Visiting Fallingwater

A few weekends ago we took a trip to the Laurel Highlands area of Southwest Pennsylvania to visit Fallingwater, a home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Kaufman family, owners of Kaufman’s Department Store in Pittsburg.

Fallingwater is located between the villages of Mill Run and Ohiopyle.  If you are an outdoor lover, this is a place that you would love to visit.  The area offers kayaking, rafting, and miles of hiking.  Fresh snow was on the ground when we visited and the temperature was in the lower 20’s.  I’d love to visit in a different season to enjoy more of Fallingwater’s grounds.

Entrance to Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in PA

 

Even on a cold winter day, there were quite a few visitors at Fallingwater.  We purchased our tickets ahead of time and even with visiting early in the season, many of the time slots were already full when I planned our trip.

Entrance to Fallingwater - a Frank Lloyd Wright home in PA

 

In true Frank Lloyd Wright style, the visitor’s center blends in and looks in harmony with nature.

Fallingwater Visitor's Center

 

The visitor’s center has a ticket booth in the center with “spokes” like those of a bicycle wheel protruding from the center.  While you wait for your tour to start you can visit the museum store, eat a snack in the snack area, or use the restroom.  I was surprised that there wasn’t a traditional learning area with exhibits that offered information on Fallingwater.

Fallingwater Museum Store

 

The start of the tour requires a short hike to the home.

Touring Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in PA.

 

Fallingwater was built between 1936 and 1939.  It seems super modern to me now and I can’t imagine what people in the 1930’s thought of its design.

Fallingwater - A Frank Lloyd Wright Wright designed home in Pennsylvania is a "must see" for anyone who appreciates good architecture. virginiasweetpea.com

 

No interior photography was allowed on the tour, so I’ll only share exterior photos.  If you want to see what the interior looks like, a quick Internet search will show you.

At Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in PA, the home was built over a waterfall.

 

The main living area is behind the glass that you see on the level with the stairs that lead down to the creek.  It’s design is mid-century even though it was built years before mid-century became popular.  Even today the interior looks modern and comfortable.

At Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in PA, the home was built over a waterfall.

 

This area is high on the hill behind the main house where a guest house and the servant’s quarters are located.  Our tour guide told us that the servant’s quarters were as nice as the rest of the house.  That area is now used as offices.

Frank Lloyd Wright invented carports believing that a garage would allow too much space for extra stuff.  Garage owners, do you agree?

Frank Lloyd Wright did not believe in garages. These are the carports found at Fallingwater, a home he desinged in PA.

 

Our tour ended at the carports and we then were invited to walk back to the main house to take exterior pictures.  Can you imagine enjoying one of the many balconies in warm weather?

Fallingwater - A Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Pennsylvania - Side View

 

Isn’t it amazing how the home was built around the boulders?

Fallingwater - Frank Lloyd Wright - The home was designed around the boulders.

 

The upper left corner of the picture below shows where the guest house, servant’s quarters, and carports are located.Fallingwater - A Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Pennsylvania - Side View

 

 

 

This is the famous view of Fallingwater.  Can you imagine living over a waterfall?

Fallingwater - A Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in PA - virginiasweetpea.com

Be sure to come back Moday when I share a second Frank Lloyd Wright designed home, Kentuck Knob, in the same area of Pennsylvania.

 

If you like Frank Lloyd Wright, don’t miss my post on some of his architecture and also his home and office in Oak Park, Illinois.

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Fallingwater - A Frank Lloyd Wright Wright designed home in Pennsylvania is a "must see" for anyone who appreciates good architecture. virginiasweetpea.com

11 Comments

  1. Having grown up in Racine, Wisconsin home of Johnson’s Wax and many buildings and homes designed by FLWright and now living in Chicagoland–his original stomping ground, we were so excited to visit Falling Water in the summer on a vacation. But, true to FLWright’s vision—it is most stunning in your winter photos when the ‘bones’ of the hills and forest marry with his vision. A true love story there…Thank-you so much for sharing this, Sandi

    1. I am so glad that you enjoyed my post, Sandi! Now I’m wanting to visit Racine to look for FLW homes. My husband is from Chicago and went to school in Madison and tells me that he is familiar with that area. I’d also like to visit Taliesin one of these days.

  2. What a great place. In Florida he has many buildings and the city where I live named a street after him. He was ahead of his time for sure. It’s a great trip.

  3. I was just reading another woman’s blog post today and she was talking about a Frank Lloyd Wright house they toured and someone commented about visiting the fallingwater house and I wondered what it looked like and where it was.. now I know! That looks really neat.

    1. I would go back to Fallingwater in a flash. The tour is great and there are other Frank Lloyd Wright houses in the area to see.

      Paula

  4. What a fascinating place and so ahead of it’s time. I think he was on to something with not having a traditional garage…mine is always overflowing! How nice that you got to visit when it was snow covered…so pretty! Thanks for linking up to Take Me Away!
    Shelley

    1. I would love to go back there in another season. We toured a few other FLW homes in the area and really enjoy all of the tours.

      Paula

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