Zimmerman House

A bit of history preserved for the future.
PLEASE DO NOT SIT ON THE FURNITURE!
For anyone interested in architecture, this is a gem to take in and marvel at.

Our mistake. Showed up on a Tuesday, and the house and the related Currier Museum of Art are not open on Tuesdays. Tho at the house was a yard work day. The property was looking very nice. Reservations are recommended. Tip: Check the website before you go.

Other than watching the occasional documentary on the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, I’ve never been in a house of his design. So when friends said they wanted to visit the Zimmerman House when they came to visit, I was definitely game! We booked our tour a month in advance for Memorial Day, as soon as they opened up online ordering for the season. Since they only take 13 people on each tour, we didn’t want to miss out. A gentleman arrived at the museum when it opened to get a ticket. He was fortunate, they only had one spot available. Best to order tickets in advance.
Our docent (aka guide) was very nice, though a little disorganized in her thoughts. She did admit this was her first official tour. We missed seeing the Zimmermans’ previous traditional style home enroute to our destination. She was trying so hard to impart information to us, she would get caught up in minor details and miss more important items. And she didn’t always have an answer to some questions. Hopefully that will improve as she does more tours.
When we arrived at the house, another docent was waiting for us. She was obviously more experienced. But two docents seem to be required, as even with only 13 people, splitting into two smaller groups is necessary to actually move through the house once the preliminary talk is finished in the main room, aka Garden Room. It can be a tight squeeze in the corridors. But even though some may feel the place a bit monotonous in terms of color scheme, it’s all based on nature so there’s a peacefulness that settles over you. Absolutely wonderful experience.
My favorite part was walking into the Garden Room and noticing colored chunks of glass placed in spaces between the bricks of the fireplace side wall and backlit. Went floor to ceiling… That flash of bright jewel tones was very reminiscent of a stained glass window in a contemporary 3D interpretation.
The house is now air conditioned. Apparently only done a year ago after a bad mold problem developed. Certainly made it more comfortable on our tour during a slightly humid day.
Highly recommended!

This is a must-​see in Manchester if you’re a Frank Lloyd Wright fan, and even if not it’s a perfect introduction.
You need to book the tour with the Currier Museum before you visit as places are limited. You can’t visit the house directly but check in at the museum and are then bussed up in a group of no more than a dozen people.
Everyone has to don little polythene booties to protect the carpets inside, and you are under strict instruction not to touch anything, such is the preservation paranoia of the tour staff — but rightly so, as the place is absolutely stunning inside. It’s quite a small house by normal standards, but it was only designed for two people so that’s not a problem, and of course with an architect like Frank Lloyd Wright you know that the use of space is going to be maximised and enhanced by clever proportions and design tricks.
I did find the spiel of our tour guide a little over the top, almost religiously so at times when she would go into the minutiae of Wright’s design techniques, but the house speaks volumes by itself so it was easy to tune out of the talk and just let the details of the house draw your attention by themselves — the mitred window corners, the use of natural light, the careful placement of furniture. nothing is superfluous, everything it in its place. Form and proportion in perfect harmony. Wonderful.

Great tour from the Museum. Love the house, love the location. Took my mom here for a mother’s day gift– she loves Frank Lloyd Wright. What a great idea!

Even if you are unfamiliar with Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture and philosophy, a tour of this home is well worth your time. Built by FLW in 1950 for the Dr. Isadore & Lucille Zimmerman, the couple lived in this FLW designed house for over 36 years before leaving it to the Currier Museum of Art so others could enjoy this piece of architectural work of art, as well as their own personal collections.
You must book a tour with CMA to view and their knowledgable docents provide information, trivia (did you know the word ‘carport’ was coined by FLW to describe an overhang for a parked vehicle?) and even their personal connections with the Zimmermans. This classic usonian home is almost completely furnished with the original Wright-​designed furniture. It’s a small and compact home, with an abundance of natural lighting through the clerestory windows. Like other FLW designs, there is a strong visual connection between the interior and the exterior. The CMA has a true gem in this acquisition.

One of the most fascinating and inspiring things to see in Manchester.

Great tour, gorgeous house. If you have any interest in architecture or design, check it out!

Beautiful gem of a house that is a must see! Now I want to visit all different FLW houses in the US. One piece of advice — book early online! The tours fill up!

Knowing I was coming for a visit to New England, my friend suggested the Zimmerman House as a part of our New England road trip. Happily, they were open on Labor Day.
We made reservations in advance. The actual Zimmerman House is a short drive from the museum. You meet at the museum and they take you over.
You have to wear bootees (provided) and you can’t touch anything. The docents were very knowledgable and answered any and all questions in our 90 minutes together.
This is the only FLW house open to the public in New England, and some of the couples personal effects are still in the house on display.
The docents also pointed out other significant homes in the area, including the Zimmerman’s prior residence, and a house FLW designed for friends of the Zimmermans. A must-​see for architectural buffs.

If you are a FLW fan, you have to visit this house, the only one open for tours in New England. The house is amazing, clever, and fascinating. What i’m going to focus on is the mechanics of it, and the docents.
This isn’t explained well when you get tickets (online at least) — you meet at the museum and are driven to the house in a minivan. There is free parking, and your tour ticket gets you into the museum — which is excellent, so leave time before or after to look around it’s collections.
The docents on our tour were excellent. Concise, knowledgeable, and made you feel like you were getting a tour by the owners themselves. It wasn’t rushed, but just right.
Just a great experience, and I’d say this house and tour impressed me even more than Fallingwater.

This place is AMAZING!!! We visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Waters at Ohiopyle, PA. Now, this one was right in New England where I grew up. The van can only fit 15 people plus your guide.
RESERVATIONS & RULES
You must make reservations ahead of time over the phone or online. If you are a member, then you can make free reservations. If you are not a member, it’s $ 20 for adults which includes admission to the art museum as well. I got a family membership for my parents so we all got in free. Ironically, we went here yesterday which was the anniversary of Wright’s death. The docent in the van pointed out Usonian buildings which Wright introduced the concept of designing your building to fit nature. Also, she pointed out the original home of the Zimmerman’s in downtown Manchester before moving to their famous house. After getting off the van, we were greeted by another guide and were split into 2 groups to see the house. You have to wear booties and cannot touch anything in the house. Also, photography is permitted only outside and not inside the house.
TOUR– HOUSE AND BACKYARD
After seeing the garden (living) room, workstation (kitchen), and bedrooms, you go outside with the guides to see the backyard and the headstone of Mr. Zimmerman. We ran over since our group was especially diverse and had many questions for our guides. One of our fellow visitors was an architect and familiar with many of Wright’s buildings. Another one knew alot about how homes were built. This added to our experience to learn more about how houses were built then and now. If you ever get a chance to visit Manchester, then be sure to check out this house… Oh yeah, you also see another Usonian house which is up for sale $ 1.5 million.

Visited the Zimmerman house a few weeks ago and LOVED IT. You do have to make reservations in advance through the Currier Art Museum, but it’s easy to reserve online:
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Tours leave from the museum (everyone piles into a van and then we drove to the house) and once you get there, you have to put on booties over your shoes before you can go inside. However, it is totally worth the ride/​booties if you are a FLW fan or even just a fan of awesome design.
This house is amazing, from the indoor garden space to the old school original appliances to the pieces of leftover Corelle glass embedded into the brick of the fireplace. After the tour of the house, you can wander around the impeccably maintained garden before heading back to the museum (admission is included with the tour). Our tour guides were informative and even read correspondence between FLW and the Zimmerman’s during the tour.

The Zimmerman House is the only home by Frank Lloyd Wright in New England that is open to visitors. It is owned by the Currier Art Museum and taking a tour requires a reservation (603−669−6144×108) but is worth the effort. The Zimmerman House is a beautiful 1950’s Usonian home complete with a full selection of FLW furniture and extras like its mailbox.
The home is small with emphasis on the entertaining space and interesting interlocking furniture pieces to help save space. It has an interesting design in a typical FLW style with no expense spared meaning this home has lots of extra features.
I can’t really express my enthusiasm about this place but it is really nice!