Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site
The Edith Farnsworth House is a National Trust for Historic Preservation historic site museum in Plano, Illinois, operating Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 1951 modernist residence as a public cultural destination offering guided tours, exhibitions, private event rentals, and educational programs to architecture enthusiasts, students, and cultural tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1951
- HeadquartersPlano, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site does
The Edith Farnsworth House is a historic house museum in Plano, Illinois, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1951 as a private residence for Dr. Edith Farnsworth. Now owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the site functions as a public cultural destination offering guided in-person tours, rotating contemporary art exhibitions at the Barnsworth Gallery, educational programs, and private event venue rentals. The primary audience comprises architecture and design enthusiasts, educators and students, and cultural event attendees, with a secondary segment of private event organizers. The site operates Wednesday through Sunday with last admission at 2:30 pm, and its underlying technology stack is modest: VR tours for remote visitors, 24/7 live video streaming via TrueLook cameras, FareHarbor-powered online booking, and a Shopify-hosted museum store.
Revenue is generated across five streams: tour ticket admissions (including the Four Seasons Ticket Bundle), museum store merchandise sales, event venue rentals, exhibition and program admissions, and charitable donations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; visitors transact via the online calendar. The 2026 Farnsworth Forward initiative, a two-year 75th-anniversary program, has shifted thematic focus to Mexican Modernism, anchored by the 'Fertile Ground' exhibition with MUAC and the Cristina Kahlo 'Líneas de Luz y Sombra' show. Distribution is multi-channel: regional in-person visits, global online booking and e-commerce, virtual tours, and live streaming. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with cultural programming and seasonal events (Latin Jazz & Mariachi on the Lawn, Fall Garden Party, Fall Festival) as primary demand drivers. The site is exposed to ongoing flood-mitigation challenges affecting long-term preservation.
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site
- Legal name
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Website
- https://farnsworthhouse.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1951
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Edith Farnsworth House is a National Trust for Historic Preservation historic site museum in Plano, Illinois, operating Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 1951 modernist residence as a public cultural destination offering guided tours, exhibitions, private event rentals, and educational programs to architecture enthusiasts, students, and cultural tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Plano
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tour Tickets and Admissions: Revenue generated from selling tickets for guided tours of the historic house and grounds, including specialized tour bundles such as the Four Seasons Ticket Bundle.
- Museum Store Sales: E-commerce sales of merchandise including books about the Farnsworth House and architecture, such as 'Almost Nothing' by Nora Wendl, 'The Edith Farnsworth House: Architecture, Preservation, Culture', and the Edith Farnsworth House Booklet.
- Event Rentals and Private Functions: Revenue from venue rentals for private events, group tours, and special occasions at the historic site.
- Donations and Contributions: Charitable donations from supporters through the Donate page and Ways to Give programs, supporting preservation efforts and operations.
- Exhibition and Program Revenue: Revenue from cultural programs, lectures, and special events including Latin Jazz & Mariachi on the Lawn and exhibition openings.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Edith Farnsworth House is a historic house museum that sells guided in-person tours, immersive virtual reality tours, rotating contemporary art exhibitions at the Barnsworth Gallery, private event venue rentals, group tour packages, an Artist in Residence program, and a Four Seasons Ticket Bundle, alongside museum store merchandise and donation programs. Its offerings center on public access to and programming around Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's modernist residence in Plano, Illinois, operated under the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Product overview
Edith Farnsworth House operates as a historic house museum offering a portfolio of visitor experiences centered on the iconic modernist residence designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The core offerings include guided in-person tours and immersive virtual (VR) tours of the house and grounds, access to rotating contemporary art exhibitions at the Barnsworth Gallery, and special event venue rentals. Supplementary offerings include the Four Seasons Ticket Bundle for repeat visits, a free digital guide for self-directed exploration, and an Artist in Residence Program that brings contemporary artists to the site. The museum store, powered by Shopify, retails books and merchandise. All tour and event bookings are facilitated through FareHarbor's booking platform, while live video streaming of the site is provided via TrueLook.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Guided Tours In-person guided tours of the historic Farnsworth House, led by knowledgeable guides, with options for individual visitors and organized groups. Tours cover the modernist residence designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the surrounding landscape.
- Virtual Tours (VR Tours) Immersive virtual reality tours enabling remote visitors to digitally explore the Farnsworth House and its grounds.
- Barnsworth Gallery Exhibitions Rotating contemporary art exhibitions held at the on-site Barnsworth Gallery, featuring current, upcoming, and past shows connecting modernist heritage with contemporary artistic practice.
- Group Tours Specialized guided tour packages for organized groups, including educational institutions, corporate groups, and other organized visits.
- Four Seasons Ticket Bundle Bundled ticket package offering visits across all four seasons, encouraging year-round repeat engagement with the site.
- Event Rentals Private event hosting services allowing individuals and organizations to rent the Farnsworth House grounds for weddings, receptions, corporate events, and other special occasions.
- Museum Store Online retail store selling books, merchandise, and educational materials related to the Farnsworth House, its exhibitions, and modernist architecture, operated on Shopify.
- Artist in Residence Program A residency program inviting artists to live and create at the Farnsworth House, fostering contemporary artistic responses to the historic modernist site.
Companies that use Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Trust for Historic PreservationcoreThe Edith Farnsworth House is owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The National Trust provides organizational oversight, funding, preservation expertise, and operational support for the site.
- MUAC (Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo)coreMUAC is partnering with the Farnsworth House for the exhibition 'Fertile Ground: Crossroads of Design in Mid-Century Mexico (1930s–1970s)', providing collections and archives from Mexican institutions for the exhibition exploring Mexican architectural movements.
- FareHarborcoreFareHarbor provides the online booking and ticketing platform for tours, events, and programs at the Edith Farnsworth House, enabling visitors to reserve tickets and purchase event admissions online.
- Two Partners CafeminorTwo Partners Cafe provides food and beverage services during events at the Edith Farnsworth House, such as the Latin Jazz & Mariachi on the Lawn celebration.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Cliveden (National Trust UK): Cliveden is a Grade I listed historic house in Buckinghamshire operated by the UK National Trust as a heritage attraction. Comparable as a single historic house property operated by a national heritage trust offering tours, gardens, events, and donor-supported programming, though serving a UK audience.
- Villa Savoye: Villa Savoye is Le Corbusier's iconic 1931 residence in Poissy, France, operated as a public museum by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Highly comparable as a single-site, canonical modernist house museum serving architecture tourists globally, though it operates in a different geography under a national-monuments framework.
- Rietveld Schröder House: Rietveld Schröder House is Gerrit Rietveld's 1924 De Stijl residence in Utrecht, Netherlands, a UNESCO World Heritage site operated as a museum. Comparable as a single architect-designed modernist home preserved for public tours, though it operates in Europe under a different cultural-heritage funding structure.
Broad incumbents
- Biltmore Estate: Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina is a much larger historic house museum operated by a private nonprofit (The Biltmore Company). It is comparable as a destination historic house property offering tours, retail, dining, lodging, and events, but at materially larger scale and with broader hospitality operations.
- National Trust for Historic Preservation (Network Sites): The National Trust for Historic Preservation operates roughly two dozen historic sites across the United States, including the Farnsworth House and the Glass House. Comparable as the parent organization's network of architecturally significant historic sites sharing marketing, membership, and fundraising infrastructure.
Direct peers
- Taliesin West: Taliesin West is Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and architectural campus in Scottsdale, Arizona, operated by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. It is a direct peer in operating architect-designed heritage residences for public tours, educational programming, and cultural events at comparable scale.
- Fallingwater: Fallingwater is Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic house museum in Mill Run, Pennsylvania, operated by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. It is the most directly comparable peer: a single-site, architect-designed historic home preserved as a museum and operated through tours, exhibitions, and event rentals, with similar operating scale and donor-dependent nonprofit economics.
- Hollyhock House: Hollyhock House is Frank Lloyd Wright's 1921 residence in Los Angeles, operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and recently restored. Comparable as a single architect-designed historic house museum offering guided tours, cultural programming, and event use, with similar nonprofit/public-sector operating model.
- Gamble House: Gamble House is Greene & Greene's 1908 Arts & Crafts masterpiece in Pasadena, California, operated by the University of Southern California as a historic house museum. Comparable as a single-site architect-designed residence offering guided tours, museum store sales, and event rentals at similar operating scale.
- The Glass House: The Glass House is Philip Johnson's modernist residence in New Canaan, Connecticut, also operated under the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is a near-perfect direct peer: a National Trust historic site, a single architect-designed modernist home, with guided tours, event rentals, and donor-supported operations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site social profiles
Digital presenceEdith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site
What does Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site do?
The Edith Farnsworth House is a historic house museum that sells guided in-person tours, immersive virtual reality tours, rotating contemporary art exhibitions at the Barnsworth Gallery, private event venue rentals, group tour packages, an Artist in Residence program, and a Four Seasons Ticket Bundle, alongside museum store merchandise and donation programs. Its offerings center on public access to and programming around Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's modernist residence in Plano, Illinois, operated under the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Is Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site a public or private company?
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site founded?
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site was founded in 1951.
Where is Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site based?
Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site is headquartered in Plano, United States, in the North America region.
How does Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tour Tickets and Admissions are the primary driver. The others are museum Store Sales, event Rentals and Private Functions, donations and Contributions and exhibition and Program Revenue.
Who are Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Cliveden (National Trust UK), Villa Savoye and Rietveld Schröder House. Broad incumbents are Biltmore Estate and National Trust for Historic Preservation (Network Sites). Direct peers are Taliesin West, Fallingwater, Hollyhock House, Gamble House and The Glass House.
Does Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site have an API?
No public API is recorded for Edith Farnsworth House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site.