Fallingwater facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fallingwater |
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| Location | Stewart Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Uniontown |
| Built | 1936–1937 (main house), 1939 (guest house) |
| Architect | Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Architectural style(s) | Modern, organic architecture |
| Visitors | about 160,000 (in the 2010s) |
| Governing body | Western Pennsylvania Conservancy |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii) |
| Designated | 2019 (43rd session) |
| Part of | The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Reference no. | 1496-005 |
| Region | North America |
| Designated | July 23, 1974 |
| Reference no. | 74001781 |
| Designated | May 23, 1976 |
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Designated | May 15, 1994 |
Fallingwater is a very famous house in Stewart Township, USA. It's located in the beautiful Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. A brilliant architect named Frank Lloyd Wright designed this house. What makes it so special is that it's built right over a waterfall!
This amazing three-story house was a weekend getaway for a family named Kaufmann. Mr. Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. owned a big department store in Pittsburgh. Today, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) takes care of Fallingwater. They have operated it as a popular tourist spot since 1963. The WPC also looks after the large natural area around the house.
The Kaufmann family bought the land in 1933 and hired Wright in 1934. Building the house was quite a challenge! There were problems like cracked concrete and terraces that started to sag. The Kaufmanns began using the main house in 1937. Wright then designed a guest house, which was finished in 1939. After his parents passed away, their son, Edgar Kaufmann Jr., continued to use the house. In 1963, he decided to donate Fallingwater to the WPC. The house opened for tours in 1964. Major repairs were done in the late 1990s and early 2000s to fix the structural issues.
Fallingwater has many outdoor terraces. These terraces stick out from the house without support at the far end, like diving boards. This design is called a cantilever. The house is built using local stone, strong concrete, steel, and large glass windows. The first floor has the main entrance, a living room, two outdoor terraces, and the kitchen. Upstairs, there are four bedrooms and more terraces. Frank Lloyd Wright even designed most of the furniture inside! Many artworks, textiles, and special glass items are also part of the house. Above the main house is a guest wing with a carport and rooms for staff.
Fallingwater is known worldwide for its unique design. It has been featured in many books, magazines, and films. It is recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It is also one of eight buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright that are part of a World Heritage Site.
Contents
Exploring Fallingwater's Location
Fallingwater is in Stewart Township, about 72 miles (116 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. It's nestled in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. The house is close to Pennsylvania Route 381, between the towns of Ohiopyle and Mill Run. The nearest city is Uniontown.
Fallingwater is one of four buildings in this part of Pennsylvania designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The others are Kentuck Knob, Duncan House, and Lindholm House.
Natural Surroundings and Buildings
Fallingwater gets its name because the main house is built right over the Bear Run stream. This stream has a waterfall about 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) high where the house sits. The stream flows below the house, not through it. Sometimes, the stream freezes in winter or dries up in summer. The ground beneath the house has layers of sandstone. Before the house was built, many sandstone boulders were scattered around. Unlike many grand estates, Fallingwater is hidden by the surrounding forest.
On a hill north of the main house is the guest wing. It's about 90 feet (27 meters) away. A curved outdoor path connects the guest wing to the main house. The visitor center, which you can't see from the main house, has five open-air wooden buildings. These buildings include bathrooms, exhibit areas, and a child-care center. About a quarter-mile (0.4 km) from the main house is the Barn at Fallingwater. This includes two old barns built around 1870 and in the early 1940s.
The grounds also have a small mausoleum for Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann. It has special doors designed by Alberto Giacometti. Paths wind through the property, including one that leads to the waterfall.
How the Site Was Used Before
In the 1890s, a group from Pittsburgh built a country club on the land where Fallingwater now stands. By 1909, another group took over the club. A map from 1913 shows a clubhouse and other buildings, but none of these exist today.
Edgar J. Kaufmann Sr. created a summer retreat at Bear Run for his employees by 1916. Many employees enjoyed the retreat each summer. In 1922, Edgar and his wife Liliane built a simple summer cabin nearby. It didn't have electricity or running water. The Kaufmann family bought the entire site in July 1933.
Designing and Building Fallingwater
Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann learned about Frank Lloyd Wright through their son, Edgar Kaufmann Jr.. Edgar Jr. became an apprentice at Wright's studio, Taliesin, in 1934. His parents met Wright that November. Many believe Edgar Jr. played a very important role in the creation of Fallingwater.
Planning the Unique Design
Frank Lloyd Wright was 67 years old when he was hired to design Fallingwater in late 1934. He wanted to choose a site with special features. Edgar Jr. remembered that Wright was very excited by the landscape at Bear Run. The Kaufmanns wanted a house set far back from the road. Wright visited Bear Run in December 1934 and asked for a detailed survey of the area around the waterfall. His team made models of the house and site.
The Kaufmanns asked for a large living and dining area, at least three bedrooms, and a guest and staff wing. Edgar Sr. hoped to spend between $20,000 and $30,000 on construction. Wright's apprentices and engineers helped with the design. Wright took his time planning the house's layout and materials. When Edgar Sr. visited Wright in September 1935, the sketches were ready. Wright had already thought through the plans carefully.
Wright's design featured exposed cantilevers, which are parts of the building that stick out without support from below. The house was placed on the north bank of Bear Run. This way, every room would get natural light. The terraces looked like natural rock ledges. Edgar Sr. had expected the house to be downstream from the waterfall so they could see it. But Wright wanted them to "live with the waterfall, not to look at it." So, he designed the house right above the waterfall. Wright sent the first plans to Edgar Sr. in October 1935.
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By January 1936, detailed drawings were complete. Edgar Sr. asked engineers in Pittsburgh to review the plans. They found several structural issues and advised against building on the site. However, construction went ahead. Wright's team made several revisions to the plans, adding a third floor and changing some rooms.
Building the House
Edgar Sr. was very involved in the project. Wright visited the site often and had a representative, Robert Mosher, on site. Local workers, many of whom were new to this kind of work, were hired. Building Fallingwater involved many disagreements between Wright, Kaufmann, and the contractors. Wright often put the house's beauty ahead of structural concerns.
Concrete and Stone Work
A nearby rock quarry was reopened in late 1935 to get stone for the house. Work on the foundation started in April 1936. The masonry contractor began building the access bridge. By June 1936, workers had finished the bridge and the supports for the house.
In August 1936, workers started pouring concrete for the first-floor terrace. Edgar Sr. secretly asked engineers to add extra steel bars (rebar) to the concrete. Wright was angry when he found out, believing it would make the terraces too heavy. Despite his anger, the extra steel stayed. The second-floor terrace was poured in October 1936.
The contractors didn't tilt the concrete forms slightly to allow for natural settling. Because of this, the parapet (the low wall around the terrace) cracked. Wright tried to reassure Edgar Sr. that cracks were normal. But when the forms were removed, the first-floor terrace sank about 1.75 inches (4.4 cm). Structural problems continued, with five major cracks found by December 1936. A stone wall was temporarily installed under a terrace, but Wright had it removed.
Finishing Touches
By early 1937, the inside of the house was being finished. Special windows and a hatch for the living-room stairs were installed. Wright chose a special color for the outside, a shade of ocher, inspired by a dried rhododendron leaf. He ordered waterproof paint. At Kaufmann's request, Wright added a small pool at the bottom of the living-room stairs. He also kept a large boulder on the living room floor.
Workers continued to lay floor tiles and test the terraces through mid-1937. The Kaufmanns moved into the house in November 1937. Wright came up with the name "Fallingwater" around this time.
Wright then designed a guest wing, replacing an old cottage. The guest wing was finished by September 1939. Fallingwater ended up costing much more than planned. The total cost for the house and guest wing was $155,000, which was almost four times the original budget.
Fallingwater as a Home
Early Family Life
The Kaufmann family used Fallingwater as their weekend home for 26 years. They would take a train to Bear Run, and a driver would take them to the house. They invited famous guests like artists Diego Rivera and Pablo Picasso, and scientist Albert Einstein. Over the years, the family added more artwork to the house.
Fallingwater started showing signs of wear soon after it was built. It leaked in many places, and the terraces began to sag. Edgar Sr. called it "Rising Mildew" because of the moisture problems. Despite repairs, cracks kept appearing.
Changes After World War II
After World War II, the family spent winters in California. Wright expanded the kitchen in 1946. In the 1950s, workers had to add posts under the second floor to stop it from sagging. Windows started cracking, and doors became hard to open.
Liliane Kaufmann passed away in 1952, and Edgar Sr. died three years later. Edgar Jr. continued to use the house. He stopped the regular structural checks and instead had his maintenance chief monitor the terraces. He also planted many pine trees on the estate. The living room flooded during a storm in 1956, damaging furniture. By then, the sagging terraces had warped the window frames. Workers had to add supports and repair the roof and staircase.
Fallingwater as a Museum
Opening to the Public (1960s and 1970s)
In September 1963, Edgar Kaufmann Jr. announced he would donate Fallingwater and about 1,500 acres (607 hectares) of land to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC). He wanted the house to be a public museum. The WPC officially took over the house on October 29, 1963. Edgar Jr. also gave the WPC money for the house's upkeep and educational programs. The museum was dedicated to his parents, Edgar and Liliane Kaufmann. The WPC later expanded its land to 5,000 acres (2,023 hectares), creating the Bear Run Natural Area.
The WPC tried to make the house look as it did when the Kaufmanns lived there. They furnished the rooms with the family's original belongings. Guided tours began in July 1964, running from April to November each year. Visitors could explore most of the rooms. Edgar Jr. stayed involved with Fallingwater for the rest of his life, visiting twice a year until he passed away in 1989.
The house's exterior was repainted in 1972. The WPC also added a gift shop. They planned a visitor center, which opened in April 1979, but it unfortunately burned down two days later.
Repairs and Growth (1980s and Early 1990s)
The WPC rebuilt the visitor pavilion with a grant from the Edgar J. Kaufmann Foundation. The new pavilion reopened in stages in 1980 and 1981. The museum started offering limited winter tours in 1984. By then, the museum's yearly costs were $400,000. Lynda Waggoner became the house's curator in 1985 and later its director. A restaurant also opened at the visitor center. The WPC spent at least $500,000 on repairs in the late 1980s, including restoring furniture and improving waterproofing.
By the late 1980s, acid rain and freezing weather caused more damage. The house was always humid, making it prone to water damage. Rain and snow collected on the terraces and roof. The ends of the terraces had sagged by 7 inches (18 cm). In 1992, the WPC fixed the living room's glass hatch, which hadn't opened in 20 years.
Major Renovations (1990s and 2000s)
An engineering student first noticed serious issues with the terraces in the mid-1990s. The WPC hired engineer Robert Silman to check the terraces. His company confirmed that the cracks were getting bigger. Temporary supports were installed in 1997 to help the cantilevers. Sections of the floor were cut out to add a glass opening. The stream was even diverted so crews could work on the terraces.
The engineering firm Wank Adams Slavin Associates planned a big restoration. Silman suggested using a method called post-tensioning. This involved pulling strong steel cables through the concrete beams to strengthen them. A group of experts approved this plan in 1999. The WPC started raising $6 million for the repairs. The Getty Foundation and the federal Save America's Treasures program provided grants. Pennsylvania's governor also gave $3.5 million, and private donors added $7.2 million.
Work began in late 2001, costing an estimated $11.5 million. The outer end of the first-floor terrace was raised slightly. The post-tensioning phase cost about $4 million and took six months. While the terraces still had a slight sag, the post-tensioning stopped further damage. The WPC also installed new roof membranes to improve drainage. The exterior was repainted due to acid rain. The house was connected to a city water system for the first time. These renovations were mostly finished in 2003, and visitor numbers increased afterward.
Fallingwater Today (Mid-2000s to Present)
After the main renovation in 2005, the WPC began removing unwanted plants from the grounds. In 2010, they replaced 319 windows with new glass panes donated by PPG Industries. In 2017, a statue on the grounds was damaged during a rainstorm. Justin W. Gunther became the museum's director in 2017. He planned a $3 million waterproofing project.
The museum temporarily closed in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania. The outdoor areas reopened for self-guided tours that June. In September 2020, the Pennsylvania government gave Fallingwater nearly $240,000 to help with financial losses from the pandemic. In 2022, a solar power system was installed to help power the main house and guest wing. The waterproofing project's cost doubled due to the pandemic. Much of the waterproofing from the 1990s had worn away, letting water into the house. The WPC started patching the leaks in 2025. Scaffolding was placed around the house, but it remained open for tours. The project was completed by March 2026, and the scaffolding was removed.
Fallingwater's Architecture
Fallingwater is a great example of Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture. This style tries to blend buildings with nature. While it's a Modern-style building, it's also described as "streamlined, handmade, organic." Wright's design might have been inspired by Japanese architecture, which he admired. The house uses elements from his earlier and later house styles.
The main house has three stories. Wright wanted to make it feel like the inside and outside were connected. He used the same materials indoors and outdoors. He also wanted people to feel the breezes and hear the waterfalls throughout the house. Fallingwater is built from local sandstone, strong concrete, steel, and large glass windows. The wood inside is black walnut from North Carolina, chosen because it doesn't warp easily. Many design features, like corner windows and indirect lighting, were very new when Fallingwater was finished.
Outside the House
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The outside of the house uses three main colors: gray for the sandstone, a light ocher for the concrete, and a reddish-brown color called Cherokee red for the steel. Wright believed red was a strong color of life. The windows have metal frames painted Cherokee red. They are set directly into the walls, with no vertical bars, only horizontal ones. Some corner windows open inward.
The roof has rounded edges and is covered with beige gravel, matching the house's colors. The north side of the house has stone walls with steps, designed to look like the cliff nearby. The house's chimney is covered in striped sandstone and rises 30 feet (9 meters) above the first floor.
You reach the house by crossing a 28-foot (8.5-meter) bridge over Bear Run. There are stone planters at each end of the bridge. The path curves towards the entrance, which has horizontal trellises overhead. This area also serves as a covered driveway. A small fountain near the entrance allowed the Kaufmanns to wash their feet after walking in the stream.
The Cantilevered Terraces
Fallingwater is famous for its many cantilevered terraces, made of concrete. These terraces are supported only at one end, extending out from the house's chimney. All the terraces have low walls (parapets) with rounded tops, covered in stucco. These parapets are 26 inches (66 cm) high, which is shorter than modern building rules allow. At the time, both cantilevers and reinforced concrete were new in house building. Wright compared the terraces to tree branches or trays balancing on a waiter's fingers.
The main part of the house, with the living room, stretches out over the stream. It rests on an enclosed terrace. The underside of this terrace is a strong concrete slab. Other outdoor terraces extend to the east and west of the living room.
Each bedroom has its own outdoor terrace. On the second floor, a large terrace extends even further out than the living room below it. The second floor's eastern terrace, for the guest bedroom, is the only one with a canopy.
Inside the House
Fallingwater's floor plan is not perfectly symmetrical. It has a total indoor area of 2,885 square feet (268 square meters). Including the guest wing and all the terraces, there's about 8,000 square feet (743 square meters) of space. The walls, chimney, and supports are made of local sandstone. The house uses strong concrete slabs for support instead of steel beams. Steel is used for the windows and doors. The floors are made of black walnut wood and sandstone.
The house has four bedrooms. Wright designed the house with smaller spaces leading to larger rooms. This creates a feeling of "compression and release." Hallways have low ceilings to make them feel cozy, like a cave. Windows at the ends of hallways offer views. Wright also made the bedrooms smaller to encourage people to use the outdoor terraces. Some ceilings are as low as 6 feet 4 inches (1.9 meters), as Wright designed for his own height. The tallest ceilings are 9 feet (2.7 meters). The kitchen and the two bedrooms above it are the only rooms with the same size. The first floor is wheelchair-accessible, but the upper floors are not.
The inside decorations, like lights and shields, are different from the outside design. Some furniture and shelves are built into the walls. The rooms are lit by indirect lighting, which was very new for homes back then. This lighting comes from fluorescent lights hidden by shields.
The First Floor
The first floor has the main entrance, the living area (which hangs over the waterfall), and the kitchen. The floor is made of waxed stone, which reminds you of the stream below. The main entrance leads to a small foyer with stone walls. Three steps go up from the foyer to the living room.
The living room is a large space that also serves as a study and dining area. A fireplace with a hearth made of local boulders is on one wall. A cast iron kettle hangs over the fireplace. A 7-foot-long (2.1-meter) boulder sticks out from the floor in front of the fireplace. Wright wanted to cut the top off, but Edgar Sr. insisted on keeping it. A dining area is on the north wall, next to a stone staircase leading upstairs.
The living room has windows on three sides and doors to the western and eastern terraces. From the eastern terrace, stairs go up to the second floor. The living room also has a glass-covered hatch. This hatch opens to concrete stairs that go down into Bear Run. The stairs end at a landing just above the stream. There's a shallow pool at the bottom of the stairway. The Kaufmanns kept the hatch open in the summer.
A doorway connects the living room to the kitchen. The kitchen is a practical space, described as having a cave-like feel. Liliane Kaufmann rarely used the kitchen herself.
Upper Stories
From the main staircase, steps lead to the rooms and terraces on the upper floors. The second floor has two bedrooms. The master bedroom is above the middle of the living room. It has special movable shelves, bedside lights, glass doors to its terrace, and a fireplace with three large rocks. There's also a dressing room and a second bedroom, originally for guests. These rooms have simpler fireplaces. A walkway connects to a footbridge over the driveway, which leads to the guest wing. Next to the footbridge is a moss garden and part of a cliff.
The third floor has a bedroom directly above the second-story dressing room. Edgar Jr. used this as his study. Its fireplace mantel is made of red stone. Liliane used the third-story terrace as a garden for herbs. A dead-end gallery on the third floor was used as a bedroom for Edgar Jr.
The house also has a cellar with space for a bathroom, storage, and a boiler room, plus a wine cellar. Heat pipes are hidden in the walls.
The Guest Wing
A footbridge from the main house leads to a curved, open-air walkway. This walkway connects to the guest and staff wing. The path goes under a stepped concrete canopy supported by steel posts. It curves around where a large oak tree once stood. The walkway includes a small rock pool with a sculpture and a boulder with water flowing down it. This waterfall was added after a hidden spring was found.
The guest wing has a lounge, bedroom, and bathroom. The lounge has a stone fireplace, a hidden closet, and shelves. The guest room is next to an outdoor swimming pool. This pool is 31 feet (9.4 meters) long and 6 feet (1.8 meters) deep, fed by spring water. The guest wing's bathroom has a mirror designed by Edgar Jr.
Next to the guest house is a carport with four parking spots. Above the carport are three bedrooms and a bathroom for the staff. These rooms have the same finishes as the main house.
Fallingwater's Collection
Fallingwater has over 1,000 objects. Until the renovations in the 2000s, the house had no air conditioning or curtains. This, along with high humidity and strong sunlight, made the collection vulnerable to damage.
Furniture and Furnishings
About half of the house's furniture is built into the walls, and the other half can be moved. Wright designed most of the built-in furniture. There are nearly 200 pieces, including wooden closets, chairs, cabinets, and tables. Many items have walnut wood finishes to prevent moisture damage. The original furnishings include sheepskin rugs, a sheepskin couch, and cantilevered tables. Edgar Jr. helped design sliding shelves for some cabinets.
The living room has a dining table that can expand to seat about 18 people. Each bedroom's headboard is on the eastern wall so the morning sun doesn't wake people up. Some furniture, like a desk in Edgar Sr.'s study, has rounded cutouts to fit the corner windows. The Kaufmanns also bought other items, like Tiffany lamps. Most of the family's furnishings are still in the house today.
The Kaufmanns sometimes didn't use Wright's suggested decorations. For example, Edgar Sr. didn't want Wright's custom rugs or chairs. The family bought three-legged stools because Wright's barrel-shaped seats weren't stable on the uneven stone floors. Wright wanted the windows to be clear, so there were usually no curtains. However, Liliane ordered blinds for the guest bedroom.
Art Collection
When Fallingwater was finished, Wright gave the Kaufmanns six Japanese woodblock prints. The Kaufmanns chose the rest of the art, collecting pieces from many cultures. The colorful artwork inside the house stands out against the ocher, gray, and red colors of the exterior. The main house has art from Japan, Morocco, Mexico, and religious artworks.
The art collection includes famous pieces like Diego Rivera's El Sueño and Pablo Picasso's The Smoker. An 18th-century painting called Madonna and Child is on the second-floor staircase landing. Liliane's bedroom has a wooden sculpture of Madonna and Child from around 1420. Edgar Sr.'s room has two sculptures by Richmond Barthé. Edgar Jr.'s study includes a marble sculpture by Jean Arp. A portrait of Edgar Sr. hangs near the dining area. A sculpture by Jacques Lipchitz is at the bottom of the house's plunge pool.
Other artworks are found in the outbuildings and on the grounds. The guesthouse has woodblock prints and a landscape painting by José María Velasco Gómez. The guest wing's pool has an abstract sculpture by Peter Voulkos. The grounds also feature sculptures by Mardonio Magaña, a Hindu god's head, and a Buddha statue. After the WPC took over, the collection grew with more art from various artists. Edgar Jr. also donated some of his books to the museum.
Managing Fallingwater Today
Tours and Educational Programs
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) manages Fallingwater and the 5,000-acre (2,023-hectare) Bear Run Natural Area around it. The WPC offers tours of the house, usually from March to November each year. In December, tours are available on weekends and during the last week of the year.
There are different types of tours. Standard tours cover part of the house and don't allow photos. Extended tours allow photos and cover the entire house. There are also pre-recorded tours for people who don't speak English. After the COVID-19 pandemic, tour groups were spaced out more to give visitors a better experience. Every year in late August, the WPC hosts a "twilight tour" where visitors can explore the house on their own before enjoying a picnic and concert.
The WPC also runs the visitor pavilion. Young children who are too young to tour the house can stay at the child-care center. Since the 1990s, the WPC has sold furniture inspired by Fallingwater's designs. In the 2000s, they even sold jewelry made with concrete pieces from the house's restoration. During the holidays, the Fallingwater Museum Store opens a temporary shop in Downtown Pittsburgh. The WPC also offers many educational programs for students and teachers. Since 2010, they have hosted overnight events for adults at nearby Mill Run, which include private tours of Fallingwater.
Visitor Numbers
In its first two years as a museum, Fallingwater welcomed 117,000 visitors from 66 countries. The busiest months were September and October, as people came to see the beautiful autumn leaves. Many visitors are fans of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture. Famous visitors have included U.S. second lady Joan Mondale and actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
By 1975, over half a million people had visited the house. By 1982, one million people had visited, with about 120,000 visitors each year. In the 1990s, Fallingwater continued to attract nearly 130,000 visitors annually. By the 2010s, annual visits reached 160,000. An article in 2022 stated that Fallingwater had welcomed 5 million visitors since it first opened.
Fallingwater's Influence
Fallingwater became one of the most talked-about modern buildings in the world by the 1960s. It's often called the most famous private home not owned by royalty. Many experts say Fallingwater, along with a few other 20th-century homes, continues to amaze visitors. Its fame helped restart Frank Lloyd Wright's career. He went on to design 200 more buildings.
Featured in Media
Even before it was finished, Fallingwater attracted many visitors and was featured in news articles and photos. It became even more famous in 1938 after an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and lots of media coverage.
Over the years, many books, articles, and studies have been written about Fallingwater. NBC made a TV episode about it in 1963. It also appeared in the TV show American Life Style and a PBS special in 1972. Two documentaries about Fallingwater were made in 1994 and 2011. Several books, like Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater (1978) and Fallingwater Rising (2001), tell its story. Another book was published in 2011 to celebrate the house's 75th anniversary.
Photographs of Fallingwater from downstream are very popular. Virtual tours of the house have also been created. One was released on CD in 1997, and a 3-D virtual tour was made in the mid-2010s. The house was even featured on a postage stamp in 1982. Fallingwater has inspired buildings in movies and books, like the fictional Vandamm residence in the 1959 film North by Northwest. The 2021 film Miracle Valley was the first feature film to be shot inside Fallingwater.
Awards and Special Recognition
In a 1958 survey, American architects called Fallingwater one of the "seven wonders of American architecture." In 1982, readers of Architecture: the AIA journal voted it the best building in the country. Members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) voted Fallingwater the "best all-time work of American architecture" in 1991. In 2000, the AIA named it the "building of the century."
Architectural Record called Fallingwater "the world's most significant building of the 20th century." Smithsonian magazine listed it among its "Life List of 28 Places to See Before You Die" in 2008. In 2025, Time Out magazine ranked Fallingwater among the world's most beautiful buildings. The New York Times said architects consider it "one of Wright's supreme creations."
Fallingwater became a National Historic Landmark in 1966. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission placed a historical marker there in 1994. In 2000, they named Fallingwater a "Commonwealth Treasure." In July 2019, UNESCO added Fallingwater to the World Heritage List. It is part of "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright" World Heritage Site.
Exhibits and Design Influence
There have been many museum exhibits about Fallingwater. MoMA hosted an exhibit in 1938, shortly after the house was finished. They also featured a scale model in 1940 and an image showcase in 1959. New York's Columbia University held a special event about the house in 1986. Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art and the State Museum of Pennsylvania have also hosted exhibits. A model of Fallingwater is displayed at the Miniature Railroad & Village at Pittsburgh's Carnegie Science Center.
Even though Fallingwater is famous, its design isn't often copied directly. At the time it was built, many architects were moving towards more industrial designs. However, Fallingwater has inspired other buildings, including an office in Philadelphia, a gas station, and homes in various locations.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de la cascada para niños
