Advanced ticket purchase is required, to avoid disappointment, as our tours often sell out. Looking to tour day of? Please call us to see what is available.
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Advanced ticket purchase is required, to avoid disappointment, as our tours often sell out. Looking to tour day of? Please call us to see what is available.
Second floor is available on Extended tours.
We are truly excited to share the Graycliff with all of our guests. The Pavilion Shop at Graycliff is open from 10 AM to 4 PM every day except Monday, and more information on our tours and events can be found below, or by calling us at 716-947-9217.
Please review our helpful frequently asked questions page before you visit, for answers to the most common questions.
For more information, please call (716) 947-9217
Though designed as the Martin family summer home on Lake Erie, Graycliff is open for tours year round. Our “Winter Tour,” which runs through March, is a seasonally-adjusted experience at a reduced rate. On this tour, you and your party will lightly explore the grounds before touring both floors of the beautifully-restored main house. This tour lasts 75 to 90 minutes, and is a great way to take in the beauty of Wright’s ambitious summer home during an unexpected time of year.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Join us at Graycliff the afternoon of Saturday, February 10th and 17th, for an enchanting experience, where you’ll hear Isabelle & Darwin’s love story, and Wright’s captivating journey with his many loves. This unique two-hour tour showcases the contrasting tales of Wright and the women in his life, along with the Martin’s love, all intertwined with the rich history of Graycliff. Tickets are $45/person ($35 for Graycliff Members).
Join Graycliff Head Gardener, Emma Hahn, for this special workshop on March 23rd, at 10:30am. Emma will teach participants how to plan three seasons of harvest in their own vegetable garden, from early spring to late fall. She will cover direct sowing versus transplanting, companion planting, spacing and timing, and more—all to maximize harvests and health over a long season.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Join us as we kick off our 2024 tour season on Tuesday, April 2nd! We will once again be offering our one-hour Standard and two-hour Extended tours Tuesday through Sunday. Reservations are required for all guided tours, and may be made by clicking the links below, or calling Graycliff Staff at 716-947-9217.
Be a guest of the Martin family, and enjoy a one-hour tour of the gardens, grounds and first floor interior of the main house! You’ll examine the history of Graycliff, from Wright’s design, and the Martin’s time on the property, through today, while you explore the spaces used to entertain the family and guests. Reservations are required.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Enjoy Graycliff as the Martin’s intended! You’ll experience a two-hour tour of the gardens, grounds, both floors of the main house, and the second floor of Foster apartment. Examine the history of Graycliff, from Wright’s design, and the Martin’s time on the property, while you explore the private, living, and guest spaces of the property. Reservations are required.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Join us for a magical evening on the historic grounds of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff! Presented by West Herr, the second annual Summer Solstice Garden Party is scheduled for Saturday, June 22, 2024.
Join us for Date Night with Graycliff & Tifft on June 20th and September 21st! You’ll begin your evening at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff with a self-guided Open House Tour and cider tasting with Tree Hugger Hard Cider.
Following your tour at Graycliff, you’ll take a short 20-minute drive north, along the shore of Lake Erie, to Tifft Nature Preserve. At Tifft, you’ll enjoy a romantic Twilight Hike!
Date Night with Graycliff and Tifft is a 21+ only event. Tickets are $30 and include an Open House Tour of Graycliff, and a guided Twilight Hike at Tifft. Graycliff members save $5 when purchasing tickets by logging into your account, and Buffalo Museum of Science members save $5 when using the promo code provided by your Membership Coordinator.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Wright designed Graycliff so that the summer solstice sun sets through our view room window and along our angled drive. Celebrate the arrival of summer, and this special moment, with us from 7pm to 9:30pm!
This self-guided tour will allow you to experience the gardens, grounds, and first floor of the Isabelle R. Martin House at your own pace during a one-hour time frame. You are invited to linger, reflect, look closer, and soak in all the details that make Graycliff so enchanting.
Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions about the property, Wright, the Martin Family, and more.
Please note that this is not a docent-led tour, but rather a more casual and organic self-guided engagement with the property.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Join us for the third annual Solstice Sound Bath at Graycliff—your opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the pure magic of this moment, which only happens once a year!
Sound has a tremendous effect on the central nervous system, helping it to unwind and facilitating healing. Let the acoustics of the crystal bowls, drums, chimes, and vocals, along with the gorgeous backdrop of our historic site, help you ground. This special 90-minute workshop will feature a full sound bath, with some gentle yoga and stretching, as well as a deep restorative meditation.
Led by Sara Rodriguez, along with Megan Callahan, the sound bath will begin promptly at 7pm. Participants are welcome to arrive at 6:30pm, linger in the historic gardens and grounds and get settled.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Please join us for Graycliff’s annual fundraiser, Celebrate Graycliff, the evening of Thursday, October 24, 2024 in downtown Buffalo at The Twentieth Century Club (595 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202). We are thrilled to be hosting this important event at Buffalo’s historic Twentieth Century Club where Isabelle Martin was herself once a member.
This special tour is like no other! Get down to the beachfront that inspired Frank Lloyd Wright and that the Martin family so enjoyed on Wright Rocks! Exploring Nature’s Architecture.
You’ll discover the history of the land, the architecture, Wright’s material choice, and more to show why Wright “rocks”! In this special edition of our Wright Rocks Tour this year, guests will be able to walk down to the water’s edge and visit the base of the cliff from which Graycliff is named firsthand!
This two and a half hour special thematic tour of Graycliff is co-led by a Graycliff docent trained in the architecture of our site and a Penn Dixie staff member with expertise in the site’s geological significance.
Please note that this tour includes the grounds, portions of the first floor of the main house, and a trip down to the private rock beach below the cliff (an experience not available on any other tour experience). This experience includes much uneven terrain and participants will be asked to sign a waiver upon arrival. Only guests 10 and up will be admitted at this time, with a paid adult.
Graycliff was built as a summer retreat for the Martin Family, constructed for Isabelle R. Martin, wife of Buffalo industrialist Darwin D. Martin, and one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s greatest patrons, between 1926 and 1931. The landscape features design elements by both Architect Frank Lloyd Wright and famed pioneering female Landscape Architect Ellen Biddle Shipman. The grounds include productive growing spaces, garden rooms, sweeping views of the lake, and a large lush perennial garden designed for continuous blooms and to be material for Isabelle’s bountiful floral arrangements.
The Home & Garden Tour of Graycliff is a 90-minute experience which focuses on the history and rehabilitation journey of our historic gardens and grounds, and also includes a tour of the first floor of the main house. It covers the details of Ellen Biddle Shipman’s involvement in the design for the landscape that was initially outlined by Frank Lloyd Wright, and is led by a docent who has specialized knowledge related to the plant life on the property.
Join us for Date Night with Graycliff & Tifft on September 21st! You’ll begin your evening at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff with a self-guided Open House Tour. This tour will allow you to experience the gardens, grounds, and first floor of the main house at your own pace, where you are invited to soak in all of the details that make Graycliff so enchanting. Additionally, during this time, you’ll also have the chance to try great ciders from Tree Hugger Hard Cider.
Following your tour at Graycliff, you’ll take a short 20-minute drive north, along the shore of Lake Erie, to Tifft Nature Preserve. At Tifft, you’ll enjoy a romantic Twilight Hike! You’ll watch nature getting ready to rest and awaken at night and enjoy the sun setting on a guided and informative one-hour hike.
Date Night with Graycliff and Tifft is a 21+ only event. Tickets are $30 and include an Open House Tour of Graycliff, and a guided Twilight Hike at Tifft. Graycliff members save $5 when logging into your account, and Buffalo Museum of Science members save $5 when using the promo code provided by your Membership Coordinator.
Join us for our Graycliff for Kids tour! This age adjusted tour will take kids and their families through the gardens, grounds, and first floor of the main house as they learn the basics of organic architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright, and what makes Graycliff so special!
The Martin House / Graycliff Experience allows guests to take in the complete story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Martin family. Explore the city and summer estates in just one day during this joint tour package. The special day begins with a two-hour tour of the Martin House, where a boxed lunch will be waiting at the tour’s conclusion.
Participants will then enjoy the 30 – 40-minute drive along Lake Erie to Graycliff, where a docent will be waiting to lead the next leg of the journey. At Graycliff, you’ll enjoy a two-hour tour of the property, followed by a special sweet treat!
Your ticket includes a two-hour tour of both sites and a boxed lunch provided at the Martin House to enjoy on site or take on the road, and a sweet treat provided at Graycliff.
Want a special way to experience Graycliff? Book a one-hour Standard or two-hour Extended tour! A private tour allows your small group to take in the beauty of Graycliff at a day and time of your choosing, with your own Docent.
Private tours start at $150 for up to four people. Reach out to Ryan Gravell, Director of Operations, to book today!
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
This fall begins an exciting chapter in Graycliff’s nearly 100-year history! Beginning in October 2024, and scheduled through March 2026, we begin construction on our new, state-of-the-art visitor center. Pardon our dust as we work from October, through the next 15 months to improve our visitor experience for future generations, which will include additional room for programming, new tour opportunities, a grab and go café, an exciting retail expansion, and so much more!
Join us this fall for a spooky way to experience Graycliff, with Psychic Medium, Ivy Rivera! During the Psychic Mediumship Experience at Graycliff, Ivy will give a brief introduction to psychic mediumship, Graycliff hot spots, and how to experience the paranormal side of the Martin family summer home. Then, you’ll get to explore both floors of the main house on your own, and see if you can discover Graycliff’s past inhabitants. Graycliff docents and volunteers will also be on hand to discuss the history of the property and architecture.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
The Story of Larkin tour gives a glimpse into the fascinating history of the Larkin Soap Company through the lens of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff. Participants will hear the tale of John D. Larkin, Darwin D. Martin, and Frank Lloyd Wright, and how this unique trio of titans came together and changed the world of business, manufacturing, and architecture forever.
This 90 minute tour on October 19th, will cover the start, rise, and fall of the Larkin Soap Company (founded in Buffalo, NY, in 1875); the important intersection of Larkin, Martin, and Wright; Larkin’s Factory to Family and Larkin Idea initiatives; the Larkin Administration Building, and more, all while touring Graycliff, the ambitious Wright-designed summer-home of the Martin family.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Sunset Yoga at Graycliff offers the opportunity to connect with nature and celebrate the summer sun on Graycliff’s historic grounds with three opportunities each month, July through September.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Join us for a new way to experience Graycliff and Psychic Medium, Ivy Rivera this fall! Ivy will give a brief introduction to psychic mediumship, and then you’ll explore both floors of the main house on your own to see if you can discover Graycliff’s past inhabitants. Included is a hard cider tasting with Clarksburg Cider, where you’ll have the chance to sample a variety of their fantastic hard ciders.
Tickets are $30/person, Graycliff members save $5 when they log into their account.
Call to reserve
(716) 947-9217
Graycliff participates in the Time Travelers, Frank Lloyd Wright Reciprocal, North American Reciprocal Member, Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums, and Empire State Museums Reciprocal programs. Members of participating institutions with select levels may be able to tour Graycliff at no charge, or for a reduced rate, on select tours and receive a 10% discount in the Pavilion Shop.
To book a tour, please call Graycliff staff at (716) 947-9217 with your membership information in hand.
More information can be found here.
Bring your group of 10 or more for a tour of Graycliff! We offer a variety of classic tour options, or let us customize a tour package just for your group.
The Standard tour is a one-hour tour of the gardens, grounds and first floor interior of the main house! Your group will examine the history of Graycliff, from Wright’s design, and the Martin’s time on the property, through today, while you explore the spaces used to entertain the family and guests.
The Standard tour is $22 per person for groups of 10 or more.
The Standard Plus tour is a 90-minute tour of the gardens, grounds and both floors of the main house! Your group will examine the history of Graycliff, from Wright’s design, and the Martin’s time on the property, through today, while you explore the families entertaining and living spaces.
The Standard Plus tour is $32 per person for groups of 10 or more.
Enjoy Graycliff as the Martin’s intended on the two-hour Extended tour. Your group will experience a two-hour tour of the gardens, grounds, both floors of the main house, and the second floor of Foster apartment. Examine the history of Graycliff, from Wright’s design, and the Martin’s time on the property, while discussing questions your group may have about Wright, the Martin’s, or the property history!
The Extended tour is $42 per person for groups of 10 or more.
The Home & Garden Tour of Graycliff is a 90-minute experience which focuses on the history and restoration journey of our historic gardens and grounds, and also includes a tour of the first floor of the main house. The Garden tour covers the details of Ellen Biddle Shipman’s involvement in the design for the landscape that was initially outlined by Frank Lloyd Wright, and is led by a docent who has specialized knowledge related to the plant life on the property. This tour is offered May to October.
The Landscape tour is $32 per person for groups of 10 or more.
The Martin House / Graycliff Experience allows groups to take in the complete story of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Martin family. The tour includes a one or two-hour tour of both sites, a boxed lunch provided at the Martin House to enjoy on site or take on the road, and a sweet treat at Graycliff following your tour.
Please contact us for pricing information and availability.
One family. One architect. Two houses.
In a twenty-year span, Darwin & Isabelle Martin called upon Frank Lloyd Wright to design two architectural wonders: the Martin House, located in the Parkside neighborhood of Buffalo, and Graycliff, in nearby Derby, NY, on the bluffs of Lake Erie. The two sites offer a variety of tours which can be combined to offer a wonderful Wright-inspired group itinerary.
Please contact us for information, options, and availability.
Museums are even better together! We have worked with many other Western New York culturals, including: Explore Buffalo, the Roycroft Campus, Tifft Nature Preserve, Penn Dixie Fossil Park, and more. Let us create a one-of-a-kind joint tour package just for your group.
Please contact us for information, options, and availability.
Ready to book your group of 10 or more, or looking for more information on group tours? Contact us by filling out and sending the form below. Please include the tour type you would like, tour date and time, and approximate number of guests. Or contact Ryan Gravell by email or phone at 716-942-9217 today!
As the Graycliff story continues to be written, your financial support can help us write the next chapter.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff is a New York State Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Our historic site is accessible by guided tour year round.
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