We have toured many Frank Lloyd Wright properties, and we really enjoyed the Fabyan Villa because it offered something quite different. Wright remodeled an existing farmhouse rather than designing the home from the ground up, which gave us another perspective on his work.What really made this visit stand out, though, was learning about the history and research that took place throughout the Riverbank estate. We were especially fascinated by the story of the Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories, established here in 1918. Learning that pioneering research in architectural acoustics and sound testing took place on this property, and that the laboratory is still operating more than 100 years later, was something we weren't expecting when we came for a Frank Lloyd Wright tour.The guide did a great job explaining the history of the Fabyans and the property, and we appreciated how much research has been done and continues to be done to uncover its history.Unfortunately, bad weather kept us from experiencing the Japanese Garden. We also didn't tour the historic windmill, but it certainly looked interesting enough to explore on another visit.We came because of Frank Lloyd Wright, but left just as interested in the history of the entire Riverbank estate.

Terrific visit there. The grounds have attractive landscaping and the house tour (we did the self-guided) began with a very informative video, which told the fascinating history of the place. While seeing the Wright influences was interesting, it was the code-breaking work that was most interesting. At $5/person, it’s an incredible bargain for an enjoyable and informative afternoon. The Japanese garden, which is free, was truly beautiful and serene.

Looking for a place with a rich story in the Chicago metro area? Visit the Fabyan Villa and Japanese Garden in Geneva. It's a Frank Lloyd Wright redesign of an existing farm house that served Nelle and George Fabyan's farming, collecting, and scientific interests until the late 1930s. It was even the site of code-breaking work between the wars. The tour is worthwhile and the guides are very informative about the architecture, history, and the Fabyans. The property includes the Fox River, gardens, and park. Make it a day and have lunch or dinner in Geneva!

The house tour as well as the self-guided tour through the gardens and windmill was very interesting and worthwhile. We initially went there because of the Frank Lloyd Wright connection and were pleasantly surprised with the bonus information of the Science /Code Breaker history as it was something we had not heard of before.

This site is interesting from several perspectives. The house was originally built in 1870 as a farmhouse; Mr and Mrs Fabyan bought the property to serve as their getaway from the big city of Chicago (about 40 miles away) and decided to make it their home so they commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to enlarge and redesign the structure for their home. If you know FLW, you will see his design inside and out! Start with the introductory video to learn about the Fabyans and the house and much more! Mr Fabyan was interested in the Baconian theory that Sir Francis Bacon actually wrote the works of Shakespeare, so he hired experts to examine and support that theory. And he founded the Riverbank Laboratories whose work was primarily cryptology, or codebreaking. Two of the experts--the Friedmans--are recognized for having broken the Enigma code and the Japanese Purple cipher during World War II. Lots of very interesting stories associated with the Fabyans! A guided tour of the house is offered at 11am; otherwise, it is strictly self-guided with docents available to answer questions. There are some printed guides to carry with you for reference, but they weren't as helpful as I would have like. A takeaway paper map of the house, showing the layout of each floor, with some info about each room, would be nice. The grounds include the Japanese Garden, with a teahouse, a bridge, and a lovely water feature; the Fabyan Windmill across the Fox River, accessible via bridges from the property; riverfront trail; and forest preserve. We enjoyed the river scenery as we walked to and from the parking lot and across to the island.