Taliesin West

12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd
Scottsdale, Arizona

Phone: 480-860-2700 --
TTY:

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Statement of Purpose:

Brainchild of Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesin is snuggled in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. The complex is where Wright lived, worked and taught from 1937 until his death in 1959.

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Highlights & Collections:

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West is one of the world's most important architectural treasures.

Wright began building the desert masterpiece in 1937 as his winter home, studio, architectural laboratory and school.

The complex of buildings is set on 600 acres of dramatic Sonoran desert in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains.

Visitors experience firsthand Wright's brilliant ability to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces.

A variety of specialty tours are offered, from one to three hours, including a desert walk and Friday night tours.

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Exhibits:

 
FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S TALIESIN WEST ANNOUNCES SUMMER/FALL SCHEDULE

Scottsdale, AZ.  The popular summer/fall tour schedule of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West begins May 1 and runs through October 31.  During these months, when crowds are smaller, the site offers more indepth tours as well as special tours for families with school age children and a Friday evening tour. 

Tours are offered seven days a week, except TALIESIN WEST IS CLOSED TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS DURING JULY AND AUGUST.

SUMMER INSIGHTS NINETY-MINUTE TOUR--Everyday, mornings at: 9:30 am & 11:30 am; afternoons at: 12, 1, 2, 3 & 4 pm. (Also offered daily at 10:30 am May, September & October.)  Cost: $16/person ($14 Seniors, students & children 4-12.) The highlight of this very popular 90-minute guided tour is the dramatic Taliesin West Living Room, called the "Garden Room" by Wright.

The Garden Room is entered through a typically Wrightian low-ceiling, stone-wall space which opens to a spacious, well-lighted space 56-feet long by 34-feet at one place and 24-feet at another.  This room is covered by a sloping, translucent roof.  Expansive windows link the interior space to a garden on the east and to the horizon on the south.  A large fireplace dominates the far end of the room.  At the other end is an alcove which served as an intimate, private dining area for the Wrights.

Summer Insight visitors have the opportunity to sit in Wright-designed furniture and experience firsthand the drama of being a guest in Wright's famous Garden Room.  In addition, the Summer
Insights tour includes the spaces shown on the Panorama tours.

PANORAMA ONE-HOUR TOUR--Everyday, mornings at: 9, 10 & 11 am.  Cost: $12.50/person ($10 Seniors/students; and $4.50 children
4-12.) This one-hour tour is popular with visitors who don’t have the time to take a longer tour. It introduces visitors to Wright's brilliant ability to integrate indoor and outdoor spaces.  The Cabaret Cinema, Music Pavilion, Seminar Theater and Wright's private office are linked by dramatic terraces, walkways and splashing fountains overlooking the rugged Sonoran desert and Valley below.  Knowledgeable guides explain how the site relates to the natural desert and provide a general overview of Wright's basic theories of architectural design. 

ARCHITECTURE DISCOVERY TOUR--(90-minutes) Everyday (June through August) at 10:30 am & 1:30 pm.  Cost is: $6 for children ages 4-12; $8 for students 13 and above; $14 for adults. (Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.)

Visitors will tour the main complex of buildings at Taliesin West including the dramatic Taliesin West Living Room. The tour provides an overview of the importance of architecture in daily life; the role of an architect; and how math, science, and shapes, colors and patterns of nature were used by Wright.
"An interest in architecture often helps students expand their imaginations and their creative and problem-solving skills," said Shawn Rorke-Davis, education outreach director for Taliesin West. "Students learn how abstract skills, such as math and science, are used to create real structures."

NIGHT LIGHTS ON THE DESERT TWO-HOUR TOUR--Offered three times Friday nights starting at 6:30, 7 & 7:30 pm. Cost is $20 per person. This twilight tour offers visitors the unusual opportunity to view Wright's desert masterpiece in a dramatic night time setting.  The buildings, lighted from within, appear as sculptures, the fire-breathing dragon is lit, and the lights from the Valley below create a dramatic, romantic setting.  The tour includes everything on the Insights Tour plus light refreshments. Reservations requested but not required. (Ends September 27) 
        
BEHIND THE SCENES THREE-HOUR TOUR--Monday & Saturday mornings only (June through August), starting at 9 am. Also offered Thursdays at 9 am in May, September & October.  Cost: $25 per person. For the Wright enthusiast interested in an intimate look at Taliesin West, this exclusive experience is a must.  Visitors have the chance to have leisurely mid-morning refreshments in the colorful Taliesin Fellowship dining room, visit all the spots on the Insights tour including the Garden Room, plus a walk to the historic Sun Cottage--all with ample time to take photographs and ask questions.

All tours are led by knowledgeable guides who explain how the architecture relates to the natural desert and provide a general overview of Wright's basic theories of design, history of the site and activities of Taliesin Fellowship community life.

The entrance to Taliesin West, a National Historic Landmark, is at the intersection of Cactus Rd. and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. (approx. 114th St.) in northeast Scottsdale.  For additional information call: (480) 860-2700 ext. 494 or 495.

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

 
Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

 

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Photo by Dan Bitenc © Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation