Robie House: Self-Guided Outdoor Historic Audio Tour

Frank Lloyd Wright is a giant in the field of architecture and interior design, and the beloved Robie House is one of his masterpieces. 

With this experience, you'll enjoy a self-guided audio walking tour of Robie House's exterior and the surrounding University of Chicago buildings on 58th Street. Sites featured on this tour include Robie House, Saieh Hall for Economics, Booth School of Business, and more.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Robie House in 1908 and the structure was completed in 1910. The building has since attained National Landmark status and is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Wright was commissioned to build the house by Mr. Frederick C. Robie, a then 28-year-old businessman, and assistant manager at the Excelsior Supply Company, which was owned by his father. Robie was forced to sell the house after a short-lived tenancy of only fourteen months. The Robie house served as a residence for two more families over the next 16 years before transferring to institutional use for the Theological Seminary, ultimately landing under the ownership of the University of Chicago.

The Prairie Style is categorized by a tenet that deems the exterior of the home can and should be determined by the environment in which it is located. This means that a Prairie Style home would be well-suited for prairie environs, being low, fairly flat, and relying heavily on horizontal lines. In accordance with Wright’s beliefs, he also completely designed the inside of the house, proposing that interior and exterior design go hand-in-hand in furnishing the character of a building.