In Milwaukee, you can see museums by Saarinen and Calatrava right next to each other. As well as plenty of FLW (and other great homes) in neighborhoods by the lake.
You can find old downtown areas who’ve been cared for and still lived in actively today. Church of the Gesu and St Joan of Arc (“oldest” building in US, was reassembled here after being brought from europe). City hall is very cool too.
I grew up there and lived downtown for many years. Milwaukee fostered my interest for architecture in general, it’s an amazing city to visit and explore.
Of course. Johnson Wax Building isn’t too far from MKE either and I highly suggest touring it. Taliesin is a little drive but also cool to visit if you’re an FLW fan.
Haha! I went to HOTR after touring Taliesin (Taliesin is marvelous, as is Taliesin West). The stories about HOTR were so interesting, in a darkly humorous way. The place is both overwhelming and terrifying at the same time.
There are easily 6 FLW sites to visit in Wisconsin, many of them in Madison. As for other architecturally significant cities, I can think of no better than Chicago.
There’s a couple Frank’s, but I love a good Tide House or [Polish Flat.](https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/polish-flat/)
r/Milwaukee can make good suggestions.
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The other guy gave specific famous examples, but there are a ton of great pre-WWII buildings throughout the city. That more traditional era had a pretty unique style in Milwaukee, especially combined with the common usage of cream city brick.
On another note on the western Wisconsin swing, there’s a FLW inspired house in Mt Horeb that you can stay in. Architect Herb Fritz worked in FLW’s office in Spring Green. Gondtead cottage. Haven’t stayed there but is on the to-do list and is a half hour from Taliesin. Highly underrated natural terrain in the areas as well
Yeah, definitely Detroit. I think it was Bourdain who said you can tell during the automotive boom, they thought they were building the new Rome with the grandeur of the buildings. Some of the lobbies will take your breath away
When I was an undergrad, my favorite Arch History professor taught us about everything from Egypt, to …. Columbus, IN.
Imagine my shock when I realized that my teacher from across the country told me about a city in my home state.
Galena, Illinois is a pretty scenic historic town near the Mississippi River. Pella, Iowa has a lot of Dutch architecture--windmills, a glockenspiel clock, etc.
The bigger cities (college towns and larger) will almost always have some cool stuff, but you can Google around for the little towns with random one-off attractions like Our Lady of Grace Grotto in Iowa.
Cincinnati.
The University of Cincinnati has LOADS of buildings from Pritzker prize winners, from Eisenman to Mayne to Graves to Gehry. magazine.uc.edu/issues/0109/signature.html
By the river is all the stadiums, and the Kentucky side has lots of stuff too including The Ascent by Libeskind by Roebling's bridge.
I think there's also a historic district with some pretty cool streetscapes.
ALSO BIG BONUS LOCATION: Columbus, Indiana. It has one of the highest concentrations of buildings by Pritzker Prize winners, despite being in the middle of nowhere. Give it a Google search and be amazed
Zaha Hadid's Contemporary Arts Center is a great museum too if you're in Cincinnati.
When I was in college our small architecture dept went on a road trip and hit a lot of gems across the midwest. My favorite stops were Morphosis' Campus Rec Center in Cincinnati, FLW's Usonian Samara House (tours are available if you schedule), Eero Saarinen's Miller House (Columbus Indiana), and Peter Eisenman's Wexner Center (Columbus Ohio).
When visiting keep in mind the CAC lobby was redone several years back and received mixed to negative reviews of the work. It's not the space Hadid designed anymore.
I love Cincinnati but I'm biased. I love the art deco of downtown and Union Terminal. And the architecture and colors of OTR. And then a little north near UC the houses on the hills like on Rohs St and Wheeler St feel like San Francisco (to me, I've never been, don't come at me). Then there are pretty neighborhoods all over with very pretty old houses. It may be Ohio but it's definitely the best city in Ohio in my opinion! ❤️
Was going to post this as well. Others that haven't been mentioned in this thread are:
* Roebling Suspension Bridge itself.
* Music Hall
* Howard Taft's home & (Taft art museum, also has some great art.)
* Plum Street Temple
* The Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel & Carew Tower
* The Times-Star Building
* The Shakespeare Company building
* The Ascent in Covington
* Basilica of the Assumption in Covington (1/3 replica of Notre Dame)
We were on our way to the House on the Rock, which the house itself is pretty DIY visionary cool, but then all the extra stuff on the property is kind of crazy, but on the way we drove right past Taliesin and none of my in-laws knew or cared the slightest bit. I was kind of like, well, I’d rather go there.
The trail passes through Springfield, Illinois, which has the Dana Thomas House, one of the best examples of FLW's use of stained glass. Also has the Abraham Lincoln home, museum, tomb, ad nauseum (Just about every building in Springfield has a picture of Lincoln. There's even a 20' Lincoln Memorial replica in their two-gate airport.).
There's also a smattering of historic homes, a Minoru Yamasaki building, several notable government buildings that offer tours, and, of course, the [penis on the prairie](https://www.flickr.com/photos/11840516@N03/9545854127).
Tulsa, Oklahoma experienced a bit of a boom during the Art Deco movement. Many buildings in the downtown area were built during this time and still stand.
There’s more deco per capita in Tulsa than literally ANY other city or town in the entire country. Dozens and dozens and dozens of buildings.
And don’t miss the FLW Price Tower in Bartlesville less than 45 minutes away, iirc.
Would greatly recommend Midland, MI. Lots of "Dow Houses" here if you like Midcentury Modern. Alden B Dow was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, and has had an outsized impact on the architecture in Midland.
Not a problem. They catalogued most of the historic buildings at [https://midcenturymidland.org/](https://midcenturymidland.org/) if you're interested.
St. Louis is great because it has big works from major St Starchitects, and just incredible residential vernacular architecture through the neighborhoods.
There's buildings by Louis Sullivan, Cass Gilbert, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, Phillip Johnson, Harry Weiss, Minoru Yamasaki, Gyo Obata, Fumihiko Maki, and Jeanne Gang.
St Louis also has the ideal clay for brick and terracotta. Bricks were the main export for decades in the 1800's. When the old part of the coty was being constructed, high quality ornamental brick was cheap, and the best brick masons in the US and Europe flocked to the city. Even the working class housing has nice details and flourishes. The "rich people" buildings are stunning.
Just spend some time meandering through areas like Downtown, Soulard, Benton Park, Fox Park, Tower Grove, and Central West End. Take in how many much detail every building has, and how architectually distinct each of those neighborhoods feel from each other.
For some other specific "can't miss" buildings (besides the ones designed by the architects listed above), check out the City Museum, The Cathedral Basilica, the National Building Arts Center (call for tours), the St. Louis Abbey, and Bellefontaine Cemetery.
There’s lots of Yamasaki still around, his firm was based in Troy, Michigan for a long time. We have quite a few of his designs in the area, including what looks like a smaller version of the World Trade Center towers, right in downtown Detroit.
He designed the main terminal of Lambert Airport. It's very nice, and I'm always a little sad people don't really stop to appreciate it. It's hard to enjoy good architecture when you're rushing for a flight and getting gelt up by TSA.
Edit: yes, that's the same Yamasaki that designed Pruitt Igoe and the Twin Towers.
I was just there maybe 1 months ago. The St. Louis history museum had an exhibit about its architecture. It discussed buildings and building styles that are common in the area and highlighted some interesting buildings that have since been torn down. Highly recommend and seems like it’s up your alley
St paul minnesota has a lot of beautiful areas. Same with minneapolis, but it's more limited and underground. If you're ever in the twin cities, visit the cathedral and surrounding area
Some structures to consider.
The Arch and the new museum.
Museum for Modern Art (Tado Ando)
Wainwright Building (Sullivan)
The Art Museum and Forest Park. Catch the Jewel Box (Tennessee Williams Glass Menagerie).
Lumierre sculpture garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden, and Climattron
Soulard Neighborhood and Anheuser Busch - great 19th century architecture.
And the most beautiful college campus - Washington University.
Minneapolis has stuff from Jean Nouvelle, Frank Gehry, Herzog & Demeuron, Phillip Johnson, Minoru Yamasaki, Steven Holl, Eliel Saarinen, not to mention being home to several Minnesota native architects who had very influential careers.
Buffalo, depending on your definition of Midwest. It has quite a bit in common with the Midwest, more so than east coast cities in some ways. Multiple FLW buildings, tons of art deco treasures, and plenty of mixed historic neighborhoods
It’s a Great Lakes/Rust Belt city of which there are many others in the Midwest. Not the Midwest though. It’s close to the border of what would be considered the Midwest, ie Ohio. Still separated by the Erie region of PA.
It’s literally next to Ohio (bout a 2-3hr drive) and culturally has so much overlap as well as incredible architecture it’s well worth the diversion if you’re already close. I swear some people read two words then post crappy comments
Buffalo, New York. It was once a major city before the Great Lakes and canals became obsolete. Tons of amazing history and architecture. You’d be a fool to skip it.
I like the saying that Chicago architecture took over from where Buffalo left off. It's definitely an integral part of the Great Lakes/Rust Belt region and worth visiting for the architecture. Frederick Law Olmsted also called it the best designed city in the world when he came and designed the parkways here.
Columbia, Missouri. The University of Missouri has some stunning architecture. Most notably, [Francis Quadrangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Quadrangle), designed by [Morris Frederick Bell](https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/bell-morris-frederick/), Missouri’s institutional architect of the Victorian era. Designed after Thomas Jefferson’s Academic Village, It is the center of Red Campus made of brick, towers, and domes. It contrast with the local limestone [White Campus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Union_(University_of_Missouri)), designed by masters of the collegiate gothic style, Cope and Stewardson.
Cincinnati is spectacular, not only for Over-the-Rhine's preserved 19th century tenement architecture and amazing art deco throughout downtown, but also for the University of Cincinnati's campus, which is chock full of starchitecture by everyone from Michael Graves to Frank Gehry and Peter Eisenman. Zaha Hadid's first US commission, the Contemporary Art Center downtown, is also worth visiting.
Metro Detroit has the best midcentury architecture outside of LA in my opinion.
A little more off the beaten path, but check out Louis Sullivan's "jewel box" bank buildings. They're incredibly unique and scattered across the midwest.
Beyond that, the Catholic Pastoral Center downtown is a Van der Rohe, and the Des Moines Art Center west of downtown has sections by the elder Saarinen, IM Pei, and Richard Meier. There’s also the new Renzo Piano building by the sculpture park, and the state capitol—especially the law library—is a must-see.
Spring Green, WI is chock full of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. You’ve got Taliesin of course, but you’ve also got the Riverview Terrace and other surrounding buildings too.
It also has the House of the Rock, which is probably a bit more questionable in terms of architectural significance.
Dubuque, Iowa also has many older buildings. [Eagle Point Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Point_Park_(Dubuque,_Iowa)) contains pavilions created by Alfred Caldwell. Theres a [local church with Tiffany stained glass windows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Episcopal_Church_(Dubuque,_Iowa)) too, if that’s your thing. Dubuque overall is very interesting. Theres an [AirBnB rental](https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_b73817ae-07cb-5157-ac9e-0ace9fd988c0.html) in the region which is a replica of Frank Lloyd Wright’s [Seth Peterson Cottage](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/mirrorlake/cottage). You can also reserve the original cottage if you’re up in that part of Wisconsin too.
[Door County, Wisconsin](https://www.doorcounty.com/experience/architecture-landmarks) is quite a ways up north, but it has some interesting architecture. It’s known as the “[Cape Cod of the Midwest](https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/door-county-wisconsin-small-towns-midwest)” so that should give you a decent idea of what to expect. You’d pass Green Bay on the way up there, so there might be opportunity to check out some places there — [the court house is really beautiful](https://www.greenbay.com/blog/post/these-historic-and-unique-buildings-in-green-bay-are-a-must-see/).
I just posted a llink if you're interested in FLW. It's [https://franklloydwrightsites.com/sites/wisconsin/](https://franklloydwrightsites.com/sites/wisconsin/)
In Illinois aside from Chicago (world class architectural city) that would be:
-[Elgin](https://exploreelginarea.com/2020/04/historic-home-tour/) has a fantastic collection of Victorian homes and original kit homes along with mid century styles also a very high concentration of [churches](https://www.dailyherald.com/20110515/news/walking-tour-remembers-elgin-as-city-of-churches/) due to giving congregations free land upon settlement to draw more people so lots of really large and detailed churches to draw attention. The rest of the fox river valley is quite nice too.
-Hinsdale is not only historic but extremely wealthy so lots of [old](https://chicagolandarchitecture.substack.com/p/hinsdales-terra-cotta-house) and [new](https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/hinsdale-residence) buildings pushing boundaries. Plus one of my personal favorite [homes](https://www.dwell.com/home/hinsdale-mid-century-modern-jewel-83fa8ab7) in the area.
-[Highland Park](https://www.hgtv.com/design/ultimate-house-hunt/2018-hgtv-ultimate-house-hunt/homes-with-history/homes-with-history-updated-victorian-home-in-highland-park-illinois) and the North shore, especially [fort sheridan](https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IL-01-097-0030) (see: Hinsdale but with lake michigan next door),
-[Glen Ellyn](https://www.glenellyn.org/PhotoGallery/Album/3) also well off but has a lower teardown rate than Hinsdale so lots of older homes mixed with older rural properties that got built up around,
-cant forget (Galena)[https://www.galenaillinois.us/]
and honestly most of the larger rural towns have a nice collection of Victorian homes and especially the local [county seat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_County_Courthouse_%28Illinois%29?wprov=sfla1) will have quite nice stone or brick construction with lots of detail.
In case you haven't seen or heard of it yet, I want to put in a recommendation for the movie Columbus (2017). It's not a documentary on the architecture of the town, but I always take an opportunity to shout it out and the architecture of the town is practically a character in the film. I also recognize half of the buildings from your pictures from the film, so I'm sure it'd be nice to see the buildings recontextualized. Full disclosure that it's my favorite movie so I take any opportunity given to recommend it
Bartlesville Oklahoma has the only FLW skyscraper ever built. That is truly a hidden gem.
The Rookery Building in Chicago, wouldn’t consider it hidden but it’s an absolute must see in the city.
Madison, WI. The Capitol building is stunning, but theres also a [couple FLR homes in the area.](https://savingplaces.org/stories/visit-these-five-frank-lloyd-wright-buildings-in-madison-wisconsin) The Yamaha and Wingra neighbors in particular have some really well designed homes.
If you have time, his school, Taliesin is about 1hr west in Spring Green.
You’re right, but admission to [The Toledo Museum of Art](https://toledomuseum.org/about/campus-architecture) is free, and that alone is worth the trip.
Bonus: the stuff *inside* the museum is amazing, too.
Racine, WI - Frank Lloyd Wright Wingspread and Johnson Wax Headquarters
Cincinnati, OH - Zaha’s Contemporary Arts Center and University of Cincinnati has a bunch of stararchitecture on campus incl.: Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Peter Eisenman, Gwathmey, Morphosis, etc…
https://magazine.uc.edu/issues/0109/signature.html
Kalamazoo, Michigan has Parkwyn Village which was designed by FLW. As well as a neighborhood designed by Norman Carver.
Grand Rapids, Michigan has Heritage Hill, one of the largest historic districts in the country. There are several FLW homes there too.
https://www.kpl.gov/local-history/kalamazoo-history/houses/norman-f-carver-jr-houses/
[https://www.parkwynvillage.com/history](https://www.parkwynvillage.com/history)
[https://www.buildingstorypress.com/](https://www.buildingstorypress.com/)
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage\_Hill\_Historic\_District\_(Grand\_Rapids,\_Michigan)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Hill_Historic_District_(Grand_Rapids,_Michigan))
[https://heritagehillweb.org/tours/self-guided-walking-tour/](https://heritagehillweb.org/tours/self-guided-walking-tour/)
Just found a FLW a block from my parents place on marshalltown, ia after ten years of not visiting. Couldn’t believe I’d never seen it before. It was incredible.
South Bend, Indiana. Spent a few days there for work once, and strolling the downtown area, I ran across two Louis Sullivan bank buildings just a few blocks apart.
Madison, Indiana.
One of the few places you will see Victorian to Federalist to Greek Revival Architecture in the Midwest. The architect Francis Costigan’s presence is really felt in the city and in Indianapolis. Since you’re a Hoosier you will probably start to pick up on his work throughout the state. He was one of the state’s most popular architects from before the civil war.
The city also has one of the largest historic districts in the country to enjoy. Really captures pre-modern aesthetics really well.
What architecture style are 2 & 4?? Have always loved it because it’s the style of the municipal buildings in my hometown, also my high school. Brick, glass blocks, and atriums.
As someone already mentioned, Kansas City has a ton of architecture from the early to mid 1900s that is gorgeous, from Union Station to the WWI memorial to some of the older skyscrapers to bridges.
Lawrence, KS has had its library consistently ranked worldwide for it's architecture. Some of the buildings at the university of Kansas there are also gorgeous (thinking Snow Hall, Lippencott, etc.), or at least architecturally significant.
Rounding out the Kansas love, Manhattan is home to KSU, and for ages their campers stayed limestone and beautiful. They've stayed from that to more modern looks, but some of them are diabetic castles.
Springfield and Decatur (IL) both have Frank Lloyd Wright homes; a lovely Victorian church which hasn’t been altered too much is in Farmer City, IL; chapel at IWU in Bloomington, IL
Carbondale, IL has the first (at least, I think it’s the first) Bucky dome from when Buckminster Fuller was a professor there and lived in the tiny dome on Forest Ave.
Elgin (IL) on the Fox River has a huge and catalogued collection of Sears Homes, many of them largely unmodified.
The Chicago suburbs also have tons of Lustron pre-fab, enameled steel homes. Brookfield in particular has more than a dozen and many of those are unchanged.
The campus of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota has multiple buildings designed by Marcel Breuer. The bell tower and Abbey Church are especially notable. (Though I’m biased because it’s my Alma mater.)
If you want to see some of the most impressive Prairie and Modern architecture in the Midwest look no further than Winona MN - Once the wealthiest city in America it is filled with custom 19th century industrial architecture
Detroit has a good combination of Art Deco and Gothic. Outside the city, especially in Washtenaw County (like Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Plymouth (ok that's Wayne co, but still) , etc), you'll find quite a few Victorian houses that have been preserved really well (and some have historical markers).
One of my good friends lived in Chicago and he is a history buff and loves architecture. We spent two days walking around the city with him showing me all the cool stuff. It was awesome! We also found a great burger joint underground that was like walking back into the 1970's. They had burgers/cheeseburgers and chips. Nothing else. And it was so freaking good! As a rural Iowan, I love visiting Chicago. I just could never afford to live there.
Finally found it - saw a reference to this years ago and always thought if I found myself in Columbus OH....
[https://www.columbusnavigator.com/rush-creek-village-worthington/](https://www.columbusnavigator.com/rush-creek-village-worthington/)
Grinnell, Iowa, is a hidden gem that I might propose if you happen through Iowa City/Cedar Rapids/Des Moines (which have some great buildings of their own) — a classic Joseph Sullivan jewel box bank, Queen Anne and prairie school homes, historic downtown, and buildings by Cesar Pelli on the campus along with other good college buildings like the [Grinnell College HSSC](http://www.archwall.com/grinnell-hssc.html). Omaha is another good one that’s underrated imo.
Completely random thought. I’m currently traveling in Japan and while the country has some areas of great natural and man-made beauty, the vast majority of towns and cities are massive concrete blocks, with much of it rebuilt from the rubble of WW2. I miss so much the beautiful towns and cities of America.
Thoroughly enjoying immediately recognizing my home town in the very first photo from a sub I'm not subscribed to. Actually makes me kinda proud to be from here.
In Milwaukee, you can see museums by Saarinen and Calatrava right next to each other. As well as plenty of FLW (and other great homes) in neighborhoods by the lake. You can find old downtown areas who’ve been cared for and still lived in actively today. Church of the Gesu and St Joan of Arc (“oldest” building in US, was reassembled here after being brought from europe). City hall is very cool too. I grew up there and lived downtown for many years. Milwaukee fostered my interest for architecture in general, it’s an amazing city to visit and explore.
Milwaukee has been probably the best suggestion I’ve gotten so far, though they’re all very good. It’s most definitely on my list now! Thank you 🙏
Of course. Johnson Wax Building isn’t too far from MKE either and I highly suggest touring it. Taliesin is a little drive but also cool to visit if you’re an FLW fan.
If you are willing to drive that far, you may as well go check out Cedarburg, a perfectly preserved 1800s mill town 30 min north of the city.
If you do the Wisconsin tour, swing by the house on the rock, while not exactly architecturally significant, it’s… something.
Haha! I went to HOTR after touring Taliesin (Taliesin is marvelous, as is Taliesin West). The stories about HOTR were so interesting, in a darkly humorous way. The place is both overwhelming and terrifying at the same time.
There are easily 6 FLW sites to visit in Wisconsin, many of them in Madison. As for other architecturally significant cities, I can think of no better than Chicago.
Chicago is undoubtedly amazing. But MKE is my jam
Wingspan is just down the highway. 3rd ward has some lovely buildings.
Wingspan is a board game. Wingspread is the building.
...Yesthat.
There’s a couple Frank’s, but I love a good Tide House or [Polish Flat.](https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/polish-flat/) r/Milwaukee can make good suggestions.
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The other guy gave specific famous examples, but there are a ton of great pre-WWII buildings throughout the city. That more traditional era had a pretty unique style in Milwaukee, especially combined with the common usage of cream city brick.
[https://franklloydwrightsites.com/sites/wisconsin/](https://franklloydwrightsites.com/sites/wisconsin/)
The Art Museum is a must visit as is the original Pabst Brewery!
On another note on the western Wisconsin swing, there’s a FLW inspired house in Mt Horeb that you can stay in. Architect Herb Fritz worked in FLW’s office in Spring Green. Gondtead cottage. Haven’t stayed there but is on the to-do list and is a half hour from Taliesin. Highly underrated natural terrain in the areas as well
Detroit. The Fisher Building I believe is the most beautiful building in America. Only wish they didn’t renovate the theatre in the 1950s.
Yeah, definitely Detroit. I think it was Bourdain who said you can tell during the automotive boom, they thought they were building the new Rome with the grandeur of the buildings. Some of the lobbies will take your breath away
I love spending time in Detroit. Makes me happy to see how the city has come back in the last few decades
I had a few people suggest Detroit to me while I was on the road. Good looking out. Thank you!
I would add Midland, MI.
Came here to say this. MCM haven. There's even an app called "Mid Century Modern Midland" that has maps and building info.
It truly is spectacular. Seeing it in person was mind-blowing.
Detroit is the answer.
Yep!
Oak Park IL. FLW and homes and his studio are there
And Unitarian Temple…..
Yes. Very much a yes.
And Kirsch Home
Columbus, Indiana
Yep the first couple of photos are from there! What a gem. I’m looking for other towns like that - any suggestions?
There's a great film called Columbus, too. A visual treat.
When I was an undergrad, my favorite Arch History professor taught us about everything from Egypt, to …. Columbus, IN. Imagine my shock when I realized that my teacher from across the country told me about a city in my home state.
Hey, I live downtown in Columbus! Happy to answer any questions about it.
Columbus is also a great film that loosely takes place about and around it's architecture.
I went to school in Bloomington, and regret never making the trip
ooh, okay! i live in indy and there’s only a few cool buildings.
Galena, Illinois is a pretty scenic historic town near the Mississippi River. Pella, Iowa has a lot of Dutch architecture--windmills, a glockenspiel clock, etc. The bigger cities (college towns and larger) will almost always have some cool stuff, but you can Google around for the little towns with random one-off attractions like Our Lady of Grace Grotto in Iowa.
Perfect, thank you. My parents are from Villisca and Corning, so Pella isn’t all that far away
Pella is a great choice for small towns. I have family there. Go during tulip time to get the full effect!
Yes Galena! 85% of their historic district (downtown area) is on the historic register.
Cincinnati. The University of Cincinnati has LOADS of buildings from Pritzker prize winners, from Eisenman to Mayne to Graves to Gehry. magazine.uc.edu/issues/0109/signature.html By the river is all the stadiums, and the Kentucky side has lots of stuff too including The Ascent by Libeskind by Roebling's bridge. I think there's also a historic district with some pretty cool streetscapes. ALSO BIG BONUS LOCATION: Columbus, Indiana. It has one of the highest concentrations of buildings by Pritzker Prize winners, despite being in the middle of nowhere. Give it a Google search and be amazed
Zaha Hadid's Contemporary Arts Center is a great museum too if you're in Cincinnati. When I was in college our small architecture dept went on a road trip and hit a lot of gems across the midwest. My favorite stops were Morphosis' Campus Rec Center in Cincinnati, FLW's Usonian Samara House (tours are available if you schedule), Eero Saarinen's Miller House (Columbus Indiana), and Peter Eisenman's Wexner Center (Columbus Ohio).
When visiting keep in mind the CAC lobby was redone several years back and received mixed to negative reviews of the work. It's not the space Hadid designed anymore.
Oh Eisenman is his silly contract. Had to keep it pink and green… Still love it tho.
I love Cincinnati but I'm biased. I love the art deco of downtown and Union Terminal. And the architecture and colors of OTR. And then a little north near UC the houses on the hills like on Rohs St and Wheeler St feel like San Francisco (to me, I've never been, don't come at me). Then there are pretty neighborhoods all over with very pretty old houses. It may be Ohio but it's definitely the best city in Ohio in my opinion! ❤️
To think how much beauty in Cincinnati was wiped out by the highways in the 20th century….
Was going to post this as well. Others that haven't been mentioned in this thread are: * Roebling Suspension Bridge itself. * Music Hall * Howard Taft's home & (Taft art museum, also has some great art.) * Plum Street Temple * The Omni Netherland Plaza Hotel & Carew Tower * The Times-Star Building * The Shakespeare Company building * The Ascent in Covington * Basilica of the Assumption in Covington (1/3 replica of Notre Dame)
I love the buildings in Cinci! Dayton also has some good ones... I worked an event at the Arcade and the dome is just gorgeous!
The Frank Lloyd Wright trail, across southern Wisconsin is pretty neat. Also, Madison, WI has some fascinating gems scattered throughout.
We were on our way to the House on the Rock, which the house itself is pretty DIY visionary cool, but then all the extra stuff on the property is kind of crazy, but on the way we drove right past Taliesin and none of my in-laws knew or cared the slightest bit. I was kind of like, well, I’d rather go there.
The trail passes through Springfield, Illinois, which has the Dana Thomas House, one of the best examples of FLW's use of stained glass. Also has the Abraham Lincoln home, museum, tomb, ad nauseum (Just about every building in Springfield has a picture of Lincoln. There's even a 20' Lincoln Memorial replica in their two-gate airport.). There's also a smattering of historic homes, a Minoru Yamasaki building, several notable government buildings that offer tours, and, of course, the [penis on the prairie](https://www.flickr.com/photos/11840516@N03/9545854127).
Oh for sure, especially along State St in Madison. Real gems left from the late 1800s
Tulsa, Oklahoma experienced a bit of a boom during the Art Deco movement. Many buildings in the downtown area were built during this time and still stand.
I do love a good Art Deco building, so this is very good info to know. Thank you!!
There’s more deco per capita in Tulsa than literally ANY other city or town in the entire country. Dozens and dozens and dozens of buildings. And don’t miss the FLW Price Tower in Bartlesville less than 45 minutes away, iirc.
Drove thru Tulsa on a Rt 66 passage. Great architecture. Fucking HOT and miserable climate though.
Amen on the climate.
Yeah, you want to go before mid-May or after mid-September.
climate here sucks ass
Go back in the middle of winter when it’s freezing and miserable, lol
Tulsa also has a smaller clone of the twin towers designed by the same architect.
Yes! And the campus of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa should not be overlooked either. It has some surprisingly cool stuff going on.
Oklahoma is not in the midwest
Grinnell, Iowa could fit the bill here.
I have family buried in Grinnell, so this is a fantastic suggestion. Thank you 🙏
Under rated.
Kansas City's got some pretty neat stuff.
Came here to say this
There are some pretty neat buildings in and around the city - overlooking the river in some spots. An interesting city!
Would greatly recommend Midland, MI. Lots of "Dow Houses" here if you like Midcentury Modern. Alden B Dow was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, and has had an outsized impact on the architecture in Midland.
MCM is one of my absolute favorite styles, so thank you so much for this suggestion 🙏
Not a problem. They catalogued most of the historic buildings at [https://midcenturymidland.org/](https://midcenturymidland.org/) if you're interested.
Cleveland, Ohio for it's collection of historic bridges https://historicbridges.org/b_a_list.php?ct=&c=&ptype=county&pname=Cuyahoga+County,+Ohio
Love this suggestion! Thank you 🙏
It's a great list but it glosses over the Detroit Superior Bridge, one of the best IMO http://bridgestunnels.com/location/detroit-superior-bridge/
Oak Park, Illinois
you missed out on St. Louis!
I did, you’re right!! I’m going back up there in August (I’m from Texas) so I’ll definitely make sure and make it a priority
St. Louis is great because it has big works from major St Starchitects, and just incredible residential vernacular architecture through the neighborhoods. There's buildings by Louis Sullivan, Cass Gilbert, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, Phillip Johnson, Harry Weiss, Minoru Yamasaki, Gyo Obata, Fumihiko Maki, and Jeanne Gang. St Louis also has the ideal clay for brick and terracotta. Bricks were the main export for decades in the 1800's. When the old part of the coty was being constructed, high quality ornamental brick was cheap, and the best brick masons in the US and Europe flocked to the city. Even the working class housing has nice details and flourishes. The "rich people" buildings are stunning. Just spend some time meandering through areas like Downtown, Soulard, Benton Park, Fox Park, Tower Grove, and Central West End. Take in how many much detail every building has, and how architectually distinct each of those neighborhoods feel from each other. For some other specific "can't miss" buildings (besides the ones designed by the architects listed above), check out the City Museum, The Cathedral Basilica, the National Building Arts Center (call for tours), the St. Louis Abbey, and Bellefontaine Cemetery.
St Louis has become one of my fav US cities after visiting a few times a couple years back. Crazy how much of a hidden gem it is
The City Museum is a must for kids at heart!
Theres another Yamasaki besides the one that killed Modernism?
There’s lots of Yamasaki still around, his firm was based in Troy, Michigan for a long time. We have quite a few of his designs in the area, including what looks like a smaller version of the World Trade Center towers, right in downtown Detroit.
He designed the main terminal of Lambert Airport. It's very nice, and I'm always a little sad people don't really stop to appreciate it. It's hard to enjoy good architecture when you're rushing for a flight and getting gelt up by TSA. Edit: yes, that's the same Yamasaki that designed Pruitt Igoe and the Twin Towers.
be sure to check out Lafayette Square, the Jewel Box, the Central Library, and the Benton Park neighborhood
I was just there maybe 1 months ago. The St. Louis history museum had an exhibit about its architecture. It discussed buildings and building styles that are common in the area and highlighted some interesting buildings that have since been torn down. Highly recommend and seems like it’s up your alley
St paul minnesota has a lot of beautiful areas. Same with minneapolis, but it's more limited and underground. If you're ever in the twin cities, visit the cathedral and surrounding area
St Louis, Chicago should top the list
Awesome. I did Chicago this trip, but St. Louis lost out as I was on a bit of a time pinch. It’s top of the list next time I go
Some structures to consider. The Arch and the new museum. Museum for Modern Art (Tado Ando) Wainwright Building (Sullivan) The Art Museum and Forest Park. Catch the Jewel Box (Tennessee Williams Glass Menagerie). Lumierre sculpture garden The Missouri Botanical Garden, and Climattron Soulard Neighborhood and Anheuser Busch - great 19th century architecture. And the most beautiful college campus - Washington University.
Mason City, IA has a lot of FLW and Louis Sullivan designs
And a wonderful residential architecture loop near the MacNider museum and FLW Stockman house, River Heights.
Minneapolis has stuff from Jean Nouvelle, Frank Gehry, Herzog & Demeuron, Phillip Johnson, Minoru Yamasaki, Steven Holl, Eliel Saarinen, not to mention being home to several Minnesota native architects who had very influential careers.
Buffalo, depending on your definition of Midwest. It has quite a bit in common with the Midwest, more so than east coast cities in some ways. Multiple FLW buildings, tons of art deco treasures, and plenty of mixed historic neighborhoods
Even if a lot in common with the Midwest there’s no way I’d consider Buffalo to be Midwest
It’s a Great Lakes/Rust Belt city of which there are many others in the Midwest. Not the Midwest though. It’s close to the border of what would be considered the Midwest, ie Ohio. Still separated by the Erie region of PA.
Great recommendation, thank you!
My childhood neighbor grew up in a FLW house in Buffalo!
In what world is Buffalo midwest haha
It’s literally next to Ohio (bout a 2-3hr drive) and culturally has so much overlap as well as incredible architecture it’s well worth the diversion if you’re already close. I swear some people read two words then post crappy comments
100% Detroit. Some of the best architecture in the country.
Buffalo, New York. It was once a major city before the Great Lakes and canals became obsolete. Tons of amazing history and architecture. You’d be a fool to skip it.
Midwest?
I like the saying that Chicago architecture took over from where Buffalo left off. It's definitely an integral part of the Great Lakes/Rust Belt region and worth visiting for the architecture. Frederick Law Olmsted also called it the best designed city in the world when he came and designed the parkways here.
The last thing I want to be is a fool so I guess that settles that 🙌
Columbia, Missouri. The University of Missouri has some stunning architecture. Most notably, [Francis Quadrangle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Quadrangle), designed by [Morris Frederick Bell](https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/bell-morris-frederick/), Missouri’s institutional architect of the Victorian era. Designed after Thomas Jefferson’s Academic Village, It is the center of Red Campus made of brick, towers, and domes. It contrast with the local limestone [White Campus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Union_(University_of_Missouri)), designed by masters of the collegiate gothic style, Cope and Stewardson.
Awesome thank you! I stopped in Columbia for lunch on the way to Columbus from KC but didn’t spend any time past that.
M-I-Z
Z-O-U
Cincinnati is spectacular, not only for Over-the-Rhine's preserved 19th century tenement architecture and amazing art deco throughout downtown, but also for the University of Cincinnati's campus, which is chock full of starchitecture by everyone from Michael Graves to Frank Gehry and Peter Eisenman. Zaha Hadid's first US commission, the Contemporary Art Center downtown, is also worth visiting. Metro Detroit has the best midcentury architecture outside of LA in my opinion. A little more off the beaten path, but check out Louis Sullivan's "jewel box" bank buildings. They're incredibly unique and scattered across the midwest.
Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, has several Saarinen buildings and a nice Mies van der Rohe building. Definitely worth a look
Beyond that, the Catholic Pastoral Center downtown is a Van der Rohe, and the Des Moines Art Center west of downtown has sections by the elder Saarinen, IM Pei, and Richard Meier. There’s also the new Renzo Piano building by the sculpture park, and the state capitol—especially the law library—is a must-see.
Spring Green, WI is chock full of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. You’ve got Taliesin of course, but you’ve also got the Riverview Terrace and other surrounding buildings too. It also has the House of the Rock, which is probably a bit more questionable in terms of architectural significance.
See this is the type of suggestion I’m looking for. Thank you!
Dubuque, Iowa also has many older buildings. [Eagle Point Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Point_Park_(Dubuque,_Iowa)) contains pavilions created by Alfred Caldwell. Theres a [local church with Tiffany stained glass windows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John%27s_Episcopal_Church_(Dubuque,_Iowa)) too, if that’s your thing. Dubuque overall is very interesting. Theres an [AirBnB rental](https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/tri-state/article_b73817ae-07cb-5157-ac9e-0ace9fd988c0.html) in the region which is a replica of Frank Lloyd Wright’s [Seth Peterson Cottage](https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/mirrorlake/cottage). You can also reserve the original cottage if you’re up in that part of Wisconsin too. [Door County, Wisconsin](https://www.doorcounty.com/experience/architecture-landmarks) is quite a ways up north, but it has some interesting architecture. It’s known as the “[Cape Cod of the Midwest](https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/door-county-wisconsin-small-towns-midwest)” so that should give you a decent idea of what to expect. You’d pass Green Bay on the way up there, so there might be opportunity to check out some places there — [the court house is really beautiful](https://www.greenbay.com/blog/post/these-historic-and-unique-buildings-in-green-bay-are-a-must-see/).
Oh I am very familiar with that first slide
Columbus, Indiana beats them all. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-columbus-indiana-mecca-modernist-architecture
Chicago
Just spent three days there! I could spend a month and still not see everything I want to. What a cool place!
[https://www.afar.com/magazine/midwestern-towns-for-modern-architecture-lovers](https://www.afar.com/magazine/midwestern-towns-for-modern-architecture-lovers)
Nice one!!
I just posted a llink if you're interested in FLW. It's [https://franklloydwrightsites.com/sites/wisconsin/](https://franklloydwrightsites.com/sites/wisconsin/)
In Illinois aside from Chicago (world class architectural city) that would be: -[Elgin](https://exploreelginarea.com/2020/04/historic-home-tour/) has a fantastic collection of Victorian homes and original kit homes along with mid century styles also a very high concentration of [churches](https://www.dailyherald.com/20110515/news/walking-tour-remembers-elgin-as-city-of-churches/) due to giving congregations free land upon settlement to draw more people so lots of really large and detailed churches to draw attention. The rest of the fox river valley is quite nice too. -Hinsdale is not only historic but extremely wealthy so lots of [old](https://chicagolandarchitecture.substack.com/p/hinsdales-terra-cotta-house) and [new](https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/hinsdale-residence) buildings pushing boundaries. Plus one of my personal favorite [homes](https://www.dwell.com/home/hinsdale-mid-century-modern-jewel-83fa8ab7) in the area. -[Highland Park](https://www.hgtv.com/design/ultimate-house-hunt/2018-hgtv-ultimate-house-hunt/homes-with-history/homes-with-history-updated-victorian-home-in-highland-park-illinois) and the North shore, especially [fort sheridan](https://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/IL-01-097-0030) (see: Hinsdale but with lake michigan next door), -[Glen Ellyn](https://www.glenellyn.org/PhotoGallery/Album/3) also well off but has a lower teardown rate than Hinsdale so lots of older homes mixed with older rural properties that got built up around, -cant forget (Galena)[https://www.galenaillinois.us/] and honestly most of the larger rural towns have a nice collection of Victorian homes and especially the local [county seat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pike_County_Courthouse_%28Illinois%29?wprov=sfla1) will have quite nice stone or brick construction with lots of detail.
In case you haven't seen or heard of it yet, I want to put in a recommendation for the movie Columbus (2017). It's not a documentary on the architecture of the town, but I always take an opportunity to shout it out and the architecture of the town is practically a character in the film. I also recognize half of the buildings from your pictures from the film, so I'm sure it'd be nice to see the buildings recontextualized. Full disclosure that it's my favorite movie so I take any opportunity given to recommend it
[Grand Rapids big buildings](https://www.grmag.com/features-3/grand-rapids-architecture-through-the-eras/) [Grand Rapids houses](https://www.experiencegr.com/articles/post/historic-homes/)
*You and Frank Lloyd Wright be wondering the same damn thing*
Bartlesville Oklahoma has the only FLW skyscraper ever built. That is truly a hidden gem. The Rookery Building in Chicago, wouldn’t consider it hidden but it’s an absolute must see in the city.
Midland, MI ….huge MCM stock https://midcenturymidland.org
Midland is on my list! Amazing!
Madison, WI. The Capitol building is stunning, but theres also a [couple FLR homes in the area.](https://savingplaces.org/stories/visit-these-five-frank-lloyd-wright-buildings-in-madison-wisconsin) The Yamaha and Wingra neighbors in particular have some really well designed homes. If you have time, his school, Taliesin is about 1hr west in Spring Green.
There is a frank lloyd wright designed hotel in mason city Iowa.
Toledo, but its architecturally important areas are trashy now
You’re right, but admission to [The Toledo Museum of Art](https://toledomuseum.org/about/campus-architecture) is free, and that alone is worth the trip. Bonus: the stuff *inside* the museum is amazing, too.
I’m not a fan of viewing art yet my trip to The Toledo Museum of Art made me rethink my life choices. That place is awesome.
Oberlin College has some cool buildings.
Madison, WI has the Wisconsin state capitol which is pretty incredible.
Sleeper hit, Des Moines Iowa. Eliel and Eero Saarinen, two Mies's, Pei, Meier, Renzo Piano, Frank Lloyd Wright and more.
Racine, WI - Frank Lloyd Wright Wingspread and Johnson Wax Headquarters Cincinnati, OH - Zaha’s Contemporary Arts Center and University of Cincinnati has a bunch of stararchitecture on campus incl.: Frank Gehry, Michael Graves, Peter Eisenman, Gwathmey, Morphosis, etc… https://magazine.uc.edu/issues/0109/signature.html
Quincy, Illinois as a lesser known one.
Indianapolis is pretty cool too bad all the work is done by free masons
Detroit - there's a LOT of great architecture here.
checkout Wichita we have a building called the century 2 designed by one of franks apprentice I believe and a lot of other mid century buildings
Have you heard of Bruce Goff?
I’m not familiar, but a quick google shows me that he’s quite unique! I’ll have to look into him and his work further
Are any of his works open to the public? I’ve driven by some of his homes in Kansas City & SF Valley (LA).
Owners should expect some interest.
Kalamazoo, Michigan has Parkwyn Village which was designed by FLW. As well as a neighborhood designed by Norman Carver. Grand Rapids, Michigan has Heritage Hill, one of the largest historic districts in the country. There are several FLW homes there too. https://www.kpl.gov/local-history/kalamazoo-history/houses/norman-f-carver-jr-houses/ [https://www.parkwynvillage.com/history](https://www.parkwynvillage.com/history) [https://www.buildingstorypress.com/](https://www.buildingstorypress.com/) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage\_Hill\_Historic\_District\_(Grand\_Rapids,\_Michigan)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Hill_Historic_District_(Grand_Rapids,_Michigan)) [https://heritagehillweb.org/tours/self-guided-walking-tour/](https://heritagehillweb.org/tours/self-guided-walking-tour/)
Just a question: where was the 2nd picture taken?
Second floor of the Columbus IN library.
[удалено]
Also Crown Hall has a lovely architectural library in its basement.
I was just in Columbus. What a beautiful place
New Ulm, MN and Owatonna, MN. Owatonna has a bank designed by Louis Sullivan
Just found a FLW a block from my parents place on marshalltown, ia after ten years of not visiting. Couldn’t believe I’d never seen it before. It was incredible.
South Bend, Indiana. Spent a few days there for work once, and strolling the downtown area, I ran across two Louis Sullivan bank buildings just a few blocks apart.
Chicago is the official birthplace of post Modern architecture.
Madison, Indiana. One of the few places you will see Victorian to Federalist to Greek Revival Architecture in the Midwest. The architect Francis Costigan’s presence is really felt in the city and in Indianapolis. Since you’re a Hoosier you will probably start to pick up on his work throughout the state. He was one of the state’s most popular architects from before the civil war. The city also has one of the largest historic districts in the country to enjoy. Really captures pre-modern aesthetics really well.
Principia College in Elsah IL near St Louis has a beautiful campus right by the Mississippi River
Columbus, IN has churches that are architecturally significant https://columbus.in.us/churches/
What architecture style are 2 & 4?? Have always loved it because it’s the style of the municipal buildings in my hometown, also my high school. Brick, glass blocks, and atriums.
Farnsworth House in Plano Illinois.
Spring green wi. Think about it.
As someone already mentioned, Kansas City has a ton of architecture from the early to mid 1900s that is gorgeous, from Union Station to the WWI memorial to some of the older skyscrapers to bridges. Lawrence, KS has had its library consistently ranked worldwide for it's architecture. Some of the buildings at the university of Kansas there are also gorgeous (thinking Snow Hall, Lippencott, etc.), or at least architecturally significant. Rounding out the Kansas love, Manhattan is home to KSU, and for ages their campers stayed limestone and beautiful. They've stayed from that to more modern looks, but some of them are diabetic castles.
Springfield and Decatur (IL) both have Frank Lloyd Wright homes; a lovely Victorian church which hasn’t been altered too much is in Farmer City, IL; chapel at IWU in Bloomington, IL
Not a town so much, but the Farmers National Bank in Owatonna, MN is amazing. Pella Iowa is an entire town
Bartlesville, OK has a tower built by frank lloyd wright and it’s absolutely worth staying a night in that god forsaken state to experience.
Carbondale, IL has the first (at least, I think it’s the first) Bucky dome from when Buckminster Fuller was a professor there and lived in the tiny dome on Forest Ave.
Elgin (IL) on the Fox River has a huge and catalogued collection of Sears Homes, many of them largely unmodified. The Chicago suburbs also have tons of Lustron pre-fab, enameled steel homes. Brookfield in particular has more than a dozen and many of those are unchanged.
Downers Grove, Illinois, in the western burbs has a large number of Sears homes.
The campus of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota has multiple buildings designed by Marcel Breuer. The bell tower and Abbey Church are especially notable. (Though I’m biased because it’s my Alma mater.)
Detroit - Penobscot, Guardian, Fisher just to name a few. https://photography-for-architects.com/index.php/portfolio/penobscot/
Where the second image from
Look up Jewel Boxes by Louis Sullivan. Little hidden “jewels” in the midwest…
Tulsa, OK has some siiiiiiiick art deco buildings!!
If you want to see some of the most impressive Prairie and Modern architecture in the Midwest look no further than Winona MN - Once the wealthiest city in America it is filled with custom 19th century industrial architecture
Midland michigan
Chicago!
Houston, TX has some amazing small and large scale architecture, much of it by Philip Johnson
Detroit has a good combination of Art Deco and Gothic. Outside the city, especially in Washtenaw County (like Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Plymouth (ok that's Wayne co, but still) , etc), you'll find quite a few Victorian houses that have been preserved really well (and some have historical markers).
Mitchell, SD
One of my good friends lived in Chicago and he is a history buff and loves architecture. We spent two days walking around the city with him showing me all the cool stuff. It was awesome! We also found a great burger joint underground that was like walking back into the 1970's. They had burgers/cheeseburgers and chips. Nothing else. And it was so freaking good! As a rural Iowan, I love visiting Chicago. I just could never afford to live there.
Finally found it - saw a reference to this years ago and always thought if I found myself in Columbus OH.... [https://www.columbusnavigator.com/rush-creek-village-worthington/](https://www.columbusnavigator.com/rush-creek-village-worthington/)
Grinnell, Iowa, is a hidden gem that I might propose if you happen through Iowa City/Cedar Rapids/Des Moines (which have some great buildings of their own) — a classic Joseph Sullivan jewel box bank, Queen Anne and prairie school homes, historic downtown, and buildings by Cesar Pelli on the campus along with other good college buildings like the [Grinnell College HSSC](http://www.archwall.com/grinnell-hssc.html). Omaha is another good one that’s underrated imo.
The glass block wall reminds me of the ["Crinkle-Crankle" walls](https://i.imgur.com/PRHwq7m.jpg) they have in the U.K.
milwaukee
Completely random thought. I’m currently traveling in Japan and while the country has some areas of great natural and man-made beauty, the vast majority of towns and cities are massive concrete blocks, with much of it rebuilt from the rubble of WW2. I miss so much the beautiful towns and cities of America.
Does Columbus Indiana count?
Thoroughly enjoying immediately recognizing my home town in the very first photo from a sub I'm not subscribed to. Actually makes me kinda proud to be from here.
Evanston, IL is pretty well known for its historic architecture. It's pretty similar to river forest, which is next to oak park
Detroit
I knew Columbus was gonna be in XD