Hollyhock House

If you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, it’s a cool visit, but be advised that you only see a very small part of the house — and most of it is from a distance. If you are making a special trip to see it, plan to do some other LA things while you are in the area. The tour is short. We drove up from The OC and were kind of disappointed. What you can see is wonderful and the docents were fantastic.

Definitely recommend if you’re in the area, but for me a house tour is incomplete without a peek inside bathrooms and bedrooms from the era. They need to open up more of the house, otherwise people will be left a bit underwhelmed and/​or disappointed. That said, the docents are really great and love talking about all the interesting details you could easily overlook. Worth it asking them a bunch of questions.

A must-​see for architecture nerds.
We got there at 11am on a Saturday, and had most of the place to ourselves. We were able to ask plenty of questions of the docent, and wander around to take in the beauty of this historic home.
No, you can’t see the whole house, but that’s not unusual for home tours — some parts of the house have been altered too much, and some are in need of more work. Not a huge deal.
Admission $ 7 for adults. Wear flat shoes — you’ll put disposable booties over them.
Easy parking both at the bottom of the hill and the top.

I had no idea where the Hollyhock House was, but when we finally got there I realized I had walked around that area countless times when waiting for a family member visiting Kasier (literally behind their buildings).
Admission is $ 3 seniors/​students and $ 7 regular visitors.
The house viewing is limited to one floor in house because of ADA regulations. From the rooms we got to see, it was pretty neat to see how much work was put into this house Frank Lloyd Wright never even lived in himself.
While waiting our turn to visit (limited number of people at a time), they had us put on show booties to not compromise the restoration efforts of the house.
We didn’t visit the museum across the way, but I’m sure it’d be a great way to spend more time in this area.
Unilocal 100 Challenge — 74 of 100

I love me some Frank Lloyd Wright, and you should to! The rooms of this house, if you take the tour, are disappointingly though fascinatingly low though. However, the Art Deco Hollywood charm is just perfect. Check out all the museums next door. Barnsdall Art Park, with the Hollyhock house, is a truly underrated and relatively hidden gem of L.A.

Architecturally, its a unique marvel that feels retro and futuristic at the same time. The house is located at beautiful Barnsdall Park, and was famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s first LA project. The docents inside are friendly and knowledgeable. The only negative is that, as of this writing, many of the rooms are inaccessible, which is disappointing. The museum is not at fault, rather a victim of a ridiculous LA policy that they’re currently fighting.
General admission is $ 7 and students/​seniors get in for $ 3. It’s worth an afternoon trip. I just hope they keep trying to improve the accessibility and experience.

The docents were fantastic! Take advantage of their vast knowledge about the house, Barnsdall and Wright. Sad she never really lived there. Wish we could have seen all the rooms.

With a single floor, it’s a smaller home and therefore less dramatic, but the devil is in the details of the Hollyhock House with the spiraled hollyhock flower theme deployed throughout the house including the exterior moldings, furniture, and windows. Easily the best room in the house was the living room with the fully integrated (albeit uncomfortably low and flat) sofas, chairs, and tables.
My visit before the restoration was better because it was a formal tour that went through almost the entire house including entry into the rooms. Now, it’s a self-​guided tour where only the music room can be entered, the living room and dining room are only seen from the hallway, and entire sections of the house are not viewable like the bedroom areas. Basically, those who were here for a tour prior to the restoration don’t need to return because there is significantly less to see.
Unable to walk into the rooms which have adequate overhead, we were stuck in the hallways with Wright’s annoying low ceilings. Because we were only allowed to stand in the most claustrophobic areas and banned from most of the building, we didn’t stay too long — a modest 15 minutes.
In an odd reversal, they don’t take cash for the $ 7 admission, but only cards.

We’ve been to the Barnsdall Park for years, but only saw the exterior of the Hollyhock house and wanted to visit it. We were also interested to see anything that Frank Lloyd Wright created so we took advantage of the re-​opening of the Hollyhock house in February 2015 (after a few years of renovations)
It’s opened Thursday-​Sundays from 11am to 4 pm.
They created a Visitor’s Center (across from the house) where you can purchase tickets and gather some info (tickets are $ 7, for seniors and students $ 3– credit card only!). We had to cover our shoes with some slippers they provide you with. You can take a self-​guided tour, they do have printed information you can check out while you walk around. There is staff around in case you have additional questions, everyone is nice.
The history of the house is interesting and we enjoyed the views from the inside. You can check out most of the rooms-​living room, see the dining room, etc. The place isn’t that big, but if you’re interested in architecture and design, it’s more than worth it to check it out, see how the style of the exterior carries inside.
Bit of LA history. You can also roam around in the park to see the beautiful vistas or visit the Municipal Art Gallery near by. Free parking. No photography allowed.

I was only able to visit the outside of Hollyhock House earlier this month since it happened to be closed when I went. Nonetheless, the architecture of the house was nice to see and aesthetically pleasing. :) While you are at Barnsdall Park, make sure you go to the House for a visit if you can. It’s only $ 7 to enter, so if I’m in the area again in the future — I may drop by.
I heard about the renovation and how it was completed in mid-​February 2015. That’s great, another attraction for people to visit!

I have seen many of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs across the country, the Hollyhock House remains one of my favorites. Its saddening to see it had been in such disrepair. Enjoyed touring it on a Sunday. One recommendation to the tour guides: since the house is so small, if they could whisper it would benefit everyone who is also touring and would provide a role model to others to keep their voices low, for all to enjoy.

This house is beautiful. It is well done and well furnished. But sadly you can only see half of it.
Visitors can only access the hallway and look into the rooms, which have 1 or 2 steps to access. These areas are closed off because of ADA (American Disabilities Act) regulations. I understand why but it’s still such a bummer to look at something that was meant to be experienced but is now closed off. (I saw another Unilocalers review from 2009 and they had photos of areas which you now can no longer go into).
There lawn has a wonderful view and it’s a great place for a picnic. The grounds were lovely and the tour guides scattered throughout the house were able to answer all my questions. There was also a handy booklet with information about all the rooms. I might go again for other events they have on the grounds but until then I hope I can see the rest of the house in the future.

***Hollyhock House provides something of a rare treat – being able to step inside and explore a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; some of the house is truly amazing (like the living room) and many rooms feel incredibly modern for the era in which this house originated; still, there are not many rooms to explore and a lot of the house is closed off; given the small space, admission feels pricey at $ 7 per person***
Parking is free though spaces can be hard to find during peak times.

We attended the grand opening of the newly renovated Hollyhock House. For 24 continuous hours from February 13^th at 4pm to Frebruary 14^th the house was open to visitors. Lines wrapped around the building. As we approached people were telling us that it was a 3 hour wait. We arrived at 11pm. A 3 hour wait would mean we would be in line until 2 am.
We did what everyone else did, creep around the property and try and catch snippets of the inside. Looks futuristic for being built in the 1920’s. Heard people trying to spread rumors that it was designed during the era when Franck Lloyd Wright was abducted by Aliens. Not true-​at least I’m pretty sure it’s not true…
The house is done in a beautiful Art Deco style. Its very intricate, ornate and a complete work of art, worthy of admiration. At night, the property has a lot of charm and romantic aura. Beautiful views of the city can be had here. Smart and prepared people had blankets spread out with picnics lounging and enjoying the LA nightscape.
The Hollyhock House is now open to the public with regular hours. Worth the visit.

As someone interested in Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, my husband and I wanted to visit this place. Normally, photos inside are not allowed, but for this 24 hour open house, photos were granted.
The house is beautifully done, with exquisite furniture and the typical plays on shapes, shadows, and details that FLW is known for. However, the house is fairly small and there is not much to see. No one was allowed to go up or down any stairs or on levels other than the main floor. This was not allowed at the open house, nor will it be allowed during regular tours either. One of the staff advised us that, since wheelchair access cannot be granted on another level, no one (difficulty with mobility or not) will be allowed to tour these parts. I was sad to hear that, as the existing tour offers such an abbreviated view.
Self-​guided tours will resume Feb 19, but with such limited viewing of the inside and the fact that photos will not be allowed, I don’t feel that it is worth the money or effort.
Opening times: Thursday — Sunday 11am-​4pm. Last Entry is at 3:15 pm.
Admission:
$ 7 for adults
$ 3 for students & seniors with ID
$ 3 for children under 12 when accompanied by a paying adult

AN ARCHITECTS, OR AN OUTDOOR PERSONS DREAM HOME
Hollyhock House is Frank Lloyd Wright’s first Los Angeles project. Built between 1919 and 1921, it represents his earliest efforts to develop a regionally appropriate style of architecture in Southern California. Wright himself referred to it as California Romanza, using a musical term meaning «freedom to make one’s own form».
STATS:
Free on-​site parking
Walking tour
EXPERIENCE:
On occasions, The Crew partakes in taking on urban hikes or adventures. Visiting the Hollyhock house on the day of it’s re-​opening was one of these urban adventures. Please note, I visited on the re-​opening day where it was free entry for 24 hours and we were able to take pictures. No longer is that the case. Please check their website for cost, hours, and tours. Also, since this was a special event, my star rating is based on the experience of the house, not the disorganized, non-​communicative staff.
I arrived about 3:30 p.m., a bit later than I had wanted, but the line had not really started to form so I thought I’d be in and out within an hour. The information provided was that they were going to open the house to visitors at 4:00 p.m. However, word in line was the Mayor was going to speak at 4:00 p.m. So much for starting on time. 5:00 rolled around and we were still standing in the same place, not moving. Nevertheless, the line was more than twice as long.
I noticed a fellow Unilocaler/​friend checked shortly after I arrived. Ha! Just a few peeps back there he was. I stepped out of line to chat with him and as I did, a woman came back to her spot in line and said they weren’t going to let us in until 6:00/6:30. Wow! Overshot the start time, didn’t they.
Anywhoo, time went by, fellow Unilocaler left, as well as a few Crew members. I stuck it out as I was chatting with someone in line and we were determined to get in. Woo to the hoo! We got in just shy of 6:30.
To protect the carpet we were instructed to put hospital booties on over our shoes. The self-​guided tour was short and limited to only the rooms on one floor, which included an area I can’t recall, a living area, a library, another small room what was closed off and displayed a painting of Aline Barnsdall, as well as the dining area and kitchen.
Not only was the interior dated from the ’50’s, but every room/​space offered a doorway to the outdoor space. Great for those who love the outdoors, always just a few steps from outside.
It only took about 20 minutes to see every room and take pictures. I didn’t stick around to inquire what the tours after the free 24 hours would include, but it would be nice to find out more. There was a hallway closed off, as well as a lower level.
The architecture was quite interesting, not one that I’m familiar with, but I enjoyed. Access to the outdoors from anywhere is a great concept for us outdoors people.
Btw, Crew members were still in line well after 2:00 a.m., some didn’t get in until after 6:00 a.m. What a long night. In addition, by the time they made it into the house, the staff closed off the dining area and kitchen. For pity, they suffered in line longer and their tour as shorter.
Review 44 Unilocal 100+ Challenge 2015

Unless you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, I imagined the 3 hr wait to be worth it. We went Friday night, the only day that it was open to the general public for 24hrs after 3 yrs of renovation.
The view up there was beautiful but the wait is just ridiculous and def. not worth it. I imagined it to be a lot bigger than what it really was.
a total of 3 rooms with all the rooms blocked off so really this tour was about 10 minutes top ! A waste of time and energy …

As this being Frank Lloyd Wright’s first house built in Los Angeles, this was my first time physically visiting one of his works. I came here for the reopening that consisted of a «free self-​guided» tour. When I walked up the stairs I was confronted by this massive line of like-​minded individuals!
Luckily the opening didn’t start on time for people to view the house, plus I had time to kill before my next engagement, so I signed up to be the last person in line. Yep, I was that guy no one wanted to be. But soon after I felt relieved when the line started to move and people followed suit behind me. The wait time was roughly 90 minutes but it gave me the opportunity to read the history of the «Orchard Hill» and tussles between Frank Lloyd Wright, Aline Barnsdall, and the City of Los Angeles.
Upon entering volunteers give you shoe covers that must be worn at all times. My assumptions before walking in was seeing ALL of the house: being able to go in-​and-​out of rooms, sit down in chairs, experience actually living there. But nope, that didn’t happen. This «self-​guided» tour covered part of the house. What kept me interested were the docents positioned within the house to give detailed stories.
It was cool to be apart of the reopening but I’ll be back to check out the guided tours.

When I went to visit in September a staff member from the LA Municipal Art Gallery informed me that the home is closed for renovations. She anticipates that it will reopen sometime in December.
You can call this number for more details– 323−913−4030.

I have been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright. When I had a neighbor who studied at the Wright School in Taliesin and Taliesin West, the idea of touring one of Wright’s houses was too much to resist. Since I no longer live closer to Fallingwater than his homes in the West, I planned on one of my trips to Los Angeles to take a tour of the Hollyhock House as this is the only Wright house open for tours.
No photographs are allowed on the tour so if you want to see the interior, you have to visit a website that shows them such as the Friends of Hollyhock House art
According to their website, tours have been discontinued until restoration work is complete. I’d watch the website for a tour in the future. It is so worth it to take the docent led tour. One wouldn’t notice that Wright made the entry ceiling low so that when you got inside the door, the ceilings would appear higher and the house have a more open and grand look. These are the things you learn on the tour. You also will be shown the hidden keyhole in the front door.
Before or after your tour, spend some time in Barnsdall Art Park where the house is located along Hollywood Boulevard. Enjoy the views of the basin including the iconic Hollywood sign on Mt. Lee.