taliesin tours scottsdale

You’re in the Wright Place!

Arizona , Tours , UNESCO

Taliesin west (1937).

By 1932, Frank Lloyd Wright was not only growing tired of the harsh Wisconsin winters ( I can only imagine; a call to our friends back in Illinois had confirmed the 15-18 inches of snow that had fallen and the four-foot drifts in our driveway while we visited Taliesin West), he was also going broke. The trip to Phoenix in 1927 to consult on the  Biltmore Hotel  must have piqued the imagination of the Master Architect; he was fated to return to the desert to found the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture . Originally known as the Taliesin Fellowship, the little “camp” of architects would grow into Taliesin West on the six hundred acres Wright purchased around 1937 at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale.

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A Home in the Desert

It is difficult to imagine Scottsdale in the late 1930s, when the population was barely 2700, especially today when it is more than a quarter million and still growing. (He likely paid little more than the $2.50 per acre that it cost U.S. Army Chaplain, Winfield Scott — who the city is named after — back in the early 1880s.)

Entering the “estate” however, imagination is easier; the desert surrounding Taliesin West swallows it whole. It is not until one is on the “doorstep” to the place, that one can see anything at all of the buildings. They so perfectly blend in with the desert. In Wright’s own words, Taliesin West would be “ a look over the rim of the world “, serving as an architectural laboratory for him for the next 20 years.

On July 7, 2019, UNESCO announced the addition of Taliesin West along with seven other Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings to the United Nations’ list of the world’s most significant cultural and natural sites.  View the complete list .

Tour Taliesin West

There are a number of different ways to experience your time at Taliesin West. Browse the various tours and book online at franklloydwright.org

• 12621 Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona
• View more FLWsites in Arizona
• View all FLWsites on a Google Map

Places to Stay in Phoenix/Scottsdale

• Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort – The perfect choice if you want to experience more of Wright’s architecture and influence.
• Choice Hotels in Phoenix
• Holiday Inn & Suites Scottsdale North – Great location near Taliesin West with easy access to Phoenix and Scottsdale!

Resources, Links & Products

Browse these resources for more information about this FLW Building, it’s history and information about the region.

• Under Arizona Skies: The Apprentice Desert Shelters at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer (Amazon book)

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Architecture and home design have always fascinated me. As a young girl I enjoyed drawing floor plans, rearranging my parent’s furniture and playing with Lincoln Logs and Legos.  My passion has always been the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Since I have been old enough to drive a car, I have visited Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Chicagoland area and attended the Wright Plus house walks. Now, as co-owners of Northern Sky Designs , my husband & I are able to combine our website design skills and FLW travels to bring you this website! Enjoy!

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Taliesin West: Everything You Need to Know About Frank Lloyd Wright’s Winter Home and Studio

By Rachel Davies

Many dash to Illinois to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie-style homes, others fly to Pennsylvania to experience Fallingwater . A trip to Arizona calls for a visit to Taliesin West. The Scottsdale property was the winter home and studio of the acclaimed American architect , from the time he purchased the land in 1937 until his death in 1959. Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship apprentices would “learn by doing” alongside the architect, building up the property from barren desert. Nowadays, a visit to Taliesin West offers the opportunity to experience how the legendary architect’s principles of organic architecture applied to a desert landscape. Below we detail the basics of Taliesin West’s history, elements of its design, and what you need to know about Taliesin West before visiting yourself.

What is Taliesin West?

Taliesin West is a National Historic Landmark and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home and studio. Wright and his apprentices would spend the warmer months at Taliesin, his home and studio in Wisconsin, but when the weather turned cold they would migrate to Taliesin West. Today it is open for tours and a variety of community events, including movie nights, happy hours, and day camps, among other programming. In addition to these public uses, the offices of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation are located on the property.

History of Taliesin

Five years after founding the Taliesin Fellowship, based out of his Spring Green, Wisconsin, home and studio, Frank Lloyd Wright found a plot of land that would allow himself and his apprentices to head out West every winter. While the cost of heating Taliesin in Wisconsin over the winters is cited as a contributing factor to the Arizona migration, the need for inspiration was another central factor. “He was in search of new catalysts for his imagination,” Roger Friedland and Harold Zellman write in The Fellowship.

As a home base, he purchased hundreds of acres of land in Scottsdale in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. “In 1937, [Frank Lloyd Wright] came to the site that is Taliesin West and decided that this is where he would want to work to create a desert laboratory,” says Henry Hendrix, vice president of marketing and communications at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “From that time, it built up from the desert camp to eventually becoming the series of buildings and supporting buildings that it is today. It [allowed for] a learn-by-doing way of life for Wright and his apprentices.”

According to Kathryn Smith on Taliesin and Taliesin West, the majority of the first phase of construction—which included the office, drafting room, kitchen, dining room, apartments, and the small theater—was complete by 1940. Life at Taliesin West was scrappy, with apprentices sleeping in tents or small structures of their own design, along with a years-long period without running water, as detailed in The Fellowship. Like Taliesin in Wisconsin, Taliesin West continued to evolve throughout Wright’s lifetime and after his death too.

Today, the Taliesin West property measures roughly 500 acres, with a “historic core” of buildings that date back to Wright’s own lifetime. This core includes the triangular prow, Wright’s living quarters, the garden room and private dining room, the kitchen and an additional dining space, the drafting studio, the board room and the William Wesley Peterson conference room, Wright’s office, the music pavilion, and the cabaret.

It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2019.

Architectural details of Taliesin West

Taliesin West is defined by its site-specific “desert masonry.” As detailed in The Fellowship, walls and other structural elements were crafted by pouring a mixture of cement, sand, and quartzite rocks in wood forms. This work—handling the heavy quartzite in particular—was an especially laborious task. In the early days of Taliesin West, rather than a proper solid roof, canvas was stretched across redwood beams, allowing Wright and the apprentices to roll them up when more light was needed or pull them across to minimize heat and protect from rain. Still, the material wasn’t leakproof and it was eventually replaced with glass and acrylic panels, in some cases. After years in the heat, the wood showed its age and was reinforced with steel and painted red.

Wright chose the name Taliesin, meaning “shining brow” in Welsh, for his Wisconsin property because he chose to site the home on the brow of the hill rather than directly atop it. Extending that sensitivity to his site in Arizona, he chose the locations for the buildings of Taliesin West so that they would complement the McDowell Mountains. The experience of Taliesin West is as much about the exterior spaces as it is the interior, with walkways and terraces connecting one building to the next.

Interior design of Taliesin West

The interiors of Taliesin West frame the landscape, giving visitors a greater appreciation for its site. “Wright’s work was very intentional,” Hendrix says. “He has built-in furniture here because you’re supposed to sit and absorb that view from that particular angle while sitting down…. He wanted people to sit and look and absorb and be inspired.” In Hendrix’s experience, the desert environment is one of the things people remark upon most when first visiting Taliesin West—a testament to Wright’s commitment to the ideals of organic architecture. “The distance in views, what you can see here, just the beauty of it and how everything fits together—I think that’s what the first time visitor experiences,” Hendrix says.

Generally speaking, the colors in the interiors match the landscape, with reds, greens, and yellow details appearing inside. These colors play off of the color variations in the stone of the desert masonry, which makes up many of the interior walls too. The furniture in the spaces that visitors will view on tours are reproductions of original Wright-designed furniture to reduce wear and tear on original designs.

Frequently Asked Questions

According to Humanities , the magazine of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Frank Lloyd Wright purchased the 800 acres of land for $3.50 an acre—a total of $2,800. Of course, this cost does not include the expense of making this land liveable. One major cost was paying a well digger to bring running water to Taliesin West, which cost $10,000 according to The Fellowship.

The cost of visiting Taliesin West varies depending on which specific tour you choose. As of 2024, the Highlights Audio Tour costs $44 for adults, $31 for students, and $22 for youth ages 6 to 12. The In-Depth Guided Tour costs $54 for adults, $38 for students, or $27 for youth ages 6 to 12. Other tour opportunities, and their associated costs, vary from year to year.

The self-guided Highlights Audio Tour lasts roughly 90 minutes, while the In-Depth Guided Tour takes one hour. The length of other tour options varies. The tours offer different ways of experiencing the property, allowing you to choose the way you wish to engage with the property. “The beauty of the audio tour is that it allows you to kind of move through these spaces at your own pace, so if you want to linger in the garden room a little bit longer, or even when you’re in the drafting studio you can [linger,] versus the guided tour [that] would move you through the spaces,” Hendrix explains. The Taliesin West property also includes the Frank Lloyd Wright Store, which visitors may spend varying amounts of time visiting prior or following their tour.

Since Frank Lloyd Wright’s death in 1959, Taliesin West has been owned by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

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Taliesin West – Frank Lloyd Wright’s

Taliesin West is a national historic landmark nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains outside of Scottsdale, AZ.  It is also the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Taliesin, The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture.

Wright’s beloved winter home and the bustling headquarters of the Taliesin Fellowship, Taliesin West was established in 1937 and diligently handcrafted over many years into a utopian world unto itself. Deeply connected to the desert from which it was forged, Taliesin West possesses an almost prehistoric grandeur. It was built and maintained almost entirely by Wright and his apprentices, making it among the most personal of the architect’s creations

A lively community, Taliesin West is open to the public and offers a broad range of tours. Come experience the place that Wright called “the top of the world.”

Taliesin West is situated in Northeast Scottsdale, AZ at the intersection of Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and Cactus Road. Parking is free.

HOURS AND TOURS

Taliesin West is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from June-August. Our seven-day a week schedule resumes September 1.

Taliesin West is closed to the public on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Click HERE for the full Taliesin West tour schedule.

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An Architecture Pilgrimage to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Scottsdale Retreat

A trip to see frank lloyd wright’s taliesin west winter retreat and school—and the sonoran desert that inspired him—is a must for architecture lovers..

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Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, was the winter retreat of 20th-century architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

By Andrew Pielage

“The saguaro is the greatest example of a skyscraper that was ever built.”

This was Frank Lloyd Wright ’s take on the world’s largest cactus, native to the Sonoran Desert, which can grow to a towering 40 feet. The late architect’s words echoed in my mind as I hiked past legions of the thick, tree-like formations on a cloud-free winter day in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale .

I came across a stout and spiny cholla cactus and reached for one of its prickly towheaded fingers, tempting fate with a light caress, and felt the sharp pain of a barb as it impaled my skin.

“The beautiful blonde of the desert that is as wicked as anything that ever existed,” he called them.

I was in Scottsdale learning about how the natural world played such a central role in the work of Wright, one of great 20th-century architects. Between hikes through the Sonoran Desert, I planned to visit Taliesin West , the winter retreat Wright built in 1937 with his third wife, Olgivanna, and the winter campus for the School of Architecture at Taliesin (based in Wisconsin).

Taliesin West has been in the news a lot lately: In the summer of 2019, it made the UNESCO World Heritage List as just one of 11 U.S. cultural monuments. But the following winter, the school announced it would stop its accredited architecture program by June 2020, citing an inability to come to an agreement on the future of the campus with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation . In 2017, the school split from the foundation to meet accreditation requirements of the Higher Learning Commission. The campus will remain open for tours, and it remains one of the best places for an immersive understanding of Wright’s nature-driven design philosophy.

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve has more than 200 miles of trails.

Courtesy of Experience Scottsdale

From Bauhaus to Wright’s House

The midcentury modern style was born in the United States in the 1930s, and was inspired by European movements such as Bauhaus . Wright, with his groundbreaking designs, was among the first to introduce the minimalistic, functionality-driven philosophies coming out of the Continent into American architecture. Midcentury modern is characterized by clean, minimalist lines, angular forms, and an overarching philosophy of harmony with nature. It still features prominently in America’s architectural aesthetic today: Wright’s Guggenheim museum in New York is one such example, and so are the famous leather-and-wood Eames chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames .

Preservation efforts have struggled in Scottsdale compared to such minimalist hot spots as Palm Springs, according to Ace Bailey, the founder of Ultimate Art & Culture Tours , whom I met in the lobby of the city’s Hotel Valley Ho . “We have not reached the Palm Springs level of midcentury architectural preservation yet, but we’re working on it,” she told me. “We have an older and more conservative demographic here that hasn’t quite gotten it because they grew up with it, so it doesn’t feel historic to them.”

She is one of several locals working to help preserve the rich architectural heritage in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area. Modern Phoenix , run by Alison and Matthew King, aims to preserve and protect the legacy of midcentury architecture, while the Upward Projects restaurant group repurposes midcentury buildings as restaurants .

The Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale is a showcase of the midcentury modern architectural style popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Courtesy of Hotel Valley Ho

Bailey is the head concierge of the Hotel Valley Ho, a midcentury-modern gem by architect Edward L. Varney—one of many local architects who never studied under Wright but were influenced heavily by his work. The hotel originally opened in 1956 when Scottsdale was Hollywood’s go-to desert hideaway from the paparazzi. With its flat roofs, carved concrete panels and columns, and glass panels that let the golden desert light in, the hotel is a true time warp: You half expect Betty and Don Draper to saunter into the light-filled lobby. In the 70s, the Hotel Valley Ho became a chain hotel, and a lot of its charm was covered over. That all changed in 2002: the property was at risk of being torn down until local hospitality company Westroc Collection swept in and completed a $80 million, preservation-minded renovation. It uncovered the original carved concrete columns, added a tower that had always been part of Varney’s original plan, and decorated the 241 guest rooms with period-style minimalist furnishings, such as glossy yellow en suite kitchens and open-riser stairs. Since the Hotel Valley Ho reopened in 2005, Alan Hess, an architect and author, called it one of the best-preserved midcentury hotels in the United States, and it’s the only hotel in Scottsdale that’s listed as a Historic Hotel of America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Frank Lloyd Wright poses at Taliesin West, his desert retreat in Scottsdale.

Courtesy of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives (The Museum of Modern Art | Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York). All rights reserved

Minutes after we met at the Hotel Valley Ho, Bailey and I were driving down a saguaro-lined road in Scottsdale toward Taliesin West, the desert sun beating down on her Volkswagen. With short silver hair, a perpetual smile, and a seemingly endless supply of enthusiasm, Bailey would become either visibly excited or perturbed, depending on the type of architecture we passed. We encountered a sea of red tile-roofed stucco houses built in the 1980s, and Bailey pointed out the shallow, flush-mount windows with disdain. The shallow-set windows are ineffective against desert heat and cause fabrics and artwork to fade, she explained, but they became ubiquitous when air-conditioning became common. When we’d come across a low-slung, flat-roofed building—a midcentury modern oasis in a sea of cookie-cutter constructions—Bailey would sigh with delight. She pointed out that midcentury construction stays cooler because of the thick concrete walls, diffused lighting, and smaller elements as hole-filled breeze blocks that help to circulate air.

With Bailey’s help, I was beginning to see Scottsdale’s architectural sprawl with new and more discerning eyes, too.

“I’m passionate about the preservation of good architecture, not all architecture,” said Bailey. “It all comes down to educating people and pointing out what good midcentury architecture is.”

Taliesin West is located at the foothills of Arizona’s McDowell Mountains.

A Design Oasis

Taliesin West, pronounced tally-essen—means “shining brow” in Welsh, because it sits on the brow of a hillside in the McDowell Mountain Range. We didn’t see the retreat until we were almost on top of it: the low-slung buildings blend in so well with the desert that they pop up seemingly out of nowhere. The 600-acre property is where Wright would teach his apprentices with a learn-by-doing philosophy. His students built everything onsite themselves; they’d even lug concrete for their own creations in wheelbarrows.

Wright founded Taliesin West in 1937 using the commission he received from his now-iconic Fallingwater , a private home in rural Pennsylvania, strikingly cantilevered over a scenic river, that he built in 1935. Between October and May—save for one year during World War II amid gas shortages—Wright, his wife, and his students would migrate west from the School of Architecture at Taliesin in Wright’s native Wisconsin.

“I was struck by the beauty of the desert, by the dry, clear sun-drenched air, by the stark geometry of the mountains,” he once wrote. “The entire region was an inspiration in strong contrast to the lush, pastoral landscape of my native Wisconsin.”

In the various structures at Taliesin West, all of the architectural values Wright embraced are on full display: harmony with nature, maximization and manipulation of natural light, cantilevered designs, geometric shapes. He was famous for using canvas roofs, which, while leaky during the Sonoran Desert’s rare periods of rain, would diffuse light in a way that would create perfect conditions for intense visual work—such as architectural drafting.

The Wrights’ private living room exemplifies the “compression and release” design device that Wright loved: he’d build a diminuitive entryway that would would open up into a much larger room—to heighten the visual impact of the larger space within. When I passed the diminutive foyer and entered the living room, I was bathed in light from large windows that faced a picturesque garden. My eye immediately went to an enormous stone fireplace, the focal point of the room. I noticed that almost no art hung on the walls (Wright believed architecture itself was the art). As I explored the space, Michael, our docent, invited us to sit in the origami chairs, created out of plywood in a shape reminiscent of the Japanese folding art. As I sank into an orange-upholstered chair, I imagined what it may have been like to listen to Wright play the grand piano that sat in the corner (Michael informed us that Wright was a self-taught, concert-level pianist).

Wright’s Cabaret Theatre at Taliesin West in Scottsdale was inspired by his travels to Europe.

My most magical encounter with space at Taliesin West was at the Cabaret Theatre, inspired by Wright’s trips to Europe. I entered through a narrow hallway and was greeted by another large fireplace. I turned left into the subterranean main room, shaped like an irregular hexagon on its side. Seats are arranged at an angle rather than parallel with the stage, positioned the way Wright used to like to sit while watching a show with Olgivanna: with his left leg crossed over his right, and his right arm around her. According to Michael, the cabaret is 97 percent acoustically perfect; the airspace beneath the stage allows for voices to project naturally. At 12:30, a bell rang in the distance, and Michael informed us that the students and instructors were breaking to have lunch together. Part of the culture of Taliesin West was to live life within their own architectural innovations—cook, sleep, and work in them—in order to understand and improve their designs. A group of the school’s 28 current students, many in their 20s and 30s, had just abandoned a cluttered, scale model-filled computer room for the glass-encased dining hall. As I watched the students through the windows, clad in their hoodies and beanies, talking animatedly with their professors, I reminded myself that I was looking at the architecture school’s last class before the program shutters in June.

Bailey’s eyes widened when she saw an older man in a red sweater, sitting at the end of a table not far from a cluster of students. “That’s Arnold Roy,” she said.

Roy started his apprenticeship with Wright in 1952 when he was a teenager. One of the few living architects who worked directly under Wright, he is now a preservation architect for all the buildings at Taliesin West.

I took a moment to appreciate this living connection to the history that resides at Taliesin West. A shiver of delight ran down my spine as Bailey and I made our way back out into the desert road.

Taliesin West is open year round and offers guided tours ranging from an hour to three hours long. Book tickets through the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation , or book a Scottsdale architecture tour with Ace Bailey , who also leads history and architecture walks for the Hotel Valley Ho.

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Frank Lloyd Wright and Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona

In the northeast of Scottsdale, Arizona , there is a living memorial to great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Nestled in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains and surrounded by the spectacular Sonoran Desert lays a sprawling 600-acre complex called Taliesin West (pronounced: tal-ee-ess-in), designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright. The buildings and landscape of this National Historic Landmark coexist in harmony, blending form and color, beauty and grace, nature and science.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867. He grew up in rural Wisconsin, where he was taught the virtue of hard work and acquired a love of the landscape. At the age of 18, he entered university to study civil engineering, and, shortly thereafter, he began his career in architecture. As an architect, he became known as a revolutionary and a nonconformist. He despised what he called the stale, backward-looking ideas of his peers who were designing architecture based on the Greek, Roman, Gothic, and Tudor models instead of creating a new, vibrant American landscape. He longed to be freed from the limits of existing material and designs. In his various writings, he described "organic architecture" with site-specific construction where "form and function were one." He set forth the principles of the Prairie House with open expanses and limited subdivisions, which he referred to as "boxes." While his architectural principles gained him fame overseas, Frank Lloyd Wright was not always appreciated at home, where he was often ridiculed. Eventually, the number of his followers grew.

Factoid:  Frank Lloyd Wright visited Arizona for the first time in 1927. He often stayed at a temporary camp near Chandler .

Why Did He Build Taliesin West?

Taliesin I was built in 1911 in Wisconsin . The word Taliesin means "a shining brow," perhaps alluding to the scenic location and vista. It was built to be a home, a workplace, and a school and cultural center for Wright's students. Wright designed it all, to the last piece of furniture. In 1914, it suffered severe fire damage. Taliesin II was soon built on the same spot, but it was also damaged by fire and again rebuilt as Taliesin III.

In 1927, architect Albert Chase McArthur (a former student of Wright’s) asked Wright to help him with the projected construction of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Wright accepted, came to Phoenix, and presented plans based on his unusual architectural principles. There was opposition to the unique design and some compromises were made. Known today as The Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, the award-winning property describes itself as “the only existing hotel in the world with a Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced design.”

Now introduced to the Arizona landscape, the master and his disciples planned and built Taliesin West. Indigenous materials were used throughout, and Wright's students built it, basically by hand.

Visitors to Taliesin West are struck by the expanse of the site and the intricate structures built of massive walls fashioned of desert rock embedded in masonry, topped with canvas flaps for ceilings affixed to redwood beams. The structures at Taliesin West are sort of tents-yet-not-tents by virtue of their weight and permanence. The units that comprise it are arranged at various distances and angles connected by terraces, lawns, pools, and stairways.

Of Taliesin West, Wright wrote, “Our new desert camp belonged to the Arizona desert as though it had stood there during creation.”

Factoid: Frank Lloyd Wright was 70 years old in 1937 when he decided to build his winter residence in an undeveloped portion of the Scottsdale desert with a view of the valley.

Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona

Wright founded the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in 1932 to teach his theories and practices to young men and women. Subsequently, he decided that he needed a camp to escape the harsh Wisconsin winters. Five years later the seventy-year-old architect returned to Arizona and purchased the land upon which he built Taliesin West.

It turned out to be much more than the winter camp for which it was intended. In the course of the next 22 years until his death in 1959, Frank Lloyd Wright was awarded, rewarded, decorated, and celebrated here and abroad. He was a prolific writer, inventor, world traveler, and, of course, architect.

Over the course of the time that Frank Lloyd Wright spent in Arizona, he designed and built many projects, including some in the Phoenix area. They include the inspiring Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium -- now referred to as A.S.U. Gammage -- on the campus of Arizona State University . The building was completed posthumously.

Factoid: Frank Lloyd Wright designed many homes and buildings in Arizona, but most of them were never built.

Public Tours

A guided tour is the only way visitors can see the Taliesin West complex, which includes The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (fundraising), The Frank Lloyd Wright Memorial Foundation (archives), The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, and Wright's home. The Taliesin Association of Artists, a group of architects dedicated to the spirit of the founder, is also on site at Taliesin West.

Taliesin West offers several tours of the buildings:

• Panorama Tour : 1 hour. Visit the Cabaret Theater, Music Pavilion, Kiva, Wright’s private office, outdoor spaces, terraces, gardens, and walkways. Year-round.
• The Insights Tour : 90 minutes. Same as the Panorama Tour, plus Frank Lloyd Wright's living quarters. Year-round.
• Behind-the-Scenes : 3 hours. An in-depth look at Taliesin West. It's the Insights Tour but with the opportunity to talk to Wright associates. Architecture enthusiasts especially enjoy this tour. Year-round.
• Desert Walk : 90 minutes. Guided desert nature walk at Taliesin West with an in-depth description of native materials found on the site and used by Wright. November through April only.
• Desert/Insights Tour : A combination tour offered November through April.
• Night Lights in the Desert : 2 hours. Includes everything on the Insights Tour but seen through the different perspective of twilight. Light refreshments. February, March, April, May, October, November. In December, the Night Lights Tour goes festive for the holidays, with music and light holiday refreshments.

Factoid: Taliesin West sits on 640 acres and has more than 150,000 visitors every year.

Other Activities

The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture offers academically and professionally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees. Its students and faculty work here year-round.

Also on this property, The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives is "the largest and most complete collection of materials related to a single artist housed under one roof anywhere in the world."

From time to time, special events will be hosted by Taliesin West as "The primary objective of The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation’s Arts & Culture Program is to offer the public various performances, exhibitions, and workshops in the area of arts and culture. The program serves to heighten public awareness of Taliesin as a National Historic Landmark and draws attention to the historical intersection of architecture, arts, and agriculture unique to the Taliesin campus."

Arrangements for corporate functions may be made, but Taliesin West does not rent facilities for political or activist events or for religious ceremonies.

Factoid: The Frank Lloyd Wright Archives contains 22,000 original drawings and other documents as well as 400,000 other artifacts.

Tips for Visiting

Here are some things you should know before you take a tour:

• People are not permitted to wander on their own. You must enroll in a guided tour.
• You can sign up for a tour in the gift shop, but advance reservations are recommended.
• Several of the tours take place all year long, including during the summer months. The tours vary as to how much outdoor activity there is, but it is advisable to carry a bottle of water with you no matter which tour you decide to take and no matter what time of year. There are no refreshment stops during the tours.
• You may take pictures at Taliesin West but not in the gift shop.
• We don't recommend the tours for young children; there are no activities for them.
• There is no charge if you just want to visit the Book Store. It is one of the best, most unique gift shops in the Valley of the Sun!

Factoid: Taliesin West was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982.

Address and Directions

Taliesin West is the Arizona home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Its city of residence, Scottsdale, is located east of Phoenix, Arizona. The entrance to Taliesin West is located at the intersection of Cactus Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard (the equivalent of 114th Street) in northeast Scottsdale.

Taliesin West Address: 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Scottsdale, AZ 85259

GPS: 33.606395,-111.845172

Parking is free. Discounts for seniors, active military, students, and youth are available for most tours.

Entrance to the book store/gift shop is free. Taliesin West is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

Phone: 480-860-2700

Directions:  From The Loop 101 (Pima Loop) in Scottsdale, exit at Cactus Road and travel east to Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. Cross over Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd which becomes Taliesin Drive. Follow that road to Taliesin West.

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Guide To Frank LLoyd Wright’s Taliesen West In Scottsdale Arizona

Taliesen West is one of only 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Taliesen West been described as a campus, a desert laboratory, and a historic landmark.

It’s a a complex of low-slung buildings made of rock and glass in the Sonoran Desert. The beautiful building served as Wright’s winter home and the home of his utopian architectural school.

In this guide, Taliesen West, I give you a short history of Taliesen West and tell you everything to see there.

History Of Frank Lloyd Wright And Taliesen West

Frank Lloyd Wright was one of America’s greatest architects. Over a 71 year career, he designed 1114 buildings, of which 532 were built. He completed most of his work in his 70s and 80s, when he was incredibly prolific.

Wright produced iconic buildings like  Fallingwater , Taliesin East and West, and the Guggenheim Museum in NYC. In 2019, eight of his buildings became UNESCO sites.

A self-proclaimed genius, Wright claimed to “work true.” He was known as the inventor of “organic architecture” and the “prairie house,” distinctively American concepts at the time.

The philosophy of “organic architecture” meant that a building should be sustainable and evolve from its natural setting.

Wright was an imperious figure, clad in a cape and cane. He was difficult to work with, a narcissist, and led a scandalous personal life that was tabloid fodder. If you want to read more about that, click here .

In 1911, Wright began building Taliesen East, his home in Wisconsin. In 1932, he founded an “architectural school” called the Taliesin Fellowship.

Taliesen means “shining brow” in Welsh. It’s also the name of the chief poet or troubadour for King Arthur.

The school was the brain child of Wright’s third wife, Olgivanna. A spendthrift Wright was bankrupt after the Great Depression. Olgivanna suggested an immersive architectural school as a way to bring in income.

So the Taliesen Fellowship was launched. Taliesen succeeded, albeit in an unconventional way. Wright lured in architectural students with his reputation for genius and free thinking.

In return, his students paid tuition and “learned by doing.” They were no classes per se ; Wright was anti-school.

The apprentices were tasked with construction, farming the land, and preparing meals. At the time, Taliesin was essentially a quasi-cult, or proto-hippie community.

In 1935, Wright was advised that the winter climate in Wisconsin was compromising his health.

He decided to move his architectural school to Scottsdale Arizona for the winter months, calling it his “desert laboratory.”

Wright and his students traveled by caravan to Scottsdale. He purchased 800 acres in the middle of nowhere. Wright said, “Oh, we have to build here, this is pure abstraction wherever you look.”

He and his 30 students set about designing and building the compound known as Taliesen West in a style they called “desert masonry.”

They harvested stones right from the desert. Wright coined the terms “one-man rock,” “three-man rock,” etc. for measuring rock size. Over 20 years, the apprentices hand-crafted Taliesen West.

Taliesen West was a primitive place at first, while they were building. The architecture students lived in tents or small structures in the deserts. There was no water or plumbing. The tents remain today.

Taliesen West was designed in the prairie style, which I discuss below. The building is in perfect harmony with its environment. Wright himself designed all the furniture.

He loved music and installed 13 grand pianos. Wright was also fascinated with Asian art and you’ll see that in the decorations.

During the Taliesen West years, Wright’s architectural practice took off. In 1938, he appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. He designed the most famous house in the United States, Fallingwater.

After Wright’s death in 1959, his wife took over the helm of Taliesen West and the Fellowship. (And she installed air conditioning, something Wright hated.)

The Fellowship lasted 88 years. The school was closed in 2020, due to financial problems and internal strife between the Fellowship and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Nowadays, Taliesen has a full calendar of lectures, symposiums, exhibitions, and film screenings.

What Is Prairie Style Architecture?

The Prairie style emerged in Chicago around 1900. A group of young architects, including Wright, wanted to steer away from fussy Victorian or European architecture.

They were inspired by the ideals of Arts & Crafts movement, with its emphasis on nature, craftsmanship, and simplicity. As Wright said, “Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature; it will never fail you.”

Wright embraced the architectural theories of Louis Sullivan, who was his mentor. Sullivan famously coined the phrase “form follows function.” He called for architecture that was non-derivative, rooted in nature, and with a sense of place.

But the prairie style also incorporated modern elements, like flat planes and stylized ornamentation.

As Wright put it, prairie buildings are “married to the ground.” They celebrate long, low landscapes. Their most defining characteristic is their emphasis on the horizontal rather than the vertical.

As Taliesen West embodies, prairie homes spread out over their lots. They feature flat roof lines, rows of windows, overhanging eaves, and bands of stone or brick across the surface.

Most prairie homes are intended to be functional and flowing, so that you can “glide” through them. They have open floor plans, with low ceilings, and hand crafted details.

Wright said that anyone over 6 feet was a “waste of material” and designed his houses for people his own height (5’6″ with lifts).

Guide To Taliesen West: What To See

The exterior of Taliesen West is a juxtaposition of massive stone masonry and a breezy canvas-covered redwood framework. There are open interior spaces, linked by scenic terraces that look out on gardens.

Here are the highlights of Taliesen West in the order you’ll most likely encounter them on a guided tour.

1. Entry Court

The entry court is full of stunning sculptures by Heloise Crista. You can admire them while you’re waiting to start your tour. Crista was an apprentice of Wright, who was encouraged to pursue sculpture.

You’ll also find indigenous petroglyphs. These giant quartzite boulders held profound significance for Wright.

When Wright was first canvasing the property, he found stones marked by native peoples—the O’odham, Piipaash, Hopi, Yavapai, and Apache—with figures and designs.

He couldn’t translate the petroglyphs. But Wright believed the placement of the boulders was part of their message.

He adopted one petroglyph as the logo of Taliesen West. He thought it represented entwined or clasped hands.

Nearby and scattered around the estate outside, you’ll see Chinese ceramic theater freizes. Some parts have melted away from the intense sun. But that didn’t bother Wright, who saw beauty in imperfection.

You can also see Whitman Square. It was created under Wright’s direction in the early 1950s.

The square has an engraving, in gold lettering, on a flat red stone. It’s Wright’s manifesto, adapted from the poem Song of the Universal in Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass .

The inscription expresses Wright’s concept of American democracy, borrowing Whitman’s words.  

2. Wright’s Office

Wright’s office was one of the first things built at Taliesen West, between 1938-39. The office was where Wright conducted business and greeted guests.

The office roofline angles toward the mountains. Strategically placed windows focus views on the desert.

At first, the windows were just covered with canvas flaps. But later, when practicality prevailed (i.e., keeping out critters and the intense desert heat), glass was installed.

Wright didn’t even want a ceiling in his office, all the better to commune with nature.

Eventually, a wood framed canvas ceiling was added to cut the glare of the desert sun. It provided a filtered natural light.

The floors are poured concrete and the walls are made of rocks and concrete. You can see his two reds in the room — Maricopa (bright) red and Taliesen (dark red). There’s also a large fireplace.

3. The Prow

Just past the office is the Prow. It’s the most photographed spot at Taliesen West.

The Prow is an outdoor garden space with a triangular reflecting pool. In this spot, Wright thought he was “standing on the rim of the world.”

The Prow contains the vault (fireproof storage space), the drafting studio, and the original kitchen. The upper level contained the student quarters.

The building’s angles reflect the mountains beyond. The pool gives it an oasis feel. Back in Wright’s time, the pool was also functional, providing water to put out fires.

In total, there are seven pools of water at Taliesin West. Water may seem out of place in the Sonoran Desert. But it comes from an onsite well that Wright had dug 486 feet into the ground.

The Prow is used for afternoon tea, receptions, and other celebrations.

3. Living Room or Garden Room

The living room, official known as the Garden Room, reflects Wright’s architectural concept of “pressure and release.”

Built between 1939-49, it was given that name because the room looks out onto an enclosed garden space.

You enter a room via a tiny narrow passageway. But then the room itself is enormous.

Wright’s living room is a “great room.” He was contemptuous of boxy living spaces and essentially invented the idea. His theory was that the living room was a place for commune and comraderie, so should be large.

There’s a grand piano in the Garden Room. Both Wright and his wife Olga loved music.

Olga herself was a talented musician. The Wrights even expected their apprentices to be skilled musicians.

Wright designed all the furniture in the Garden Room. The room has long built in bench seating across from the windows. Wright’s famous origami chairs, which are made out of a single sheet of plywood, and are surprisingly comfy.

Wright believed that furniture should follow the lines of the room. He often told his clients to get rid of all their furniture and use his custom made pieces instead.

There are no paintings in the garden Room. For all his love of Asian art, Wright despised paintings. But there is a beautiful Asian screen and plenty of ceramics for decoration.

The space was renovated in 2003-04. It appears exactly as it did in 1959.

4. Living Quarters

The Wrights’ living quarters were completed in 1940. They overlook a landscaped courtyard.

One room is called the Swan Cove, named for the bird-themed Japanese screen mounted on the walls. it served as Oglivanna’s sitting room.

There’s a sparely furnished low ceilinged bedroom, with a desk where Wright would often work late into the night. It’s filled with Scandinavian furniture 

Metal pots hang on the bedroom’s fireplace. They’re not just decorative. Wright used them to make his late night soup snacks.

The bathroom still looks very modern. Wright wrapped the walls in sheet aluminum, a new building material at the time.

5. Dining Room

You can only peek at the dining room through glass walls. This was Wright’s second dining room.

His first was in a different place. But when the phone company put up telephone lines wrecking his view, he moved the dining room to the other side of the house.

There’s a massive fireplace just outside the dining room. When the doors are open, it’s an amazing indoor-outdoor space.

Nowadays, the dining room is rented out for special occasions and events.

The “kiva” resembles a pueblo, dark and windowless. It was inspired by Native American ceremonial spaces.

The kiva was originally used just for storage. But it was later turned into a movie room. Wright, not surprisingly, liked John Wayne. And his granddaughter was the actress Ann Baxter.

Red benches line three sides of the room, which has rough textured rock walls.

In this room, you can see Wright’s innovative square floor lights. He invented floor lighting because he hated light bulbs. There’s also one of Wright’s first drawings for the design of Taliesen West on the wall.

6. Drafting Studio

Wright viewed architectural drafting as a spiritual act. He once said: “I have never had any greater pleasure than to take a handful of colored pencils in one hand … and try to feel the design of the thing I want to do. It’s a great moment.”

The Taliesen West drafting studio was one of the first buildings constructed on the property beginning in 1938. Like the rest of Taliesen, it was built using materials found on site, allowing the architecture to connect with the environment and feel as if it belongs there.

This is where Wright presided over his students. There’s a large black and white photograph of him at one end of the room. According to lore, Wright was so prolific that “shook designs out of his sleeve.”

The studio’s roof angles toward the mountains. The roof was originally canvas. and open to the adjoining Pergola. But windows were added to enclose the space.

The exterior of the studio is a celebration of the desert. It’s a stone, concrete and glass sculpture. A pitched roof angles upward, drawing the eye toward the McDowell Mountains in the distance.

The room is open with a slew of drafting tables. They’re set close together. Wright thought would imbue the room with a sense of togetherness.

The pergola is a long promenade topped with buttress-like red wooden beams adjacent to the drafting studio. It’s lined with bright pink bougainvillea. The red doors open into the drafting studio.

Near the Pergola, you’ll find Wright’s famous fire breaking dragon. It greets guests during special evening events.

The dragon was originally a water feature. But Oglivanna installed a gas line and propped it atop a stone stele, so that dragon flames lit up the night sky.

8. Music Pavilion

I didn’t see the Music Pavilion on my tour. But this was the last structure that Wright himself oversaw at Taliesen West.

The pavilion is a theater that seats 108 people. The space was used for musical, dance, and theatrical performances.

The space was destroyed by fire in 1963, but was rebuilt.

The space has a series of curtained backdrops to accommodate different stage sets. There’s also an orchestra pit and a large abstract mural of the Chicago skyline.

9. Cabaret Theater

The Cabaret Theater was built in 1949-50 to replace the Kiva. It served as Wright’s custom made entertainment space for formal evenings. A gong sounded to summon you to the performance.

You enter through Mandarin red doors. Beyond the doors is a long passageway with views down into the cabaret, creating a dramatic entrance.

The angled floor and angled built in seating meant the guests had unimpeded views of the stage. Beneath the stage is another of Wright’s grand pianos. Today, strings of lights sparkle on the ceiling.

Wright was determined to make the space acoustically perfect. And he succeeded. The space is 95% flawless.

The cabaret stays cool because it’s partly underground. Dinner was served on tables that folded down when the performance started 

10. Chihuly Exhibit

I was incredibly happy to visit at a time when Taliesen West was mounting a Dale Chihuly exhibit. Chihuly is the United States’s most famous glass artist.

The exhibit pairs the artistry of two icons with like minds. Both Weight and Chihuly were inspired by light, color, and nature. You can see their work side-by-side at Taliesin West, to stunning effect.

Six large Chihuly glass installations are nestled on the property. You can see them until June 19, 2022.

They include:

•   Alabaster and Amber Spire Towers  at the Entry Plaza
•   Red Reeds and Niijima Floats  at the Front Pond
•   Black Saguaros and Scarlet Icicles  on the Studio Lawn
•   Golden Celedon Baskets  in The Garden Room
•   Fire Amber Herons  at the Tower Pool
• Marine Blue and Citron Tower  at the Garden Squares

The sculptures reflect the desert landscape. You’ll see glass pieces that look like barrel cactuses, black saguaros, yucca, agave, and desert reeds. In the large Garden Room, there are a beautiful series of golden baskets.

The Chihuly exhibit is two part and continues at the Desert Botanical Garden . The garden showcases Chihuly’s large-scale installations nestled among the garden’s world class collection of over 21,000 desert plants.

11. Pfeiffer-Jester House

After Frank Lloyd Wright’s death, several new structures were added to the Taliesin West compound. They included desert dwellings designed and built by Taliesin Fellowship apprentices and the building known today as the Jester-Pfeiffer House. 

Just a short walk from the main compound, this is the circular home of Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice and Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation archivist Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer.

The home was designed by Wright in 1938. It was originally meant to be built in California for Hollywood costume designer Ralph Jester.

But Jester cancelled the job when construction costs were too high. In 1971, Pfeiffer used the design to built a house at Taliesin West for his father. It’s a house featuring a series of round rooms.

Today, the Pfieffer House houses the Foundation’s Licensing Department. It’s sometimes included on tours.

Is Taliesen West Worth Visiting?

If you’re a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright or take your UNESCO sites seriously, Taliesen West is a must visit destination in Arizona. I have an Arts & Crafts style house, so it was an exciting visit for me.

But even if you don’t know much about architecture, the place is still fascinating. It’s a beautiful building with interesting and unique design features, reflecting a revolutionary period in the history of architecture.

To have the chance to visit one of Wright’s most personal creations, and one that he lived in, is an amazing opportunity.

Practical Information For Visiting Taliesen West

Address : 12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259

Parking : There is free parking onsite.

• Tour Hours: Open Daily, 10:00 am – 4:20 pm
• Store Hours: Friday – Wednesday, 10:00am to 6:00 pm and Thursday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. The store sells books, home decor, apparel, and art that celebrates Frank Lloyd Wright.

Entry fee : You can only visit Taliesen West on a 90 minute guided tour, which you need to reserve at least a week in advance. The cost is $49.99. You’ll get a good introduction to Wright, his life, designs, and his school. 

Self Guided Tour : You can also take a 60 minute self guided tour of the grounds at night for $35. The tour is entirely outdoors though.

In all but one room, there are places for everyone on the tour to sit down and rest. The tours vary depending on what has been renovated. You may see different spaces than I did.

Bring water and wear sunscreen and a hat. Be aware that there’s nowhere to eat at Taliesen West.

You can find rest rooms near the Kiva and in the Music Pavilion.

If you want to fuel up before or after your visit, Teaspressa (coffee, pastries), the Reserve (outdoor fine dining), or Cafe Monarch (contemporary American cuisine) are all nearby.

If you need a guide to Taliesen West, pin it for later.

2 thoughts on “Guide To Frank LLoyd Wright’s Taliesen West In Scottsdale Arizona”

What a talented man. You have a remarkable mind for all the details and a superb writer

I took good notes on the tour!

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Last Updated on January 7, 2024 by Leslie Livingston

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Taliesin West Tours

Taliesin west tours: how to prepare & what to expect.

If you’re planning to visit Taliesin West during your visit to Scottsdale, Arizona, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with all the tour options available to ensure you purchase the right tour for your timeline, budget, and interests.

Discover everything you need to know about this famous museum in Scottsdale , including tour options, ticket prices, and rules for visiting Taliesin West!

What Is Taliesin West?

Taliesin West is nestled in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s. Taliesin West was created as Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory and winter home. Now, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark that welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year.

Taliesin West is maintained by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and serves as an excellent example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s innovative architecture. This popular attraction is located at 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259.

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Tour Options for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West

Find the best tour for you to explore Taliesin West—the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Home & Studio Audio Tour

The Home & Studio Audio Tour is a self-guided audio tour that allows you to explore Taliesin West’s iconic spaces, both inside the buildings and outdoors, with your smartphone and headphones. You’ll be able to see the highlights of the Desert Laboratory and all the places where Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked with his apprentices.

• Schedule: Thursday through Monday
• Duration: 60-minute self-guided walking tour
• Price: $39 for adults, $27 for students, and $19 for youth

Highlights Audio Tour

This self-guided tour is very similar to the previous tour, but it begins on October 1st, 2022. It’s ideal for first-time guests because the tour takes you through the most popular places on the property and grounds, including the Garden Room, Drafting Studio, and the Prow at Taliesin West.

This self-guided tour includes music and narration from Frank Lloyd Wright. You’ll need to download a free app to embark on the tour, so please bring your smartphone and headphones.

• Schedule: Daily (First tour begins at 11:20 AM)

In-Depth Guided Tour

If you’re a fan of guided tours, you’ll love the In-Depth Guided Tour of Taliesin West. This 90-minute tour allows guests to ask questions to a knowledgeable guide while walking around the Historic Core of Taliesin West with a small group.

While you’ll see the same highlights of Taliesin West as the self-guided audio tours, you’ll also gain access to private living spaces that can only be seen on this tour. You will also dive deeper into the history of the site, architecture of the buildings, and life of Frank Lloyd Wright on this guided group tour.

• Schedule: Daily (First tour starts at 10 AM)
• Duration: 90-minute guided walking tour
• Price: $49 for adults, $35 for students, and $24 for youth

Programs at Taliesin West

In addition to tours, guests can also attend fun cultural events and programs at Taliesin West.

Starting in December, guests can attend “ Friday Night Films ” at Taliesin West to watch cinematic classics that Wright may have watched like It’s a Wonderful Life , followed by conversations about how the movie may connect with his architectural work.

Starting in October, Taliesin West begins taking reservations for the “ Sunset & Sips ” happy hour. On the second and fourth Thursday of each month, guests can walk the pathways of Taliesin West with a drink in hand to soak up the gorgeous landscape of the Sonoran Desert. This popular program is one of the most romantic date nights in Scottsdale!

Taliesin West Tour FAQs

Do i need tickets to visit taliesin west.

Yes, you need tickets to explore Taliesin West. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation recommends securing ticket reservations online in advance. However, there are usually a select number of tickets you can purchase at Taliesin West on-site the day of your tour.

Is there a Frank Lloyd Wright store?

Yes, there is a Frank Lloyd Wright store guests can visit before or after tours of Taliesin West. The store has Wright-inspired products to purchase that will allow you to commemorate your trip to Scottsdale and Taliesin West. The store hours are Thursday through Monday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Are photos allowed?

If you want to bring your camera to take photos of nature, art, architecture, and the scenic outdoors at Taliesin West, you’re in luck! Photography for personal use is permitted, but tripods and drones are prohibited.

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Scottsdale Stories

Frank lloyd wright's inspiration lives on in scottsdale.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867 and was a controversial character who some say never constructed a building that was watertight and always argued with his clients. He had a definite aesthetic and knew how a building was supposed to look, including how each room should be furnished once the commissioned building was complete. Hiring Wright to

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in 1867 and was a controversial character who some say never constructed a building that was watertight and always argued with his clients. He had a definite aesthetic and knew how a building was supposed to look, including how each room should be furnished once the commissioned building was complete. Hiring Wright to construct a home was agreeing to live by his vision – no exceptions.

Wright’s legacy lives on today in Scottsdale at Taliesin West ,  which served not only as the architect’s winter home, but also was where his apprentices worked and lived. Starting in 1937, Wright and his last wife, Olgivanna, made the annual trek to Scottsdale. During the first years, the Wrights essentially camped out in the desert. As Taliesin West evolved, Wright’s School of Architecture grew and prospered. Today, you can take one of many tours to explore the legacy and the legend that is Scottsdale’s only National Historic Landmark.

The 90-minute Insights Tour is offered daily and explores the Wrights’ private quarters, the drafting studio and the impressive Music Pavilion. With each stop on the tour, your guide will share stories of the property. For a more in-depth exploration, I recommend either the 3-hour Behind the Scenes Tour or the 2-hour Details Tour. I took the Details Tour recently and was fascinated that I discovered things I’ve not noticed on my previous visits.

Depending on the guide, you’ll hear different stories. On the afternoon I visited, our guide even played Wright’s piano. While many of the furnishings are reproductions, the piano is an original, so moments such as this are treasures. Looking out over the gardens, it’s easy to imagine what it must have been like on a winter’s evening in the early 1940s, with no power lines, no housing developments, no sounds of airliners overhead. The only sounds would have likely been a coyote howling in the distance or a hawk calling from the nearby McDowell Mountains. It is not hard to imagine why Wright lost his heart to the Sonoran Desert and why he wanted to keep his designs simple to welcome in the breathtaking natural setting.

You can also take a 60-minute audio tour if you're a little short on time. The audio tour immerses you in the Desert Laboratory, giving you insight into the story of Taliesin West. You'll be able to go at your own pace and explore the campus using your headphones and smartphone. Also available are group tours for company outings and you can speak to a coordinator on renting the house out as a venue.

As you explore Scottsdale, you will see other reminders of Wright. One of the most visible is at the intersection of Scottsdale Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard. The Frank Lloyd Wright Spire is a 75,000-pound, 125-foot-tall spire built in 2004 to honor a design Wright offered in 1957 for the Arizona Capitol building. His design, dubbed “The Oasis,” was a futuristic spire and glass canopy that stymied the state legislators at the time. At night, the Spire lights up in blue and green and can be spotted for miles.

Other Wright influences include Gammage Auditorium on the Arizona State University campus in nearby Tempe. Wright had originally planned a similar design for an opera house in Baghdad, Iraq but that structure was never built. Gammage Auditorium opened in 1964 and to attend a performance there is to witness the genius of Wright’s concepts for public spaces. As you walk up the winding paths to the upper seats, you’ll notice Wright’s indoor/outdoor design aesthetic. Best of all, even the highest seats have wonderful acoustics. Building tours of Gammage are available.

Not only can you see Wright’s buildings, but as you explore Scottsdale architecture , it becomes obvious that his influence was on the minds of other architects who designed our hotels, office spaces and public buildings. One of Wright’s most famous students, the late Paolo Soleri, created his Cosanti studio in the residential neighborhood of nearby Paradise Valley. Soleri’s studio, workshop and his creative bronze bells are a testament to Soleri’s creativity and a nod to his early mentor.

Over his lifetime, Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,100 architectural works, 532 of which were constructed. The School of Architecture at Taliesin West remains a vital part of today’s architectural scene, completing projects not only here in Scottsdale, but around the world.

Susan Lanier-Graham has been living in Arizona for more than 20 years. She is a freelance food, wine and travel writer who wanders the world in search of "wow moments." She finds many of them right here at home. You can find more of her travels at  www.wanderwithwonder.com .

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Road construction may lead to delays, so please plan your visit accordingly.

Hours & Directions

The Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center is located 2 miles (3 km) south of Spring Green, Wisconsin, at the intersection of Highway 23 and County Road C.

All tours and events depart from the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 5607 County Road C, Spring Green, WI 53588

• 1 hour from Madison, WI
• 2½ hours from Milwaukee, WI
• 3½ hours from Chicago, IL
• 4½ hours from Minneapolis/St. Paul

Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center

• Open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in April and November from 10:00am – 4:00pm
• Open Daily May 1st through October 31st, 9:00am to 5:00pm
• Private tours can be arranged with advance notice
• Open year-round for private event space rentals

(608) 588-7900

Toll-Free: (877) 588-7900

Gift Shop Inquiries: [email protected]

Tours: [email protected]

Address Taliesin Preservation Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center 5607 County Road C Spring Green, WI 53588

• Open 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Private tours available with advanced reservation.

5607 County Road C

Spring Green, WI 53588

Taliesin West

12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd

Scottsdale, AZ 85259

TALIESIN PRESERVATION

Taliesin preservation, inc. all rights reserved. cookies legal disclaimer privacy policy terms and conditions, privacy overview.

Taliesin West

• Taliesin West (AZ)

Taliesin West is Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory in Arizona

“Taliesin West is a look over the rim of the world.”

– Frank Lloyd Wright, 1943 Facebook Twitter

Taliesin West is a UNESCO World Heritage site and National Historic Landmark nestled in the desert foothills of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, AZ.  It is also the home of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and the School of Architecture at Taliesin.

Wright’s beloved winter home and the bustling headquarters of the Taliesin Fellowship, was established in 1937 and diligently handcrafted over many years into a world unto itself. Deeply connected to the desert from which it was forged, Taliesin West possesses an almost prehistoric grandeur. It was built and maintained almost entirely by Wright and his apprentices, making it among the most personal of the architect’s creations.

Photo: © 2017, Andrew Pielage

Tours & Tickets

A lively community, Taliesin West is open to the public and offers a broad range of tours. Reservations strongly recommended. Insight Tours are free for members. See the tours page for more information.

Photos:  © 2017, Andrew Pielage

Events at Taliesin West

Facility Rental

Host your event amidst the natural beauty of the desert and magnificence of Frank Lloyd Wright’s beloved home and winter retreat. A national treasure and historic landmark, Taliesin West is a stunning venue for memorable corporate events. We promise that your event at Taliesin West will be entirely unique and remembered for years to come.

Taliesin West may not be used for events that are political, activist, or religious in nature.

learn more 

Frank Lloyd Wright Store

Just off the main entrance of Taliesin West, the Frank Lloyd Wright Store showcases great design. The Store features books, home decor, apparel, and art that not only celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright, but also the work he has inspired.

Phone: 602.800.5444

Hours and contact information are as follows:

September — October

Monday – Thursday:  8:30 am – 6:30 pm

Friday: 8:30 am – 9:30 pm

Saturday/Sunday: 8:30 am – 6:30 pm

November — december

Monday – Sunday: 8:30am – 6:30 pm

Monday – Thursday: 8:30 am – 6:30 pm

Friday: 8:30 am – 9 pm

FEBRUARY – MAY

Saturday/Sunday:  8:30 am – 6:30 pm

JUNE – AUGUST

Taliesin West is closed for tours  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  during the summer.

Monday, Thursday, Sunday: 8:30 am – 3 pm

Friday/Saturday: 8:30 am – 9:30 pm

Reservations strongly recommended.

Open Today: 9 am – 4 pm. Store open until 6:30 pm.

Purchase tickets or view tours here .

12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259

(GPS Address:  12345 N Taliesin Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 )

The Whirling Arrow

News and updates from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation

Petroglyphs at Taliesin West

Discovering Frank Lloyd Wright’s work during a high school field trip to Fallingwater, Preservation Archaeologist Aaron Wright, Ph.D., felt drawn to Wright’s understanding of natural landscapes. Now, 25 years later, he is revisiting the legendary architect’s work to study the petroglyphs at Taliesin West.

Eight Frank Lloyd Wright Sites Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

The inscription of a collection of eight Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings marks the first modern architecture designation on the UNESCO World Heritage List in the United States.