A must wen visiting Grenada rapids So stunning how they brought this place back to live And on top the tours are free! read more

Meyer May House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

If you are in the Grand Rapids area and like Frank Lloyd Wright, don't miss the opportunity to visit the Meyer May house. It is a very good example of the prairie style that he is known for. The tour starts with video history of the house emphasizing the history of the restoration. It gave a great insight on the research for the restoration. Then the tour of the interior of the house ending with a tour of the gardens. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and kept us engaged by asking us questions along the way. The tour takes about an hour and a half. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time. read more

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You begin the tour with seeing a film that explains all of the renovations that took place. It was super interesting to learn about such things as how the carpet was selected and the paint colors. The house was breathtaking to walk through. Especially once you turn the corner and are in the living room with all of the stained glass and the bright suns space. There are limited hours so make sure to book in advance so that you don't miss coming here. The dose sense were extremely knowledgeable in the crowds were small since there are limited numbers of people that can come at a time. The neighborhood is super beautiful as well. read more

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This is a beautiful house, fully restored. Staff and guides are very kind and knowledgeable. I will need to return.

If you love Frank Lloyd Wright, this is a must see! Steelcase purchased and restored this truly amazing house, a masterpiece of architecture. Budget about 2 hours for the tour. Book in advance. The tour begins with a video on the restoration. It's a little slow but provides some good background. Then, the tour of the house begins with the exterior followed by the interior. We had a retired Steelcase exec on our tour who knew far more about the house than did our docent. Staff: volunteer staff overall nice; some more knowledgeable than others Cleanliness: Excellent Public bathrooms: excellent cleanliness read more

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What a treat to see a Frank Lloyd Wright house. Book a tour online. You start the tour with a video of the history of the family, house, and Steelcase purchasing, renovating, and restoring the house. Normally, the tour is 1 hour, but we had a treat because one of the Steelcase executives was part of our group and we got additional details of the house that our tour guide was unaware. Our tour guide was okay, she really did not know much about the house. And she was not sure what was covered in the intro video. This is a real treat of a tour. Very nice of Steelcase to provide for free to public. Masks are required and your temperature will be taken. read more

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For all who love architecture and interior design, this is a gem of a building. Built in the 1910s, this house is a great example of Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie-style homes. All the surrounding homes were built in the Victorian style with lots of cutouts and ornate decorations in the Heritage Hill neighborhood near downtown Grand Rapids. The first time I've visited this home was in 1999 when I was studying interior design at Michigan State University. You can tour the house on Tuesdays and Thursdays and selective Sundays. Reservations are made on their website. I was lucky enough to snag a spot in their last tour of the day. The tour starts with a 30-minute video to show you the history and the painstaking restoration process. I really enjoy the background information so I knew the history behind what I was seeing. The tour is about 45 minutes guided by a knowledgeable docent. You get to see the exterior and interior. Steelcase did an amazing job researching, restoring and building a better foundation for this iconic home to last through many more years. If you are in Grand Rapids, take some time to see this expertly restored home. read more

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What a gift to the city! The docents are enthusiastic and knowledgeable as they give a tour of the restoration of this Wright home. Although he is not my favorite architect, he was innovative for his time. The free tour and video gives you an appreciation for the sleuthing necessary to recreate a vision of what once was. It is located in the Heritage Hill community, and it is worth wandering about afterwards. Plan for an hour experience. You should call to find out when the tour begins so you can plan accordingly. read more

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Great experience!!! So much was shared via the video you have to watch prior to the tour. I highly recommend this FREE tour. Still amazed it's free! read more

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Amazing! This was an enjoyable visit from start to finish. We booked a tour online and everything went smoothly. The tour begins in the house next door where you check in and watch a video. It was Covid times and they have a thermometer so expect to have your temperature taken. The video before the tour was as good as the tour! The restoration process is mind blowing! Even if you're not a designer or architect, you will appreciate the time, money, expertise, and craftsmanship that went into the project. Now the tour... Just awesome. I love FLW and have seen many of the homes he designed. This one didn't disappoint. Amazing details and stories behind everything. We had a great guide that gave us an insider's look into the May family and Wright design. Take in all of the beauty and craft that only FLW can deliver. If you aren't familiar with his work, I suggest doing a little research. I think you will appreciate the experience all the more. read more

I've been here twice, once just for the tour and once for the video and tour. Don't skip the video...call ahead and make sure you will arrive at a time where you can do both! The restoration that went into this house is amazing. So many tiny details...wow! This is an excellent example of who Frank Lloyd Wright is. The scale of the house....the windows...were tailored to the height of Mr. May. Amazing. That's just one example of the craftsmanship and care that was taken. Lastly, I really think it matters how fun and informative the guide is. We had a great tour the second time because it was obvious how much our guide loved the house and FLW. Check it out when you're in the area! read more

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Amazing amazing work congrats to steel case company for coming together for the community and restoring this legends home. Wish we could save more houses and open it free to the public. Knowledgeable staff and workers who help this be a memorable tour read more

Meyer May House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Fantastic museum house in Grand Rapids lovingly restored in the 1980s. Great docent/tour leader of one of Frank Lloyd Wright's best known houses. Highly recommend. read more

I have toured and even stayed overnight in many FLW homes. This tour is very well planned and executed with wonderful docents. Each home is unique but also familiar at the same time and I enjoyed everything about the experience at the Meyer May House. We stayed in the FLW designed Amberg home just around the corner which can be booked through Airbnb. Like every museum home you can not roam freely or sit on the furniture. I am amazed at the comments below about too much information, not enough freedom etc.. I say to those people...go find your Hard Rock Cafe and eat your chicken fingers. The poor docent who had the family who walked out half way through was probably glad they left. read more

Absolutely a lovely experiences. Our docent could not have been more knowledgeable or friendly. The home is wonderful. Amazing chance to see and learn more about this architectural movement and private home. read more

Be prepared for 2 hours of your time that you will never get back! The house is super cool but you can't just walk around and explore by yourself. You get a painfully long and excruciating tour of every little tiny detail about the house that's very repetitive. If you are very into the details of this house then you will probably love it but don't expect to be able to wandering by yourself and go at your own pace. My family and I left the tour half way through because it was simply taking too long and the details on the tour were very repetitive. The actual house is super cool but just gets diluted by the lengthy tour. read more

If in GR and you like architecture, you MUST tour this house. The volunteers love their job and Love this house! A beautiful tour. Make sure to check the website first before you come because they aren't open every day! read more

Meyer May House - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

WOW!! What a great experience! Joan and Terri were fantastic and really made the tour wonderful. This is a MUST see if you're in the area and the docents are very passionate about the building and Frank Lloyd Wright! read more

Excellent. We attended a private tour/dinner event here. Everything was wonderful. Truly a memorable experience. read more

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Wow, I wasn't expecting much, but was blown away! This tour was much more in depth than I thought it would be. The film was very informative, and our guide was amazing. He lived down the street while the restoration was being done and was a wealth of information. He was obviously very passionate about it. The most amazing part of this tour is the cost, free! Thank you to Steelcase for bringing this gem back to it's glory. A must see while you are in GR. read more

This house is stunningly restored with so many wonderful details. Some of the process of restoration is laid out in a 30 minute movie that you watch in the visitors' center next door before your tour. The movie is about 10 minutes too long and could definitely benefit from some editing. Then you head next door for the tour of the house, but the quality of the tour is highly dependent in your tour guide. We had Karen, who seemed to want to control the flow very strictly, not allowing us to spread out much. She was also long-winded and therefore we didn't get to see some parts of the house or spend much time in some of the rooms that came towards the end of the tour. When I lingered to try to soak in some of the light and structure of a room, she very snappily told me "your tour is over." Apparently Sunday is their busiest day, so they don't let you sit on the furniture either to get any sense of the architecture from the perspective FLW envisioned for people actually living in the house. read more

Having seen several Frank Lloyd Wright houses, this one is about as good as any of them, BUT, this one has been meticulously restored (thanks to Steelcase) and it has free admission! It's also located in the very nice "Heritage Hill" Victorian district which is worth visiting on its own. The only problem is that the visiting hours are limited to a few hours on Tue., Thur. and Sun. Visitors start at the visitor center in the adjacent house to the north where they are shown a ~25 min. video, then are given a ~45 min. guided tour. Our guide was very well informed. read more

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I have been to a few FLW homes and this one is definitely one not to miss. What makes it so great is the painstaking detail that went into refurbishing this house to 1910 standards down to the patterns and fabrics in the carpet. The tour is FREE, so you can't beat that, but even if they charged, it would be worth it. Before the tour you watch a video detailing all of the work that went into restoring the home so you really get an appreciation for all of the work before you enter the house. And nothing beats touring a fully furnished FLW house. I have been to some unfurnished homes and while they were still nice, a fully furnished house just completes the experience. If you are a FLW fan or just looking for something different to do in the Grand Rapids area, I would highly recommend visiting this house. read more

Whether you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fanatic, architecture buff, or just looking for some home decorating tips, a trip to the Meyer May House is a requirement! This is a beautifully restored and persevered Frankly Lloyd Wright gem right in the middle of Grand Rapids' historic Heritage Hill. With Frank Lloyd Wright's unique, prairie style design evident, you can't miss the house in between the Victorian homes of the neighborhood. Expert tour guides will walk you through, giving you details of the renovation process and FLW's ways of thinking about interior design and decorating, which all tie into what the culture was like at the time of the home's inception. I found the tour to be an illuminating history lesson on how people lived and worked back then. Make sure you spend time watching the video shown before your tour in the visitor center (house next door). It documents the work that went into restoring the home to Frank Lloyd Wright's original design - furniture, lighting fixtures, the art nouveau mural in the dining room, and much more. Learning about all the time and details that went into breaking the home back from its shabby decline (prior to Steelcase buying it), will make you appreciate the home and tour so much more. read more

Happy to add another 5-star review! This is a true GR gem. Check out the hours, park on the street, walk between the MM house and the neighboring one into the visitors' center. Chat with one of the friendly docents, sign in, then watch the film - sounds boring, but it is not! The movie explains the history of the home and its renovation, which was done painstakingly and with enormous resources to restore this beautiful building to its former glory. Then take the tour - take as many photos as you want! Steelcase has performed a true community service by restoring this house and keeping it open to the public free of charge. Definitely worth the visit if you are in the area!! read more

What a feat of restoration! Bravo to Steelcase and every hardworking trade, historian and planner who pulled together this project and told the story so well. If you are ever in Grand Rapids, MI whether you are a FLW fan or not, go and visit the Meyer May house, it's worth it! An architect ahead of his time, you will be wowed by FLW's ingenuity and attention to every minute detail. Just wow. read more

We visited Meyer May House when we were in Grand Rapids for a beer crawl. It was the perfect way to end our weekend. First off let me say that the tour guides were enthused and knowledgeable of Frank Lloyd Wright's work. They pointed out so many cool details. It really made the tour enjoyable. You don't go directly into the house, they start you off next door where you watch a video presentation of the history of the house and the state the house was in before the repairs. The video then reveals all of the repairs and meticulous details of the restoration. You walk away from the video presentation with a greater excitement and appreciation for what you'll see on the tour. The home is gorgeous. It motivated me to tour more of the Frank Lloyd Wright Homes. I have easy access to so many in Chicago, so it's definitely on my list. I encourage anyone who is in Grand Rapids to visit this historical home. read more

Absolutely wonderful! It was the first time to visit the architecture by Wright, and I was captured by the beauty of this house. The lady who toured us were friendly and very knowledgeable. The film before the tour was much more interesting than I had expected and I could understand a lot of efforts and passion necessary to restore this beautiful house and its furniture. Glad to visit here thanks to Steelcase! read more

Beautifully restored home with guides that are passionate about their presentation. A must see in Grand Rapids!

Meyer May House is one of the most impressive homes in beautiful Heritage Hill, which was named one of APA's 2012 Great Neighborhoods. Like the other homes in Heritage Hill, Meyer May House represents a unique architectural style. The Frank Lloyd Wright home is an excellent example of American Prairie School design, which Wright helped create. The house is on Madison Avenue, which features some of the most impressive architecture in the neighborhood. Tours are given several times a week: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-2pm, and Sundays from 1-5pm. read more

I'm in love with Frank Lloyd Wright's homes. When I was 18 I lived a block away from this place and found it to be the most incredibly beautiful home I had ever seen. At that time I did not know about FLW. I do love all the beautiful homes in the heritage and southeast neighborhood. Very few of them are solely owned anymore, they've been divided up into apartments. Not all of them are well kept. Some of them are in terrible neighborhoods. Most of Frank Lloyd Wright's homes are being lived in. it's wonderful this home was completely restored to its original beauty. Thank You Steelcase. it's nice to know the tours are free and the rest of the information that was included in the reviews. read more

Tour was very informative. I learned a lot and was fascinated by the beautiful architecture. Would recommend anyone in the area to take a tour... you won't regret it. read more

This house is amazing!!!! The volunteer staff are very , very good! It will be a regular stop when we drive through Grand Rapids.

The house should definitely receive 5 stars. It is absolutely fabulous and miraculously restored and maintained. We had the worst tour guide. She must have been new? I assume because she used card prompts to direct her through the tour, but she never actually finished a sentence nor made a point when directing our attention from here to there. She couldn't actually explain why she wanted to bring our attention to something specific. When we asked questions she would and could not answer them. When "answering" our questions she would redirect back to her cards. At the end of the tour she asked "do you have any questions" and at the point we knew not to ask. She would constantly lead into a story that she couldn't finish or answer. She literally could not tell us the date the House was built. The house, of course, was not at all disappointing but the tour guide absolutely was. We left feeling very let down. read more

Went to school for art history, and I've always wanted to see a Frank Loyd Wright house! Surprised my boyfriend with the trip up to see it and he was so excited! We had a great time watching the video and listening to the tour gide and all the stories! Excited to find time to go back soon! read more

What an incredible site to visit! I didn't realize the amount of painstaking restoration necessary to make the Meyer May House as Frank Lloyd Wright had envisioned it. Make sure to get there in time to watch the half-hour movie on the history of the home and the renovation process that brought back the house to it's original state. After the movie, tour guides walk you through the home, giving you details of the renovation process and showing FLW's perspective on architecture and design. I was stunned by the beauty and attention to detail in the Meyer May House. Definitely worth a visit! read more