Home & Garden Tour

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. Tour reservations are encouraged.