On the way to my friend’s wedding in western Pennsylvania three years ago, I decided to take a side trip to the iconic American private residence known as Fallingwater. It was almost a six-hour drive from home in New Jersey (and another half hour or so to the hotel in Latrobe). This was the second Frank Lloyd Wright house I’ve visited (the first was Hollyhock in Los Angeles).
Long before fengshui gained popularity among Americans, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a summer home for the Kaufmann family that would have many fengshui specialists in awe. It’s hard to believe that this house was designed in 1936, and plenty of people at the time thought it would collapse into the river.
I’ve seen photos of Fallingwater, but those photos don’t compare with visiting this amazing work of architecture. Tour tickets were $18 each and required a wait of almost an hour and a half. During the wait time, I was able to walk the paths around Fallingwater–Bear Run Nature Reserve is a 4200-acre park with some beautiful and quiet scenery. It wasn’t the best weather at the time for walking in the forest, but they provide free umbrellas to visitors.
The interior of Fallingwater is just as impressive as the exterior, unfortunately photos are not allowed. Because it was a private residence and donated by Edgar Kaufamann, Jr., nearly all the furniture is original (which is why you’re not allowed to touch anything). The living room/dining room/den is one large, open room with stairs that go right to the river.
Had I known earlier, I would’ve reserved my tickets to get in earlier. Had I done so, I would have had time to drive another seven miles to Kentucky Knob, another Wright house.
If I still had a car, I would consider taking a drive back to Fallingwater and Kentucky Knob. It would also give me some time to roam around Pittsburgh.
