DETAILS
National Trust Tours & International Seminar Design invites you to join a privileged group of members on a custom-designed cultural escape. From the sublime decorative interiors of Louis Sullivan to the sleek elegance of Renzo Piano’s Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, the “Windy City” is home to architectural masterpieces unrivaled in the world today. Led by historian and preservation planner Julia Bachrach, access prized historic buildings, examine renowned public art and study the rise of Modernism. Special visits to Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio, the famed Robie House and Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Farnsworth House make this the quintessential tour of Chicago.
- Pricing from
- $3,695
- Trip Type
- Closer to Home, Group Travel Tour
- Departure Dates
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May 24, 2026 - May 28, 2026
Terms and Conditions: ISDI requires that all tour participants be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to participate on the tour. Upon receipt of registration, ISDI will send registrant a Participant Tour Agreement detailing the full terms and conditions for this tour. This document must be signed and returned to ISDI before participant’s registration is considered complete and any arrangements can be confirmed.
Cancellations & Refunds: Cancellation by participant must be made in writing to ISDI and is effective only upon acknowledged receipt by ISDI. There is a non-refundable registration and planning fee of $500 per person regardless of cancellation
date. Written cancellation received by ISDI on or before February 16, 2024: full refund minus $500 per person registration and planning fee. Written cancellation received by ISDI between February 17 and April 11, 2024: full refund minus $2,100 per person cancellation fee (includes registration and planning fee). Written cancellation received by ISDI on or after April 12, 2024: no refund. Tour registration is non-transferable. In the case of
cancellation, substitutions are not allowed. After the tour has commenced, no refunds will be issued for any reason including, but not limited to, unused portions of tour. If the tour is cancelled by ISDI or National Trust Tours due to low enrollment, active registrants will receive a full refund of all tour payments.
ITINERARY
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day 1
Welcome to Chicago
Upon arrival in Chicago, transfer independently to the Palmer House Hilton, a revered landmark in the heart of Chicago’s Loop and a member of Historic Hotels of America. The Palmer House boasts a fascinating history and an excellent location within walking distance of the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park. In the late afternoon, join fellow travelers and walk to the Chicago River for a special architectural riverboat cruise. An expert guide highlights dozens of Chicago’s architecturally significant sites, including numerous landmarks of Modern American architecture. Following the cruise, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
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day 2
Arts and Crafts & the Glassner House
Spend the morning at Crab Tree Farm, a privately owned farm on Lake Michigan, and examine one of the most important private collections of Arts and Crafts furniture and decorative arts, highlighting major works of Gustav Stickley. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and return to Chicago, driving along the city’s famed Magnificent Mile. This afternoon, enjoy a specially arranged visit to Glessner House, designed by the legendary American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. Although its design was deemed controversial upon completion in 1887, it profoundly influenced Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan and foreshadowed the development of modern residential architecture. the 10 most significant structures of the 20th century.
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day 3
The Farnsworth House & the Art Institute
Drive to Plano, Illinois, for an exclusive viewing of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, an icon of 20th-century Modern architecture and a National Trust Historic Site. Experience its elegant simplicity and compelling coexistence with the surrounding landscape. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the Art Institute of Chicago for a highlights tour of its renowned collection of American Art, and see the sleek Modern Wing designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano. Stroll through nearby Millennium Park, an urban space combining cutting-edge architecture, art installations, and landscape design, before returning to the hotel.
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day 4
In the Footsteps of Wright
Drive to Oak Park, the Chicago suburb where Frank Lloyd Wright lived for two decades and grew from a young draftsman into one of America’s most promising and influential architects. Tour Wright’s home and studio, a National Trust Historic Site, and see where the Prairie style was born. Then take a stroll through the surrounding neighborhood to see the exteriors of several Wright-designed residential properties and end at the recently renovated Unity Temple, one of the most significant projects from Wright’s early career and an icon of Modern architecture. Following lunch at a local restaurant, drive through the charming Hyde Park community en route to the University of Chicago campus, studded with remarkable architecture including Wright’s Robie House. Tour the Robie House with a docent and learn why the American Institute of Architects designated it as one of the 10 most significant structures of the 20th century. In the evening, gather at a popular Chicago restaurant for a festive farewell dinner
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day 5
Landmarks of the Loop
Landmarks of the Loop Spend the morning on a walking tour of the historically significant architectural gems surrounding the hotel, including the Rookery, the Marquette Building, the Monadnock Building, and the Chicago Federal Center. Return to the hotel for check-out before 11:00am and transfer to the hotel independently for return flights home.
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day 6
Departures
Following breakfast, transfer independently to the airport for return flights home. (B)
Everything you need to know about the tour
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