Polymath Park - Frank Lloyd Wright Overnight in Acme
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Acme, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, US
Spent a night at Duncan House for our Anniversary, and also toured Mantyla. Friendly staff, informative tour, and a memorable night in a historical Frank Lloyd Wright house.
Came here after touring Falling Waters. I have to admit that I was wasnt expecting too much. But my experience was certainly incredible. Everyone was very nice. Our tour guide Robert was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Enjoyed the houses and the history. Would highly recommend visiting.
Did the Lunch and Tour package today. The Tree Top food was good, the house tours interesting. The staff was uniformly helpful and pleasant. Before the tour we spent some time with the woman in the check-in center listening to interesting Frank Lloyd Wright life details. Overall a very nice afternoon.
We came for lunch and the tour. Weather was perfect, staff very friendly.and the lunch we great. We had steak salad and yummy pumpkin cake with Carmel . View beautiful. The tour was really interesting, learning the history of the park and homes and experiencing the FLW architecture and style in 3 homes .
What an interesting place! Beautiful setting. We plan to go back when the next house is put up and open for viewing.
Great place to visit Frank Lloyd Wright homes that have been saved from demolition. We are grateful to the owners for seeing through their passion and sharing it with us. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly. A must see if youre in the area. On the day we visited our tour started late and lasted longer than expected so you may want to plan to be there a little longer than anticipated.
The tour was fun and informative. The guide knew the back stories of all 3 homes we toured. It was easy to get there and plenty of parking. You must have reservations to dine at the Tree Tops restaurant. We were disappointed that there were 3 free tesla charging stations but none for other electic vehicles.
Visited polymath park today and took the three house tour and lunch. I would not recommend this site if you are not already familiar with Wrights work. You will learn more about the architects style and work by visiting the other two sites in this area first.The history of how the site was developed is very interesting and Im very appreciative of the craftsmanship and dedication of the family that has built up this park. That being said, the tour felt very rushed and there was little time to appreciate the homes. When we arrived the tour guides were talking to one another and said, Keep them moving. And that was certainly how it felt. Upon entering each room you were being ushered to the next and although pictures were allowed inside there was not time to compose a picture or get anything of much quality. There wasnt time to digest the information that was very quickly conveyed and no time to form questions. It was great to see the houses though and there is an obvious amount of care and dedication that goes into this site. I would recommend that the tour be expanded to an hour and 15 minutes - even those additional 5 minutes at each house would allow guests to better appreciate them.Lunch at treetops restaurant was fabulous! The meal was perfect from start to finish and we couldnt stop raving about it.Overall this was a very worthwhile experience if you are already familiar and appreciative of Wrights work and I would definitely recommend including a meal with your tour.
Visited Polymath Park on 7/6/21. Our tour was at 11:00 with Jim. The tour of the three sites was good and informative. A logistical issue is that the houses will not allow for many people on any one tour. I think our tour had about 12 people. This keeps tours intimate and cozy. However, the timeline is rather strict. I would have liked a little more time, especially at the first two sites. I understand why they conduct tours this way (trying to get as many small groups through the sites as possible), but if this is the one and only chance you are getting for the tour, you may feel slighted. Did not stay at the houses, but I think it is a unique option.
While not as dramatic as Falling Waters, a wonderful spread of Lloyd Wrights style and methods with great insights into his thought process and workings. Bravo to the owners who took this on, while saving these amazing pieces of architectural history. Tree Tops Restaurant is lovely out on the patio for a meal and or drink
Staying overnight at Mantyla House was an incredible experience and worth every penny. The owners have done an amazing job with the property. Its almost hard to believe that this house was disassembled in Minnesota and then put back together piece by piece in Pennsylvania. The interior is in great shape, a notable contrast to Taliesin and it was a real treat to spend time in the space. I only wish we could have stayed longer.
Loved visiting Polymath Park! The Conservancy is doing amazing work in trying to preserve Frank Lloyd Wrights homes. Polymath has two homes, with a third to eventually come, designed by Wright that have been moved to the Park. Theres also a third home that was built in the Park that was designed by one of his apprentices. I highly recommend visiting Kentucky Knob or Falling Water before visiting Polymath to have an overall understanding of Wrights and how it evolved over time.
Spectacular. Loved to see the three structures.two relocated houses by Wright and one by his apprentice. On going work and looking forward to more future visits. Tours could be a little longer to give a change to experience the details
This review is for the lunch and house tours. We did not stay in overnight accommodations.***********************************************************I visited the area this past weekend with my two grown children. It was a perfect day.First, we had the lunch at Polymark Park. The service was impeccable and the lunch really more like hors douevres. So if you are hungry, you may want to pack something more substantial to nosh on afterwards.Lunch consisted of teas, choice of non-alcoholic beverage, a small appetizer, 4 mushroom raviolis and a pumpkin cake with caramel sauce for dessert. It was yummy!The restaurant decor and ambiance was spectacular. How soothing to look out the window at trees, flowers, whimsical wind chimes and rock features.Then on to the tour of 3 homes. The tour exceeded my expectations. In fact, I preferred this tour to Fallingwaters, itself.Our guide Robert was the best! Not only did he drive our shuttle, he conducted the tour and had first hand experience with the homes. One of the homes, he helped deconstruct and relocate to the current site where it sits. He also personally knows the owners who saved the homes from demolition and set up this fantastic opportunity for the public to view amazing works of architecture in harmony with nature.The timing of lunch and the tour was spot on. Everything started and ended on time.Thanks to all at Polymath who made this excellent day perfect!!!!I highly recommend that you make this tour part of your plans when visiting the Laurel Highlands area of Pennsylvania.
A hidden gem of the Laurels! We tried the lunch tour. Food at Tree Tops was great, and I was thankful for a delicious vegan option. Our tour guide was amazingly knowledgeable. I was thrilled that we could go into multiple houses! It was a cool experience that I did not know about previously.
Wow! The Tour Guide was very knowledgeable and the houses were so interesting to see. I learned so much about Frank Lloyd Wrights approach to homes. It was a great place to visit.
They take you by shuttle to the houses. It is a guided tour of the exterior and interior in each house. It is a great initiative that tries to preserve Frank Lloyd Wrights work and gives us the opportunity to see it, I loved it! 100% recommended
Polymath Park and the Treetops restaurant are a delight for the eyes, stomach and mind. A celebration and showcase of unique American Architecture in a lovely natural setting with friendly, kind and polite staff and tour guides. Highly recommend visiting, eating, or staying the night.
Loved it!!!! Great place to go if you love Frank Lloyd wright.
We really enjoyed the tour of the houses at Polymath Park. Robert was an entertaining and knowledgeable guide. They really paid attention to detail to the layout and orientation of each house. The craftsmanship in moving the houses to the park and putting them back together is great.
My fiancé and I visited and had a wonderful tour! We dont know much about architecture or FLW, but we like to learn about new things and we sure did. Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic, had a great sense of humor, and handled a sensitive mask-related concern with respect for all parties involved. Even if youre not an architect, if youre in the area, we both recommend a visit to Polymath Park!
I REALLY dont want to share this secret because then itll be harder to book stays here. You can stay at 2 houses designed by Wright and 2 designed by Wright-apprentice Peter Berndston. We stayed in Balter for our anniversary and its like sleeping in a luxe tree house, so peaceful. We reported some maintenance issues (lights not working) and Polymath offered to come fix it that evening but we deferred. The next morning, we were surprised that Tom, the founder, came to fix them bright and early. We also booked a house tour and tapas in a TreeTops pod. Everyone on staff was so helpful and friendly. We ordered takeout from TreeTops to eat at the house on our last night. Its such an enriching feeling to stay in such a thoughtfully-designed, soul-restoring house and quiet location. Already booked our return trip for my birthday.
We had a wonderful experience dining for lunch in the restaurant and then taking the tour of the homes. There were 6 in our party and being from New Orleans where we have exceptional food we were not expecting such delicious food. I highly recommend the restaurant and the tour. Wonderful family owned business!
We enjoyed the tour of the three houses at 11am. We started at Duncan, continued to Balter house and then to Mantyla house. All three looked just fantastic. Our favorite was the Balter House. It seemed to have the best flow and very good use of indoor space.The only thing we didn’t like was that we couldn’t take pictures of the inside of the houses (which is understandable), but when we asked whether they sell photos of the inside of the houses our guide said no. They didn’t even sell a Polymath magnet we could put on our door at home to remember this wonderful visit. Even though I did buy a set of earrings in their little shop, I couldn’t find anything else directly associated with the Polymath park.Also from personal observation, when you book the tour of the houses, please come on time, the shuttle will leave without you if you are not punctual.
A must see if you are at all interested in Frank Lloyd Wright and near to Fallingwater. Search on YouTube to see video of what this place is al about. They seem stressed financially with one of their shuttles punctured by a tree limb but the guides are excellent. A must see if you are in the area!
Wonderful place to stay for getting immersed in nature and architectural history. We stayed at Duncan and Blum houses and enjoyed our time. The owners are very welcoming. They go the extra mile to make you feel at home. Especially with the pandemic they follow recommended safety procedures so you can have a piece of mind. We will definitely go back. I recommend this place if you want to get away from it all with friends and family in a one of a kind setting.
If you like Wright, good stop...especially with Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob so close. Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable on Wright and the homes. I enjoyed her take on the homes and the contrasts.
We had a great time on our tour.How Polymath Park came to be is an interesting story and should be made into a book. Additionally, Tom and Heather should write a book on making your own luck via entrepreneurship, hard work, skills acquisition, and yes, a little bit of right place/right time.Our driver/guide/vet/sous chef was fantastic. He didnt even hint at a tip but he got one anyway. Informative and entertaining and personally involved in bringing these FLW inspired homes to Polymath.Look at the homes from above on Google maps. The Balter house is all but invisible. (Another good story there.)
Id give -6- stars if I could...**This is a site that will continue to expand and become priceless for rescuing and preserving FLW homes from other areas of the U.S. that may be possible victims for demolition, abandonment (no heirs), or tied up in the legal system within very restrictive U.S. states.*I met Heather, one of the young owners. Makes you feel very welcomed:) She is very personable to tourists as she asked me about RVing full time and others where they are from.*There arent many signs to reach the propertys location as many nearby residents have businesses and only so many signs are allowed in the area. My GPS didnt quite get me there, but Google Maps on my cell did;)*Visitor Center & cafe are beautiful. Very few items in gift store. Cash only as CC machine is down temporarily-fyi.**ROBERT was our shuttle driver & tour guide to all 3 homes that are currently open. Since he was also involved in breaking down, packing, transporting, and rebuilding 2 of these 3 FLW homes to this site (one from IL and another from MN), he is extremely knowledgeable about these buildings structures, maintenance, history, interior furnishings, etc. I enjoyed the hour & 15 mins immensely!!It was pouring rain that morning but Robert was able to pull the shuttle up fairly close to the homes:) We barely got wet.*You can take as many photos as you want, which is not allowed in some other FLW home tours Ive attended.*The food in the cafe was very good. No outside dining at the moment.***THE BOMB: For those of you who have dreamed of owning, visiting, or building a similar-type of FLW residence, etc., well, look no further! Here you can STAY OVERNIGHT in any of these homes!! Can you imagine? With stunning views, peace & quiet, and being able to sit on original FLW furniture, this can be a temporary paradise indeed!!(I took SO many pics but here are just a few...highly recommend!)
Our tour guide was excellent. She explained the differences between the three houses and gave us enough time to explore the grounds
I attended the 3 house your of Polymath, via the online reservation for 3 pm. The check-in was done in the Treetop Restaurant located at the entrance to the park. We we informed that our your was the last house tour of the season. Our tour got underway via a shuttle bus to the Duncan home, a special thanks to our very friendly and energetic tour guide. After a brief history of the property we got a relaxed introduction to the house and a brief tour. After which we were able to wander and take photos. The second and third house tours were just as nice, with a short shuttle ride between the houses. Overall a delightful experience and I really enjoyed the relaxed attitude of our guide. After the third house tour we returned to the entrance to the park and disembarked. As a Franklin Lloyd Wright fan, I was surprised that this place was not known to many people in my social network and natives to the area.
Absolutely loved the tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright houses in Polymath Park. I’m looking forward to staying in one in the upcoming future. Also loved my meal at the Treetops Restaurant. Made great memories in PA!!!
Interesting tour and very cool to see 8n person how these houses incorporate nature. Our tour guide was terrific. It was only mykids and I so it was like a private tour. The only thing i didnt like was there were no interior pictures allowed.
An exceptional experience. We had no idea what to expect, but seeing these homes and the preservation efforts put into it were simply amazing. To top it off, having a guide who is very passionate about what hes speaking about made the experience that much better. Very rarely do you come across someone who actually enjoys his work. We loved it, and hope to return!
Treehouse cafe, particularly the brunch, was absolutely spectacular. The tour was ok, particularly if you are a true FLW disciple, but Ill stick with dining only on my next visit.
A friend and I took the 3 house tour yesterday. I have been to many Wright sites including Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Taliesin East and West but even though I studied Broadacre City, Polymath Park is the best experience of Usonian design and an attempt by Wright to start a city design. I encourage the owners to incorporate more Broadacre ideas as Polymath grows.
If you are lucky enough to visit this park you will be even luckier if your guide is Beverly. Today she provided us with a world of information in a little over an hour, her kindness and enthusiasm made our tour an absolute WONDER. FLW has given us all the realization that we to can understand and live the dream and Beverly fully highlighted that reality! Many thanks for a fantastic day.
Wonderful tour and great meal at The Treetops Restaurant to follow. We purchased the tour and dinner package and thoroughly enjoyed both. We saw an original Frank Lloyd Wright home that had been torn down from its original site near Chicago, as well as two homes built in the 60s by one of his students on the site as vacation homes. The dinner followed and was at least 4 star. We will certainly come out to do it again.
A spectacular collection of properties designed by Wright and some his apprentices. Two of the homes were relocated from elsewhere in the country for conservation. A must stop if you like Wright Architecture!
Guides were well informed but one hour is not enough time to tour 3 houses by shuttle bus; need minimum of 1 1/2 hours; only one house was fully open; for other two, only allowed inside public spaces which was disappointing ; no time to walk around exterior of houses ..very rushed tour
I unfortunately did not get pictures of everything I ordered but everything I ordered was done perfectly. I order my steaks rare and this steak even rare was so tender I could cut it with my fork.If you are looking for a great meal in the middle of the woods, you should definitely check this place out it is worth the trip.
Stayed overnight and enjoyed the experience. One we stayed in had a wonderful view of the meadows. Just a comment regarding the house. It should be cleaned of the cobwebs and spiders, and dusted on top refrigerator and shelves.The concept is unique and still in progress. Glad we did it!!
Toured two houses, both amazing! Next time well stay. Tree tops restaurant was spectacular too! You have to go to Polymath!
Beautiful! Our guide was so knowledgable. It was worth the trip. Getting to the homes is an adventure
Beautiful examples of Frank Lloyd Wright and FLW influenced houses that you can tour up close and take pictures inside. Excellent Treetops restaurant. Well worth the trip.
Very nice... Great restaurant! It would be nice if the tour was more in depth. We did not spend enough time in each houses to appreciate the homes and the work put into them. The store was closedOur guide was good and the houses are really neat but again we were a bit disappointed. Dinner at the restaurant was really nice.
Didnt stay overnight but did enjoy the lunch and tour. It was a lovely, relaxing, low key experience, different from the experience at other Wright sites.
Such a fun tour. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. I will definitely return in the future to tour the brand new Frank Lloyd Wright home that is being assembled there now. I also plan to stay overnight in one of the houses one day!
We had an amazing stay here. The house was beautiful and had a mid-century charm to it. The house has a great location with privacy and a short drive from Falling Water. I never thought Id be able to stay the night in an actual Frank Lloyd Wright home!
I was not happy with this place in the least bit. The check in process was messy and vague. There was a tour in the house we stayed in upon arriving, and the owner did not even know there was somebody scheduled to spend the night. He proceeded to give us a tour of the house in the rain, then chided us for being wet when walking inside. After yelling at my group to not steal anything in the house overnight- because they would notice!- they couldnt even find the key to the house for us and told us to just leave it unlocked when we were not inside. After leaving the house unlocked to go to dinner, we realized how expensive this restaurant is. And there was almost nothing on the plate. Not only were we slapped with a nearly $200 bill, but they also lost our credit card number, which was already on file from when we reserved the house. Luckily we were able to give them a card again, but we were afraid we may not be able to pay for dinner. Upon returning to the house, the Alexa turned on and told us that the smoke detector was disarmed. Not only were we not told about the Alexa, but now the smoke alarm isnt working. The emergency number we were given was to the restaurant, meaning they did not answer after 11pm. My group and I felt very unsafe the entire time, and the staff was less than helpful. I will absolutely NOT be returning here, for any reason.
We ate and had a tour of three of the houses and the whole afternoon was delightful. I had to send the hamburger back as it was totally red inside and it did come back quite red again. Other than that, everything was primo. Top notch. I am handicapped and walk with a rollator, and the bus was pretty easy to board and get off with just a few steps. The houses were easy for me to get around in too.
Great experience. The houses are beautiful. The grounds are lovely. Our guide Robert was extremely informative and answered all of our questions. It was a wonderful time & the food at Treetops Restaurant was great too. I wish I could give it 10 stars!
Excellent tour guide - three houses to explore, Duncan, Balter and Mantyla. The entire tour (with shuttle between houses) is one hour. Time permitting, dine where the tour begins. The house are all Frank Lloyd Wrights Usonian style, which were affordable houses for probably the middle class back in the 1950s and considered the birth of prefab homes.
Stayed at Blum House. Such a lovely place. Loved the solitude. The stars, pond and prairie were so breathtaking! While enjoying the sky peppered with what would be enough to make dreams come true, we heard wolf calls followed by an owls hoot migrating though the trees tops. In the morning, I step out onto the charming rock patio to an juvenile red-tail hawk perched in the oak tree!
For anyone who loves Frank Lloyd Wright its a must see. Staff was very friendly and the restaurant (Treetops) was very good. I highly recommend reservations for the tour and the restaurant.
Great FLW experience. Glad we were able to stay here. Can be chilly in the house in the colder months, so come prepared, but the do have some space heaters to help a bit. Some of the kitchen outlets did not work because the last guest tripped the fuse. We couldnt reset the circuit breaker ourselves since it was not accessible and we didnt realize it until late in the evening. They offered to come out and reset it, but we said we could make due. Wish we could have seen the basement though.
One home designed by Wright. Two by his progeny, and another to be assembled sitting disassembled in freight cars. It was interesting. Very good their tickets are sold on the Fallingwater site, or I would have never known this was here.
A must see experience. Where Fallingwater is polished and complete, Polymath Park is an incredible work in progress, featuring an evergrowing collection of Wright masterpieces. They compliment one another perfectly. Polymath also features fine dining and a personal touch. Highly recommended.
A little difference experience since it is a privately run enterprice but a good background for FLW grander projects
3 of the houses, plus the welcome house. 2 FLW, and one a student.I like this every bit as much as Falling Water, tho the FW pool kinda tips in that direction should I have to choose.
Unbelievable experience!This is a once in a lifetime experience. But don’t just tour the houses- stay in them!I stayed in Mandyla house and it was surreal- like living in a dream. Heather, who runs the place, was a fantastic host.Besides the peace, quiet, lovely design, what I liked best was the books! A complete library of FLW and Modern architecture books to peruse.
Total reviews rating 4.7
199 Reviews for Polymath Park - Frank Lloyd Wright Overnight 2023:
Review №1
2022-05-28Did the lunch and three house tour. Overall, things were well taken care of and organized. The lunch itself was good - quick service and tasty. Although the tour seems to get great reviews, to me the tour was particularly uninteresting, dragged on, and felt like things that werent a big deal were being made into a big deal - a little over the top. Id recommend the Falling Waters location instead.
Review №2
2022-06-21If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, a very enjoyable experience. Did the three house dinner tour and stayed in the fourth house on the propertyNice relaxing evening but if you need modern conveniences you might think twice. No A/C, no TV, spotty cell service. I enjoyed the break.
Review №3
2022-06-17Took the tour. Got to see the Duncan house which was cool and the Mäntylä House which was amazing. Highly recommended. Our tour guide was a nice old man, who knew a lot and you could tell he was very connected and proud of the park and their mission. His presentation was very scripted which I did not like, and his little jabs and derogatory comments about city folk were disappointing.
Review №4
2022-04-15Very knowledgeable tour guides, beautiful scenery and homes. A little bus to take you to each home. The basic tour was an hour long. Small gift shop. Look at the restroom where you check in for tours, the sink is so cool!!!
Review №5
2022-04-24Question do not actually pertain to my husband and I. We did an overnight stay, and had lunch at the Treetops restaurant. Everything was amazing, wonderful, interesting, and I wish I had a longer time our guide was amazing, and the receptionist worked Beyond Duty. We were late getting in, but Heather and Sydney work most attentive and helpful to get us in and settled. On to more Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation sites.
Review №6
2022-05-28The wife and I had a great time on our anniversary trip. Stayed in the Blum House. We did the dinner tour as well. Its so amazing to be able to sleep in a house designed by FLWs apprentice. It feels exactly like being in a regular FLW. Only negatives were that the furniture was very uncomfortable, bed included. Did not sleep very well, for the price I would expect better furnishings. Other than that, the property was amazing and we had a ton of fun.
Review №7
2022-05-03Ate at the Treetop Restaurant and stayed overnight. The food was really tasty if a bit upscale expensive. Service was excellent. The overnight was very interesting and provided a better appreciation of FLW art from a practical standpoint.
Review №8
2022-05-08There are certain moments, pictures if you will in life that you took with your own eyes of which you will never lose sight of. This was just the very beginning of many. Arrival was on a Thursday afternoon for a 5pm check in to Mantyla. It was a beautiful spring evening with plenty of sunshine. Those photos, moments if you will, are something I cant share. I wish for you to see them for yourself. The natural illumination of the master bedroom and living areas are perhaps the equivalent to how to Gatsby felt seeing the green light from across the bay. The beauty and length it lasted will never be forgotten. It flowed throughout the entire masterpiece that is Mantyla. Friday, was a bit rainy yet perfect as the sound of the dampened rain drops upon the roof created a relaxing atmosphere while reading one of the many books found within the stunning architectural display of shelving located on every wall. There is so much imagination, creation, timelessness, and thought that want into the details...Saturday came too soon. The lunch tour option is a vast wealth of amazing cuisine, fine dining, and teaching. The tour guides took questions and could accurately accommodate everything being thrown at them. Well be seeing you all again soon.
Review №9
2022-05-09Of the four houses they only showed us two. We did the complete package and had dinner in the tree houses. Everything is under construction and incomplete. Food was awful and then they charged gratuity for the food and tour package which was all together extremely expensive. Wouldnt suggest eating there.
Review №10
2022-05-24Great tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright homes they have transplanted. A truely wonderful way to save our heritage for future generations.