SMITH HOUSE TOUR FEES
Adults: $35
Full-time Students with ID: $20
Tour the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Smith House to experience this unique architectural gem and hear the inspiring story of the home’s creation.
ABOUT SMITH HOUSE
School teachers Sara Stein Smith and Melvyn Maxwell Smith, undeterred by their modest salaries and guided by a shared love of architecture, met Frank Lloyd Wright at the architect’s home, Taliesin, in 1941 and commissioned a custom home. Located in Bloomfield Township, a mile from the Cranbrook campus, Smith House is an excellent example of Wright’s Usonian ideal, which aimed to build quality houses for the American middle class.
The lovingly restored home, which Wright called “My Little Gem” during a 1951 visit, features an L-shaped floor plan and horizontal, cantilevered roof planes. The Smiths’ unique collection of fine and decorative art remains intact in the home, with many pieces by Cranbrook Academy of Art students and alumni. This tour offers a complete view of this special home, its landscape, and the story of a couple whose vision and determination allowed them to achieve their dream.
For more information on Smith House tours, please see the Tour Information webpage. For background information on Smith House and its history, please see our main Frank Lloyd Wright Smith House webpage.
WELLNESS PROTOCOLS
Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research cares about the health and wellbeing of our tour guests and staff. Please see our Tour Information page for our current wellness policies.
HOW TO REGISTER
Advance ticket sales for each weekend close Friday at 10:00am Eastern Time. Tours regularly sell out. Tickets must be purchased online and cannot be purchased at the house.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
The tour begins at Smith House: 5045 Ponvalley Road, Bloomfield Township, Michigan 48302.
A Collections Interpreter (Cranbrook staff guide) will direct you where to park in the driveway when you arrive. Do not park on the street. Please be respectful of the landscaping and our neighbors. Guests should arrive at least 5 minutes before their tour time (no earlier than 15 minutes).
You do not need to print your order receipt. You will be asked to provide your name to the Collections Interpreter to verify your ticket.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please see our Tour Information page for additional details about the tour, including accessibility and restrooms.
By registering for this event, you agree to our photography, refund, and other policies.
PHOTO CREDITS
Interior of Smith House, 2019; Photography by Brett Mountain, Courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.
Interior of Smith House, 2019; Photography by Brett Mountain, Courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.
Exterior of Smith House, 2017; Photography by James Haefner, Courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.