Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Oak Park, IL
Year Listed: 2005
A diverse and dynamic town just nine miles - and an easy "El" ride - from downtown Chicago, Oak Park, Ill., is home to wide, leafy streets, quaint Victorian cottages and the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses. This charming hamlet was a magnet for the 22-year-old budding architect, who built 25 structures here between 1889 and 1913 while perfecting his signature Prairie Style.
Lake Street in Oak Park, Illinois.
Credit: Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust
Today, Wright’s own Home and Studio is open for tours, showcasing the Wright’s evolving architectural style in an amazing complex used by the architect for new ideas. Wright’s Unity Temple is also open for public tours, and down the road, the Ernest Hemingway Birthplace and Museum celebrates the life of another of Oak Park’s favorite sons. The cozy Victorian house displays a collection of rare photos of the Nobel Prize-winning author, his childhood diary, letters, early writings and other memorabilia.
Visitors won’t want to miss a stop at Pleasant Home, the opulent 30-room mansion designed by Prairie architect George W. Maher in 1897. On the second floor of the home, the Oak Park Historical Society’s museum includes a period bedroom and children’s activity room. In summer months, the Festival Theater offers classic plays in Austin Gardens, and the Oak Park Conservatory, founded in 1914, showcases botanical specimens from around the world. For those in search of quiet relaxation, a stroll down Oak Park’s delightful streets - lined with world-class restaurants, boutiques and art galleries - provides the perfect escape from big-city bustle.
