Picnic At Farnsworth House, Saturday, October 6.

Although I am no longer a docent there, I still consider Farnsworth House to be one of the great jewels of the Chicago area, and not to be missed, especially if you have a passion for art, architecture, or modern design.

Just look at the picture above. Click on it to enlarge it. Takes your breath away, doesn't it?

Better known to some as 'The Glass House,' Farnsworth House is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's 1951 modernist masterpiece, one of the most significant buildings of the 20th century. It is located on the Fox River just outside of Plano, Illinois.

Many people, even many who live here in the Chicago area, want to see the house but have never made the trip. Unless you happen to live in that part of the metropolitan area, it takes a bit of planning and is not something you can do casually. One reason I stopped giving tours there was the cost and duration of the drive out and back from the city.

If you've always wanted to go but have never made the time, here is a great opportunity to see and tour the house, hear some informative speakers, enjoy a nice lunch, and help support the house's preservation. You can even take a relaxing bus ride out and back.

Click here for more information or click here for tickets. Click here for the Farnsworth House website (Farnsworthhouse.org). The October 6 event is identified on the website as either the 'Al Fresco Event' or 'DOCOMOMO Tour Day.' DOCOMOMO is an international organization that supports the documentation (DO) and conservation (CO) of modernist (MO) buildings, sites, and neighborhoods.

As the photograph above suggests, there is every reason to expect beautiful fall foliage at the site and on the way. If you've always wanted to tour Farnsworth House, make this your time.