Retailers have “Black Friday” on the day after Thanksgiving, So Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff Estate is offering an an escape (once you’ve supported the local retailers in your community of course). We’re calling it “Orange Friday” -the color of autumn leaves and the muted hues of Wright’s magnificent architecture. With fresh air and stellar architecture aplenty, there are tours every hour on the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 23, 2012… and throughout the holiday weekend as well.
(Graycliff will be closed on Thanksgiving Day itself.)
A leisurely walking tour of Graycliff is just the thing after all that stuffing and pie!
As you stroll, enjoy the last of the autumn foliage a short twenty minute drive along the lake from downtown Buffalo. Then following your tour, sip a free cup of hot mulled cider. If you insist, you can visit the Pavilion Shop, and get a jump on the Christmas holidays, too–there are all kinds of exclusive items available.
Reservations are required for all tour; please call 716-947-9217 or email graycliff@verizon.net. Please see the website at graycliffestate.org for more details; tours during Thanksgiving weekend are as follows:
Orange Friday, November 23, 2012
Basic Tour: 11 am, 1, 2, 3 pm
In Depth Tour: 1:15 pm
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Basic Tour: 11 am, 1, 2, 3 pm
In-Depth Tour: 10:30 am; 1:15 pm
Sunday, November 25, 2012:
Basic Tour: 11, Noon, 1 pm, 2 pm
In-Depth Tour: 12:30 pm
Graycliff has ample free parking. Admission is $15 for Basic Tours for adults and $10 for students for basic tours. In-Depth, two-hour tours are also offered: $30 for adult; $25 for students. Visitors should wear clothing suitable for the weather. High-heeled shoes and boots are not permitted on Graycliff tours’ bear in mond that Graycliff tours are not appropriate for children under age 10.
Graycliff is an architectural jewel on a scenic 8.5-acre estate on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie, with sweeping views of Canada beyond. The complex, with three buildings and extensive grounds, was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for Isabelle and Darwin Martin as a summer estate. Built between 1926 and 1931, it was occupied by the family until the mid-1940s. It is now owned by the Graycliff Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and providing public access to the estate. The Graycliff Estate is a New York State Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it is located at 6472 Old Lake Shore Road in the town of Derby.