Frank Lloyd Wright, one of the greatest American architects, now has a trail running through Southeast Wisconsin.
Residents are starting to notice the little brown signs popping up along their drive, and state officials are hoping it will boost tourism in the area.
“I think it’s great,” said Racine resident Bruce Zaminick. “Keeps them on the map.”
More than 100 signs guide the way to some of Wright’s lasting legacies.
Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation to line the trail from Racine highlights by the S.C. Johnson Administration Building and research tower. The path leads to Milwaukee for the well known Burnham Houses. It then heads West for a total of nine stops.
“It’s sometimes something we take for granted, the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright,” Walker said.
Wright was born 150 years ago in Wisconsin, and the state is home to more than 40 of his designs. But some of them, including his church in Wauwatosa and the Elizabeth Murphy House in Shorewood, didn’t make the cut.
“There was two criteria and one is that they have to be open to the public," said Stephanie Klett, director at the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. “And the other thing is with the trail going through nine counties, it had to be within 15 miles of highway access."
Klett said these sites have been promoted for years, but now with more exposure she’s hoping the state will see a larger international tourism boost. Something Zaminick sure wouldn’t mind.
“It brings a lot of outside people,” he said. “I do Airbnb and a lot of people come in just for that.”
There is also a Frank Lloyd Wright Trail app for your smartphone, which will give you a map with stops and descriptions along the trail.
