Fallingwater

We took the occasion of our anniversary to finally visit Fallingwater and spend some time in Pittsburgh. We were able to easily make our 11:30 tour by leaving Annapolis at 7:30. The weather was warm and the house is not air conditioned however the site offers enough shade and the creek is cool so as to allow the house to remain comfortable even with the large number of visitors. The house is sighted to fit into the setting not provide the best view of the falls. The open concept design foretells the contemporary design so popular today. All the construction materials were sourced locally at a time when the area was in a deep depression. The story of the interaction between the Kaufmann family and Mr. Wright is also very telling about the personality of the architect. I just don’t know why we waited so long for our visit. Don’t you wait to see this wonderful national treasure.

This was one of those stops we had to seriously stip and consider due to coming across it on the tail end of a roadtrip that had already bestowed upon us heat rash and parking fines upon fines upon fines. We were feeling like our good times had rolled on somewhere. I’m so glad we decided to stop and get our minds blown by organic Depression era archetecture. FLLW was wayyyyy ahead of his time
… heck, I think he was ahead of OUR time. But they did it. One of the things our tour guide said that stood out was that this was a job that gave unskilled workers work in the late 1930s. Not only did they give jobs to people in the Depression, the Kauffmans (Jr) donated the house to a Pennyslyvania Conservatory after death. You cant even hate em a little for living like Gatsby in the jungle.

After so many decades of calling this area my hometown, I finally made a visit to Fallingwater as an early birthday gift to a friend who loves architecture, and particularly the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. I don’t know that my review will add anything of substance to what has already been written, but I shall recount my experience anyway. I sprung for the in-​depth guided tour, and it was worth every penny. The tour group is smaller and the duration is longer, and we were let into areas normally restricted by regular tours and were allowed to take still photos. It was like walking inside of a work of art, and for me it was just as incredible (if not moreso) than any famous tourist attraction and landmark that I’ve seen in my European travels.
A piece of advice: use the directions from the website to be on the safe side, and don’t blindly trust your GPS like I did! Yes, it may get you there, but you might find yourself off-​roading in a Camry. Just sayin’.
All in all, a fantastic experience that reinforced my love of and appreciation for design, and I look forward to a return visit during another season (probably autumn) to experience it in a whole different setting.

Nature and man.
Fallingwater is not just a house but a work of art that takes the intersection of both of these to a new level.
And I’m so happy that I can say that I was able to see it for myself, walk its halls, listen to the waterfall, peer down into the water from its balconies.
As a fun Memorial Day trip, my boyfriend, his siblings and their significant others and I rented a condo near Fallingwater since it was about halfway between where we all live.
My first tip: Reserve your tour tickets in advance. Most of the tours were sold out by the time Memorial Day rolled around.
When we arrived we had about 40 minutes to spend in the gift shop before our tour was called. This turned out to be a benefit because this is one awesome gift shop. If you’re a Frank Lloyd Wright enthusiast, you’ll find everything from FLW mousepads, ties, books, art, bird feeders, T-​shirts, jewelry and more. The shop also has a great books section and other fun finds.
When our tour number was called, we made our way to the house, which is down a short path from the welcome desk/​gazebo. On the bridge leading to this iconic home, we met our tour guide.
There’s a strict no interior photos policy unless you go on the expensive tour so take a ton of pictures from this bridge as well as the trail that leads to the overlook that faces the house.
We began in the living room, marveled over The Hatch (my favorite feature), walked the balconies, took in the hearth and then ventured upstairs to see the bedrooms.
While this home is truly priceless, it struck me how small the beds were and how minimal the furnishings were, but from what the guide told us, that is a part of FLW’s vision. It was also great to see how he brought nature, like original stone, into the home and how it is cantilevered over the waterfall.
There is also an adorable small pool near the guest addition, and when we toured a frog was just chilling on the steps. Our guide called him Frog Lloyd Wright. Love it!
The only topics I wish our tour guide had talked more about were the celebs who have walked its halls (Bradjelina! Eep!) and the art.
At the end of the tour, you sit down in an air conditioned room — the only A/​C on the tour; the hand fans they lend you on the tour are also priceless! — to learn more about the conservancy that maintains the home. And the lady who talked to us about the conservancy mentioned how the home contained works by Picasso and Rivera. What the what!?! Our main tour guide never mentioned that. I know that one of the longer tours includes more about the art, but a comment like, «That painting is by Picasso,» would have been nice.
Fallingwater truly is a bucket list spot. I’m so happy we were able to check this one off!

Worth the trip. Worth the admission price. Just go. YOU WON’T regret it… unless you just don’t give a flip about history or architecture. (((reserve your tickets online… they sell out… they get tour buses here!)))

Really fun/​educational place and tour! This was a very special experience, and despite the long drive from virtually anywhere you’re coming from, I think this is a bucket list thing to do.
Overview — Fallingwater is a 1930s Frank Lloyd Wright-​designed weekend home for the Kaufmann family. You buy tickets online and choose a time slot to show up for. Tickets are $ 25 — I think they are a dollar or two more if you buy on-​site, and you probably don’t have as much flexibility to pick your time if you don’t book in advance.
Logistics — the tour itself is very well-​organized. On the day of your visit, your tickets will correspond to a group number. Each group, which I think is limited in size to 14 people, is released every six minutes starting from the hour that you signed up for. AKA, if you bought a 2pm ticket, you will be placed in 14-​member size groups that are actually released at 2, 2:06, 2:12, etc. This prevents overcrowding both within and between groups as you go through the house. AND, it also means that if you show up a little late, it’ll probably be okay since you’ll just be put in a later group within the hour you signed up for.
The house and tour — so, so cool. Our group had plebs like me and an architect, and I think we all found ways to appreciate the house. Not only does it look strange and beautiful, but thanks to our knowledgable tour guide, I had so much fun learning about the way that art and practicality are married in this structure. My favorite aspects were — the custom desks that were built to allow windows to open without taking up more space in the room, the fact that the entire house is balanced on a boulder, the way FLW incorporated the family’s favorite sunning spot into the interior of the house, and the frogs in the swimming pool (which were not part of a design but they’re kind of adorable).
Some policies to know — They are really strict about certain things since they want to preserve the house well. That means that there’s no photography inside the house, only of the exterior. In addition, our tour guide, while very nice and knowledgable, was super anal. Obviously you can’t touch any furniture but you also can’t bring backpacks/​purses bc they might accidentally touch something. Also, water is a big deal. It was raining the day we went, and I have to admit it was kind of hilarious to watch our tour guide, a sweet old lady, freak out at us when we went on the balcony because water might drop from our jackets onto to the furniture when we came back in. (To that end, they do provide many umbrellas.) She also would comment on the water damage super sniffily in certain rooms — very adorable in its own way.
The schtick at the end — the only reason why I withhold the 5^th star is the awkward PBS special at the end. Your tour guide walks you over to the Kaufmann’s converted car garage, and hands you off to another sweet old lady that was probably picked bc her face is hard to say no to. At this point, you will be feeling happy bc you just walked around a 5,000+ sq foot house and were not allowed to sit or touch anything the whole time, and finally finally finally they have these soft comfy looking couches where yes, YOU CAN SIT AND TOUCH. But of course that’s so you watch this video that asks you for a donation at the end. It’s very guilt-​trippy and I would say just try to avoid eye contact and enjoy the seats.
Also, random last note — they have a few other sites at the visitor’s center that I think are all really worth visiting. There’s this small gallery devoted to the Kaufmann’s other houses, which were designed by other architects. It’s short and sweet, and kind of fun to see other styles even though you’re on a FLW site. There’s also a café with hot food. A bit overpriced, but it could definitely be worse. Finally, the gift shop actually has a ton of interesting things so I would take some time to go through that.

After six years of wanting to check out Fallingwater, I finally had the opportunity to visit with my husband and parents over my 30^th birthday weekend! Make sure to book reservations at least a couple days in advance (maybe even longer depending on the time period) because a sad sign read «sold out for the day» when we pulled into the parking lot around 10am.
The drive from Pittsburgh — well, really, from anywhere — is very winding, so have those prone to carsickness take Dramamine. We arrived on a beautiful but cold morning in late March and huddled in the café area to stay warm while we waited for our tour to begin.
Overall, my visit really surprised me. I expected to be in awe of the architecture and to leave with some good pictures. However, I was actually a bit underwhelmed with the impracticality of Frank Lloyd Wright’s creation and with the current state of the property (which apparently needs never-​ending maintenance) but gained so much more information than I ever expected to learn. Even though I’m not dreaming about moving into Fallingwater any time soon, I really enjoyed my educational experience here.
I really appreciate the people who work to keep this property in good shape and to provide guests with tours. I’m happy that I finally made my way out here and hope that this property is maintained for many years to come.

Absolutely gorgeous.
I’m not sure any of my descriptions and colorful language will do this beautiful place the justice it deserves. It’s something spectacular. How often do you see a cantilevered house built on a waterfall? With beautiful aesthetic and integrating the water into your home and lifestyle? I’m extremely jealous of the Kaufmann’s for their home but just as happy that they donated it so curious minds can explore it’s wonder.
My friend and I decided to do the in-​depth tour which gave us a strong sense of what the house was all about. It starts in the kitchen, but as you walk around the house, you get a complete description of the architecture and the foundation and what Frank Lloyd Wright was thinking about as he built this wonder.
The most important piece of this puzzle is just how amazing Frank Lloyd Wright was in this complete integration of the house into nature. The house was literally built around nature, and there wasn’t a complete destruction of it to build the house. Furthermore, the fact that this house was built during the Great Depression, creating jobs for many, is just as impressive.
My favorite part of the house (and if you take the in-​depth tour at $ 70-​ish dollars, you’ll discover this as well) was the windows on the right-​hand side of the house. They are positioned right above the waterfall. The windows jut out at odd angles when opened, but are sealed perfectly when put into place. There is a single window, to the right of all these crazy windows, that opens in a circular motion. This single window is used for sound control, which increases the amount of sound you hear coming into your bedroom from the waterfall. How cool is that?!
The picture of Falling Water from the viewing point is stunning. You have to stand at the location and see for yourself. It’s pretty amazing.
I’m so happy I went there. The house, the tour, the grounds, the gift store… everything was done with utter beauty, fully enclosed in nature. You have to check this place out! There are only a handful of more peaceful places I’ve been, and Falling Water is certainly near the top of that list.

Thank you Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for preserving and maintaining this building. I feel privileged to have seen and walked through it. It’s iconic.
Definitely make reservations for a tour BEFORE coming. Don’t fool yourself there’ll be availability upon arrival. Get a combo ticket (Kentuck Knob, Fallingwater) and save money.
Expect 3 hours: 2 hours for the tour, 30 minutes for walking on the grounds, 30 minutes for going through café, museum, and exhibit. I just love the family picture where the son is wearing ballerina shoes!
Listen to an audio CD or read the following before coming because the guides won’t go into FLW’s narcissistic behavior or the family’s unmentionables of that time (philandering, homosexuality, suicide) unless you ask.
Fallingwater Rising by Franklin Toker
Frank Lloyd Wright by Ada Huxtable
Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Favorites:
The Hatch
Bedside reading stand over bed on upper floor
Entire upper floor
Cast iron kettle pot (even though completely impracticable for actual use)

I’ve waited so long to visit Fallingwater. Really there’s no excuse for anyone who lives in Pittsburgh not to visit this beautiful landmark, other than if you don’t have a car… but still… you can hitch a ride!
It’s so worth the short hour and a half drive to check out Frank Llyod Wright’s incredible creation. I didn’t really know what to expect, other than what I’d read and seen in pictures. The pictures really don’t do the place justice though.
Booking your tour online is essential, especially during peak season (in October for sure). There’s no guarantee you can just show up and get a tour (like my dad argued the whole time prior!). I booked two weeks prior and still got one of the last slots on Saturday.
The website encourages you to come early and check out the grounds, which I would definitely recommend. I didn’t realize there’s hiking trails and so much to do around the house as well. Plus, it’s a sprawling property so there’s a lot to see and take in.
The tour is great and very informative. We had a wonderful tour guide who was very knowledgable, answered all our questions and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing. I mean, you get face to face with an original Picasso! The tour guides keep reiterating that they want you to feel like you’re walking into a lived in home, and it’s true, you see all the little details of where the Kauffman’s made their home.
I honestly am so happy we came out during the fall too, because the scenery was just beautiful! My only regret is not extending the trip to include Kentuck Knob and the Duncan House!

Anyone who has studied architecture must visit this house. I find it bizarre it was built in the 30s. It really looks like the 60s. So it was a revolutionary design.
The ground are beautiful! And so bizarre how natural the build of the house is. For example… the pool… it was filled with only natural water.
It was raining cats and dogs the day we were there and really shows you how damp the house gets. That’s what you get when you build a house on a waterfall.
The price of the tour I thought was expensive. But it’s still a must see.
One thing I found bizarre is how cosy it was. The bedrooms were really small. And I love that the Kaufman’s weekend retreat wasn’t a grand display of wealth. But more about integration into nature.

5 for the concept and the great photos online.
4 for reality, as in seeing it in real life, up close.
Such is that of life, isn’t it?
That being said, if you are in the Pittsburgh area, then I definitely recommend taking a one hour drive and going to see Fallingwater. This is a house that was built on top of a waterfall and it is definitely worth seeing.
There are inside the house tours, grounds tours, hiking tours, in-​depth tours, twilight tours… it’s up to you how much you want to spend.
We just got the grounds passes, which at the lowest level is still almost ten bucks per person. It allows you to park and walk around the area and take photos. It was enough for us, and allowed us to get right up to the house. The farther away you are, the more impressive it looks, but as you get closer, you can see that it’s definitely an old building and some of the paint is starting to chip. I didn’t go inside, but from the outside, I still think it’s better to have a house overlooking a waterfall, then to be in the waterfall. Waterfalls are free flowing, and this building is not only disrupting it, but also angular. Perhaps that is the beauty of it and I just can’t see it.
There are also several vantage points for taking photos, and I’d recommend going as early as possible if you don’t want people in your photos.
Also, while I was there, I was helping a lovely couple take photos, when all of a sudden the guy went down on one knee and proposed. If you’re out there, and you read this, just wanted to give you guys a shout out! This made the trip to Fallingwater all the more memorable!

Absolutely stunning house right in the middle of nowhere! I imagine it’s difficult to get there in the winter but it’s perfect in the fall.
You park at the visitors center and then walk about .25 miles to the house. If you have troubles going long distances then you can request a ride in the shuttle. (The house also has a total of 100 steps but once you go all the way up you can take a shuttle back. You don’t have to go back down all 100 steps.)
The house is so open, unique, inviting, and delightful to visit. It’s hard to describe just how great it is but rather it’s something you just need to see in person.
You can’t take photos inside the house but you can take photos outside. There are in depth tours where you can take photos inside the house, but it’s significantly more expensive than the regular tour.

Please can I have it and throw parties in it? I would take good care of it and even sweep occasionally. I promise. Hello? Anyone listening!!!
Fallingwater is incredible. I encourage you to visit it and soak it in. It holds a special place in my heart because here was one of the first times my wife and I hung out. We weren’t dating, we barely knew each other, but seeing her passion for architecture and design did something for me. 4+ years later, we are married and jealous of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy that owns this damn thing. It should belong to us. We deserve it.
The integration with nature is epic. If every building was planned with such intricacy and thought, the world would be a different place and it’s a fun thought exercise to imagine it so. What if every city was built to integrate seamlessly with nature? The tour itself is informative and the folks here do a great job of highlighting the building to visitors. It’s hard to imagine that someone used to live at Fallingwater. How fortunate they were (death to them).
If you’re near the area (we were in Pittsburgh and decided to drive to check it out with a group of people), it’s definitely worthwhile to take a detour and come here. 4 years later, even words on Unilocal cannot do it justice.

There’s no way this place could get anything less than a glowing 5 star review. I’d gladly pay $ 25 for the tour any day, knowing that it takes so much money to maintain this property.
FLW was obviously an architectural genius. The way this home sits so perfectly in the river is magnificent. No expense was spared in the planning and building of Fallingwater.
The tour guide was knowledgeable and friendly, and had answers to the questions from the group. You got to know a bit about the Kauffman family and about Wright himself, and of course about the way this place was constructed and why.
Do yourself a favor and get out to Fallingwater if you haven’t.

It was a very pretty three hour drive from Columbus. My sister and I pre-​purchased the cheapest tour tickets for a 1 PM tour. Apparently if you miss your tour time, the prepurchased tickets are still good for any tour that day (and we got in a little earlier than 1PM).
There’s not a whole lot to see on the grounds beside the house itself (small expensive café, gift shop, and mini-​museum). The tour took about an hour, and if you’re tall, you might feel claustrophobic since the ceilings are quite low. It can get a little warm on the tours with the groups crowded into the smaller rooms (though they offer hand fans for cooling). You aren’t allowed to take any interior pictures on the cheap tours (it costs 3x more for the «in-​depth» tour where you can photograph).
We ended up grabbing a bite to eat in Ohiophyle and doing some hiking at Ohiophyle State Park afterwards. Ohiophyle was a cute little town and we probably would have stayed overnight there if we hadn’t been going further up into PA the next day. There were lots of folks playing along the river, biking, etc.
It’d be pretty easy to make it a day trip if you wanted; personally I wouldn’t drive six hours round trip in one day just for Fallingwater, but if you’re outdoorsy there’s plenty of other things to do in the area. I understand there’s another Wright house not too far away and you could easily go there the same day.

Wonderful tour! I would absolutely come back at a different time of year because I think that the experience probably changes significantly with the seasons. The basic 1-​hour tour is great for people with a casual interest in Wright and architecture — you learn a lot about the building process and why Wright designed it the way he did, but it moves along zippily and has just the right amount of detail for a general audience. However, it’s worth checking into the other tours they offer; I found the regular tour fascinating and would have sprung for the in-​depth tour if I had known you get more information and access to additional parts of the house. The guides are extremely knowledgeable; seriously, some people in my group asked questions that were way out of left field and the guide gave thorough and detailed answers without batting an eye.
Other reviews have described a 15-​minute video and plea for donations at the end of the tour. They are NO LONGER doing this at Fallingwater, at least not on the regular tour. We were shown a video about the Conservancy, but it was less than three minutes long. It’s also untrue that they lock you in the room and leave you there — the docent stands there the whole time and IIRC, the door was open. The docent commented that they had just filmed the new video this year, so it sounds like they listened to complaints and changed their practices. Good on them!

Absolutely gorgeous! It’s fortunate to have this architectual wonder in the Pittsburgh area. I’m fascinated at how people design their homes and to see how the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright materialized is astounding.
As soon as we got out of the car and walked upon the property we noticed how fresh everything smelled and felt. There is plenty of staff around to guide you during your visit. When your tour is ready they call you on the loudspeaker.
For the most part I enjoyed the tour guide’s presentation. All the guides carry a walking stick because that’s what Mr. Kaufman did whenever he stayed there. She explained the expected designs and history of most parts of the house. The only part that disappointed me was when she asked an Asian woman in my group how to correctly pronounce a Japanese type of art. The lady responded that she’s not Japanese and doesn’t know.
My favorite parts of the house were the hatch that leads to steps directly into the front pond. I also loved the windows in the study that you could open all the way from the ceiling to the floor. If I had the money I would love to put these elements into my house.
Next time my friends and I are going to plan a trip to Kentuck Knob which is another Frank Lloyd Wright design nearby.

Interesting house, I’m so glad I got to see the inside and outside of it. I learned a little bit about Frank Lloyd Wright’s Design of Fallingwater, his intent to connect the inhabitants with nature and the waterfall. I liked how the sound of the waterfall could be heard throughout the house, and there was a continuity to each floor as it slowly went up. Since Wright also designed the furniture, it all fit in with the house.
The cantilevered chairs, the numerous windows, the use of sandstone, stone, concrete, and steel were all predominant features of the house.
I particularly liked the spaciousness of the living room, the hatch leading to the waterfall, the guestroom, and the pool receiving the flow of pure spring water.
The surrounding area of Bear Run and the creek, and the numerous trees was so serene and tranquil. I also enjoyed the crunch of the gravel as I walked the path up to the house.
The only thing was, the guide had a monotone voice, it was hard to listen to her and drove me crazy.

This is a total must visit for any architecture buff or any lover of the sublime work of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright. After I once visited his other and more subtler architectural gem called Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, I decided to make it my mission to get out to no-​wheres-​ville in Pennsylvania to visit this architectural gem.
And boy I was not disappointed! I just warn you it is very far out of the way. In fact the closest city, Pittsburgh, is over ninety minutes away so you need to get moving if you are going to make it during the best part of the day, which is smack dab in the afternoon.
After knowing this is where I wanted to go, I made sure I did some research online because something told me this wasn’t going to be one of those times in which I just park, walk up to admissions, and simply pay to get in. I knew there’d be a wait, but luckily it wasn’t too long. If you’re going this far you need to do due diligence in order to see if they are all booked up and to see if tickets online are cheaper. Which thankfully they were!
I found the online process easy and extremely thorough. All I had to do was sign up for an account and then they gave me a confirmation email. Once I realized they had a deal on the Fallingwater website for cheaper admission prices for both tours of the Fallingwater house and the nearby Kentuck Knob house that Wright also designed, I was sold! In a matter of minutes, I was able to sign up for tours at both houses for 12noon and 3:30pm respectively for a discounted price tag of only 47 dollars total. In fact I got to both places early so when I checked in with admissions I was able to get an earlier tour times to both place which I found very convenient.
Once you arrive, you check in at the open air admissions desk which is set up in the center spoke of a wooden pentagonal structure with bathrooms, the café, the gift shop, and the walkway to the grounds on various sides. As you wait for your turn I advise everyone to use the facilities because there are none on the actual premises which is like half a mile away. They call your group number and send you and others walking down a long pathway to the house where you will meet your tour guide waiting for you at the bridge entrance.
And what a gorgeous view you get as your approach the house. Your guide takes you through all levels of the stunning house describing the architecture and its history. Wright designed the house for the wealthy Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh as a summer house. Instead of placing the house alongside the river as the family requested, Wright thought outside of the box and placed it right on top of the river so it could be in tune with nature. That”s why I love Wright’s work, he always thought outside of the box when thinking about his projects.
His architecture may not be for everyone, perhaps a little too modern or ornate for everyone’s taste that represents that era of architecture. But seeing the house combined with it’s breathtaking location is all worth it. I’m so glad I went in October where the leaves were turning bright burnt yellows and oranges. I know it’s open during the summer (and even in December) but nothing could beat the feeling of the autumnal atmosphere.
I wish I could share pictures of the interior of the house and how our tour group enjoyed taking it all in. But alas, it’s not allowed even without flash photography. The guides claimed they wanted to maintain the integrity of the place. I bet they just wanted to sell more books in the gift shop. Speaking of which I felt the gift shop was great featuring a ton of great once in a lifetime souvenirs for all of you tchotchke lovers out there. (For which I am a proud member of!)
The bottom line here is that Fallingwater is more for just curious lookie loos wondering what this place is all about because it so far off the beaten path that it’s only worth the trip if you are truly committed to being dazzled by one of the most unique pieces of architecture out there. This is one of those unique bucket list experiences that you would have to experience for yourself so you can take it in and soak in the atmosphere of where nature and architecture meet.

Un must pour tous les amateurs de culture américaine, d’architecture, de Frank Lloyd Wright, mais aussi de forêts profondes et de calme! Cette maison de vacances construite par le célèbre architecte est célèbre à juste titre, on la voit dans tous les livres. Une curiosité architecturale en pleine forêt, avec le tourisme US autour: visite guidée parfaite (ça vous fera pratiquer…), boutique, restau très correct… un grand moment de votre voyage aux USA!