with some of the finest restaurants in New York , San Francisco and Chicago . He attributes his artisan approach to his apprenticeship in pastry and cooking under Chef Paul Bertolli, a leader of the International Slow Food Movement. While Chef Herskovic works closely with local farmers and purveyors who are committed to sustainable practices, his cuisine has a global outlook, inspired by the many vibrant food cultures of the world. A passionate chocolatier, his confections have received numerous awards, including "Best Chocolate" by the Chicago Reader's "Best of Chicago 2010" issue .
Behind-the-scenes Tour of Wright's
Frederick C. Robie House
Sunday, June 3. Tour at 9:30 am.
Ultimate Plus Exclusive.
Photographer: Tim Long.
Enjoy a gourmet buffet breakfast at the Carleton Hotel before departing for your private tour of Wright’s Frederick C. Robie House. One of Wright’s greatest buildings, the Robie House is a masterpiece of the Prairie style and an icon of early modernism. Transportation will be provided to O’Hare International Airport at 11 am, immediately following the tour. Ultimate Plus Exclusive.
For more information on the Ultimate Plus Weekend Package, . Program subject to change.