Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College

Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College Official page of the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitors Center at Florida Southern College. You can enjoy a self-guided tours by purchasing a $5 map.

Featuring the Wright-designed Usonian Faculty House and GEICO Gift Shop, the Sharp Family Tourism & Education Center was opened as part of an ongoing effort to better educate visitors about the Frank Lloyd Wright architecture at Florida Southern College. The Center provides a home for the permanent display of photographs, furniture, and drawings depicting Wright’s 20-year relationship with Florida

Southern College. The Center also acts as a home for visiting exhibits on loan from various other Wright sites. In 2012, the Florida Southern College Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior for being the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world. The site features 13 Wright-designed structures, 12 of which were built during Wright's lifetime and under his supervision. The site is perhaps the most fully articulated expression of Wright's vision and features several unique pieces of Wright history, such as his last specially commissioned stained glass work, his only constructed planetarium, his only theatre-in-the-round, and more. Our docent-led tours start at $30, with our more in-depth tour at $45 per person.

If you've ever taken a tour of our Frank Lloyd Wright campus, chances are you've experienced Jack Coffey's passion for s...
06/12/2026

If you've ever taken a tour of our Frank Lloyd Wright campus, chances are you've experienced Jack Coffey's passion for sharing the stories behind the architecture.

Recently, our Manager of Tours and Educational Programs was featured on the "Wait Five Minutes" podcast with host Nick D'Alessandro. During the conversation, Jack and Nick explore Frank Lloyd Wright's lasting impact on design, history, and the campus itself, while delving into why his work continues to inspire people today.

As the home of the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, Florida Southern is proud to help preserve and share Wright's legacy through tours and educational efforts within these remarkable spaces.

Listen to the full conversation at the link below: https://waitfiveminutes.podbean.com/e/frank-lloyd-wright

Named after William H. Danforth, the Danforth Chapel was designed as part of a series of nondenominational chapels on co...
06/11/2026

Named after William H. Danforth, the Danforth Chapel was designed as part of a series of nondenominational chapels on college campuses across the United States.

As part of Wright’s "Child of the Sun" collection, the chapel reflects a deep connection to nature through its Cherokee Red floors, low entrance, and striking stained-glass windows that fill the space with warm yellow and red light. Beyond serving as a place for reflection and worship, the chapel has hosted musical performances, poetry readings, lectures, and gatherings for generations of students.

It seems our campus cats have developed quite an appreciation for Frank Lloyd Wright's designs! Here sits Gilbert, in fr...
06/09/2026

It seems our campus cats have developed quite an appreciation for Frank Lloyd Wright's designs! Here sits Gilbert, in front of Wright's Polk County Science Building.

Completed in 1958, the Polk County Science Building is one of the last of Wright’s original campus buildings. Named in honor of Polk County residents who helped fund its construction, this interconnected complex continues to serve as a hub for STEM education on campus.

As for Florida Southern's campus cats, they may not attend classes, but they are a beloved part of the community. Whether lounging in the sunshine or greeting students on their way to class, these feline friends add a little extra charm to campus life.

📸: Logan Schultz

06/08/2026

Happy 159th Birthday to Frank Lloyd Wright!

Today and every day, we honor his visionary designs and the lasting architectural legacy he created on our campus!

During the 1960s, three seminar buildings known as the L.A. Raulerson Seminar Buildings were connected and combined to h...
06/05/2026

During the 1960s, three seminar buildings known as the L.A. Raulerson Seminar Buildings were connected and combined to house administrative offices such as the College's financial aid and business offices.

Although the entire complex is named after Honorary Chancellor L.A. Raulerson, each seminar building is named after a different donor: Cora Carter, a retired school teacher; Isabel Walbridge, Dormitory Hostess for the Allan Spivey Hall in 1940s and 1950s; and Charles Hawkins, a professor at the College and author of the College's Alma Mater.

Look closely, and you’ll find butterflies built into the architecture. Seen throughout Florida Southern College’s covere...
06/03/2026

Look closely, and you’ll find butterflies built into the architecture.

Seen throughout Florida Southern College’s covered walkways, or esplanades, and at the Emile A. Watson Administration Building, these angular cutouts are one of the many details that make Wright’s campus design so distinct.

Their geometric forms reflect Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of organic design, where architecture, nature, pattern, and place are meant to exist in conversation.

Frank Lloyd Wright understood that light could be part of the architecture.At Florida Southern College, colored glass de...
06/02/2026

Frank Lloyd Wright understood that light could be part of the architecture.

At Florida Southern College, colored glass details help bring warmth, movement, and atmosphere into Wright-designed spaces. As sunlight shifts throughout the day, these details change with it, casting color, creating pattern, and reminding us that architecture is never truly still.

In 1952, another Frank Lloyd Wright structure was completed on campus. The Lucius Pond Ordway Building originally housed...
05/28/2026

In 1952, another Frank Lloyd Wright structure was completed on campus. The Lucius Pond Ordway Building originally housed the Home Economics Department and industrial workshops but is now home to the Political Science, History, Sociology, and Psychology Departments.

Shown in the photograph below, the Theatre-in-the-Round, officially named the William Fletcher Theatre, serves as both a classroom space and a center for Florida Southern students to showcase their artistic talents. Due to its unique design, the speaker's voice in the center of the room will magnify back to them.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s textile blocks are one of the most recognizable features of his work at Florida Southern College. T...
05/26/2026

Frank Lloyd Wright’s textile blocks are one of the most recognizable features of his work at Florida Southern College. These concrete blocks bring rhythm and detail to the campus, creating surfaces that feel both structural and decorative.

“A building is alive, like a man, and its spirit is the spirit of its maker.”– Frank Lloyd Wright
05/22/2026

“A building is alive, like a man, and its spirit is the spirit of its maker.”
– Frank Lloyd Wright

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840 Johnson Avenue
Lakeland, FL
33801

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 9:30am - 4:30pm

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