Planned a trip with my parents traveling from Georgia (us) and North Carolina (parents) with Falling Waters in the middle of our trip. Had tickets the day the 'huge early winter storm' came through, 11-15-18. There was no way to make it to the house, had to flee Pennsylvania and head back towards NC to avoid getting stranded. We were told we could reschedule but it had to be done in 2018 and we could not get a refund. I contacted them again this morning and they are mailing a gift certificate for the majority of the ticket prices so we can reschedule at our convenience. I am very pleased and came back to edit my review. read more

Even if you're not a huge fan of architecture or Frank Lloyd Wright, a visit to Fallingwater is a great adventure. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour because we not only got to see this incredible home, but we also got to hear the story behind it. They've done a remarkable job of pacing the tours and keeping them small enough that you get to hear everything and have some time to yourself in each room and on each terrace. This is a great day trip while staying in or around Pittsburgh. We'll definitely be going back! read more

This is the second Frank Lloyd Wright home I have visited. Both very different and both amazing homes. Fallingwater has to be seen to be believed. I can't stress enough how much you will enjoy touring this unique home! Shout out for our tour guide, Brandon. He was the best. read more

A masterpiece and a must see for tourists! But hey, it's just a house, charging $50 and up for visiting a house is hard to justify, no matter what the cause they say those money are devoted to read more

"Self guided" tour not worth the money. Can not even go on terraces or look in windows. Tour guides are rude to you if you are not in their group. You'd be better off waiting until it reopens fully, or hiking at the state park for free. read more

Words don't do it justice. If this trip isn't on your bucket list, add it now. The house is spectacular and the surrounding grounds beautiful. How this was ever envisioned and executed is way beyond me. If you can, take the tour with guide Edward F. Very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. He just adds to an extremely enjoyable and informative trip. read more

This house has the beautiful Japanese architectural designs that all Frank Lloyd Wright houses have, with the added bonus of blending seamlessly into its gorgeous natural surroundings. I'd like to move in and spend the rest of my life here. read more

A visit to Fallingwater is a great excuse to spend a long weekend in PA with a wonderful person or people! You must book the tour a few weeks ahead of time, especially if you want an in depth tour ($65). The in depth tour is longer, but not so completely in depth that you will be bored. Basically you get to spend more time in each of the rooms, take photos (you cannot take photos on the $20 tour), and you get to see the kitchen area, which you do not get to see on the $20 tour. I think either tour would be sufficient. We did the in depth tour and we enjoyed it. I think we were less rushed than other groups ahead of us because we paid more. I don't like being herded so it worked for me. The tour was interesting and the guide knew her stuff, although she was a little awkward in her speaking and pauses and it became a little grating after awhile. The house design is very forward thinking for its time, but I found it to be a bit cold/stark, not to mention this place gets chilly (we visited in September), so wear some layers! My favorite rooms were Mr. Kaufman's bedroom (he definitely saved the best view and window for himself),and the guest quarters were pretty cool too. My friends and I did very little research before the tour (basically we just wanted to get the hell away from DC for a while), so we thought it was actually Frank Lloyd Wright's house. In fact, he actually built the house for the Kaufman family. We felt they got a little screwed since he put the house over the waterfall, therefore, the Kaufman's could not enjoy it and instead it made him famous. The end of the tour is a little lackluster when the tour guide drops you off under the guise of "watching a video about Frank Lloyd wright" but instead the video is about the conservancy and how you can join and they have an intern type person organizing the showing. The staff is a little off in many ways. Sometimes staff would get in the way of the tour or be getting off of a shift and slightly interrupt the tour. We were there the day before the anniversary gathering so there were golf carts and other nuisances. I imagine it's not normally like that. Parking is plentiful but if you take the last tour of the day, you will need to arrive even earlier to prevent being locked out by the gate. Note: High heels will not suffice here! I don't even own any flat shoes and I regretted it. The visitor's center has wood beams with open slots and my heels got stuck several times (so stuck that I had to take my foot out of the shoe and pray to Jesus that my heel did not pop off), also the walk to Fallingwater is entirely comprised of gravel (aka, not high heel walking material), plus there are approximately 100 stairs inside the house. Overall, we had a very nice time and I definitely recommend visiting Fallingwater as a weekend or long weekend trip (we did this trip in 30 hours total - driving to and from DC, lunches, dinner, breakfast, overnight stay and a local bike ride). read more

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 5th 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 cafe 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. read more

I felt rushed. Due to its popularity, the tour guides herd one "timed" group after another like cattle throughout the home. With that being said, it was a "slow day" and my group only contained 8 people instead of the usual 25 - 30. I felt space was tight with 8 so now think about 25! Mr. Wright built this home so you can be one with nature and enjoy the scenery. No sooner were we allowed on the terraces when the tour guide would call us back inside so we could stay one step ahead of the group behind us. Because of this you are not allowed to take pictures during the tour (inside and out). Every second counts you know! The "powers that be" behind Fallingwater should lengthen the time and limit the number of tours so that you may enjoy your time spent there. Other than that I enjoyed seeing this "icon" from Frank Lloyd Wright. read more

A lot of fun if you like this sort of thing. Beautiful setting. Interesting with the guide. Be sure you check out the viewing position. Give credit to the guest services building. Open and airy. Clean and modern restroom. Nice snack and museum shop as well. Only thing I would change is when I visited (end of June) ... A couple weeks later and the Rhododendrons would have been in bloom or in early October the woods around Fallingwater would have been on fire with Autumnal colors. read more

Overall great place to visit. Your tour guide will determine how good your experience is but all guides are well informed and knowledgable. No photos allowed in the house. You will have to sit through a brief video at the end about donating money but if you are going to be biding other Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the year there is a good discount. Gift shop is good. Very disappointed that cafe closed before my tour was back. Cafe seems to close between 4:30 and 5pm. read more

We visited on a rainy cold November day. We purchased our tickets in advance so we were committed. The visit started at a lovely visitor center/entrance with a gift store, bathrooms, special exhibit space, and cafe. Everything was well organized. They provided umbrellas for our use. Once our group was called we walked a path to the house where we were met by our tour guide. The setting and house are simply stunning! Interesting tour. If you are anywhere in the area a visit to Fallingwater is well worth your time. I will definitely return. read more

OK I broke my no five star rule, which I do anticipate sticking with when it comes to restaurants .This is simply a great place.A good case can be made for Frank L .Wright being a creep.I don't care for the design of The Guggenheim at all as a museum.Falling Water probably would have been a ridiculous place to live in as a house but it is so romantically beautiful.It is an exaltation of nature in a wonderful setting.Form most decidedly does not follow function here.This isn't really a house, it is clearly an object d' art which brilliantly manipulates nature. read more

Such an amazing place to visit. If you are a fan of Wright's work or a student or architectural professional, be sure to opt for the in-depth tour. It is worth the higher cost. Not a room is skipped. Earlier slots are better and worth losing a little sleep in order to avoid school groups and larger tour numbers. This was a place on my husband's wish list not mine. So it was a surprise to explore such an unforgettable location. read more

Took the long walk (have to reserve early), and it was FABULOUS!! Worth the effort to get there and you get a short walk to enjoy the beauty of the area. Could hear the guide - I wear hearing aids - and he was knowledgeable and entertaining without being "too much of a good thing"! read more

We visited this place when I was in Pittsburgh at the time. This place is AMAZING!!! Yes, you do have to book your tickets in advance since it fills up fast. This was my first Frank Lloyd Wright house that I visited. My roommate who was a design major mentioned this to me. I think he eventually visited with his classmates. Actually, my professor at UConn first told me about it since he used to teach at Pitt. I can see why since it's a cantilever house right over the water. So, cool and refreshing to wake up with water flowing right under you. I recalled a van that takes you down the road with your guide. Photography was only permitted outside the house but not inside. It takes you about 1.5 hours to visit the property. Overall, you will not be disappointed. It might be a pain to drive out in the middle of nowhere but you soon realize that it's nice to get away from the big city like Pittsburgh. read more

I've seen quite a few FLW houses, but this one is just awe-some. It's this monstrous cantilevered modern house built over a WATERFALL. Steel, concrete, stone and glass. FLW was kind of a shit, but all is forgiven after he seduces you with this kind of skill and genius. read more

LOVED - the Architecture - 5 stars, absolutely breath taking and amazing and met all of my enthusiastic expectations. As I am not an architectural critic I won't even attempt to say more. This review is really more advice to future tour goers - First, the regular tour is well worth the $22 ($20 for tickets, $2 processing) but know that the tour groups are right on top of one another. You will bump into other groups, hear their tour guide over yours and generally feel a little like cattle being herded through. The way the tours are run is pretty much what is keeping this from a five star rating because FLW work definitely deserves it. If I can get back I will spend the extra money for the extended tour to feel a little less claustrophobic, less rushed and to get to take those interior pictures. Second, a million thanks to the yelpers who went before me. We were able to avoid the fundraising video completely by ducking into the group coming out at the last minute. Third, note that in a gift shop that is a sea of Made in China tchotchkes the travel coffee mugs are only $5.95 and are Made in the USA. Fourth, wear decent shoes, no high heels. Even if you aren't touring the grounds you will be covering some terrain. Fifth, GO! You will love it, it is worth it. read more

A must visit! Skip the regular tour though and opt for the more expensive in-depth tour as it is well worth the price. The in-depth tour groups are much smaller, younger children are not allowed, you're allowed to take photos inside and you get to see the entire house including the kitchen and the guest house and staff quarters. Our guide was just okay- she answered a lot of our questions but didn't have the answers for some questions like 'how thick is the glass that was used for all the doors & windows?' Which I thought was a pretty basic question I am sure others have asked and for a 20+ year experiences guide it was a bit disappointing. She also didn't explain how u are NOT to touch or sit on any of the furniture until after people in our group touched cabinetry and sat on the furniture. On our way back to visitors center we over heard other guides providing anecdotes and info that our guide didn't provide to us. It wasnt a deal breaker though as the most important thing was to actually see the house and walk through it. It was quite breathtaking and you realize the photos really don't do the place justice. The detailed history can easily be read in books. The gift shop near the visitors center is large and had many books & DVDs on Wright and his many works as well as several other architects and a large assortment of typical gift shop knickknacks. It was very expensive though as they charge cover price for the books. We bought 1 book that was not available on amazon.com and I ended up purchasing 1 other book and a DVD that were both half the price thru amazon.com (Get the amazon.com price check app so u can scan bar codes & ISBNs!) We will def be coming back in the spring & fall to see the house in the different seasons and hopefully we will get a different guide each time. read more

After visiting many attractions I often ask myself, was this worth the money? At Fallingwater the answer is unquestionably, "yes." The tour isn't cheap, but once you experience this architectural masterpiece, you'll understand immediately. read more

This is an impressive sight even if you are not an architecture buff. Yes, Fallingwater is "that house that looks like a bookshelf" that you've no doubt seen at least once in some book or photograph and, indeed, the outside is even more beautiful than you remember. But what's surprising is that the knowledgeable tour guides manage to make the interior of the house -- which apparently had just as much thought put into it as the exterior -- just as captivating. This is an expensive detour but one that's definitely worth making if you are in this part of the country. One word of advice -- at two hours long the tour may not be suitable for young children. read more

It's five stars, hands down. I've toured Falling Water twice and each time I was in awe. Take the tour, the tour guides are amazing and so well informed. This house is an architectural marvel, a work of art, it's stunning. The grounds are beautiful. The gift shop is fantastic. Even the little cafe is worth checking out. Explore the beautiful Laurel Highlands. Falling Water is not only a national treasure it's a architectural marvel. read more

This has been a dream of mine since I was 7 and saw the picture in a magazine. Falling Water is above and beyond all expectations. My husband is a builder and was completely fascinated by the engineering of the structure. A must see and a must go back to see it again. EDITED to add... Paul is a fantastic tour guide. read more

I was expecting amazing and unfortunately was underwhelmed. The grounds and walk up to the house were beautiful, I just wish the house was just as spectacular. The first thing I noticed was the quite ugly stucco on the house- a lot of it was pealing off. Next thing I noticed was the musty mildewy smell throughout the house. That must be the reality of putting a house over water. The tours are nice but so packed in that it makes it difficult to really enjoy the house. A welcome surprise were the original Diego Rivera and other works of art. We really wondered why these treasures are hanging out in a humid environment. Still I'm glad I saw the house and even walked away with some home design ideas, notably, don't build my house over water. read more

What's not to love, the place is amazing, the signature Frank Lloyd Wright architectural creation. formerly owned by the family that started the chain of stores now known as Macys. they had a few extra pennies around.... No photography allowed inside the house unfortunately, there is a treasure trove of art in that place.. After you tour the house be sure to wander down the trail to the overlook that looks upstream at the house, this is a great photo vantage point. The young tourguides seem pretty knowledgeable..The drive there kinda sucks, a little over an hour from Pittsburgh via windy country roads through hill and dale .. There is a cafe on site. read more

Absolutely loved this visit - best thing I did while visiting Pittsburgh. Totally worth the hour long drive. Photos don't do Fallingwater justice so you just have to see it for yourself. Do the tour - there's so much to learn about each and every part of the house (and Wright/ the Hauffmans). read more

I came during the tour shutdown in February, but still worth seeing. It takes a big effort to get to so at least see the grounds.

We visited Fallingwater and the Laurel Highlands of western Pennslyvania and if you have the least interest in archetecture, art, nature, history, or just seeing interested places, Fallingwater should be on your list. The house is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous and was built in the 30's for the wealthy owner of the Kaufman Department Store Chain. Characteristically, it combines Wright's angular lines, natural materials, and uncanny ability to make the occupant feel at one with the outdoors. The pictures really don't do the house justice. You need to get up close to touch and sense the materials, the light, and the flow of the house. The tours guides are excellent. The cafe is a nice place for lunch after the tour. read more

What can one say about the masterpiece of FLW? I have photo books on this house but to see it in person exceeded expectations. Went for the extended two hour Tour an will return for the evening tour sometime in the future. Since I am from out of state a few tips. Fly into Pittsburgh. FW is 1:30 hours from there. Bring or rent a GPS, your cell phone may not get reception. When you get off the Turnpike one sign will say FW left 19 miles and your GPS will direct you right to Helens School road. Both will get you there but I recommend going left. Much more civilization and main roads that way. When you enter the grounds you will not see the house but a visitors center. You have to follow a trail about 600 yards to the house. When you come upon the house the view is not the iconic one you see in all the photos. You need to take the view trail where you can look back towards the house to see the house and twin waterfalls. I wish there were more signs for the most famous house in America. read more

This place took a few hours to get to from central PA, but definitely worth the drive. I tried to get tickets the morning of my trip but they stopped online sales by 9am the morning of so I got tickets at the front gate for $27 instead. There weren't many people there the day I went and I was put in a small group of 4 for the tour. The architecture and detail Frank Lloyd Wright put into Falling Water is marvelous and definitely worth the trip. Plus, the drive there was scenic and other nearby attractions such as the United Flight 93 memorial and Ohiopyle make for a pleasant day trip. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this place! Fallingwater is breathtaking, the guides seem to thoroughly enjoy their job, the visitor center was clean and organized, the tour was incredible! I don't know much about architecture, but as a new homeowner, Fallingwater really spoke to me about thinking through your design and decor to make a place your home. Inspiring and educational, definitely recommend this place if you've never been! So peaceful... read more

We opted for the house tour and it was fantastic. Our guide was informative and a very good speaker. Ask questions, you'll get answers! The house is well-maintained and the cost of the tour benefits the preservation of the house, so we didn't mind spending the money. Our guide was informative, very nice speaker. Gift shop seemed to be the same quality as any contemporary museum, full of good items at a variety of prices. read more

I have been on a tour of this house 8 times. I have taken the regular tours and the extended tours which opens up the back of the house and allows photography. Amazing architecture, amazing tours. This is one of the cultural icons of architecture that one must visit to fully appreciate. read more

I'd like to send a personal thank you to Marla, a security member at the facility. I went to tour the grounds with a broken foot, on a foot push scooter today. She drove out to house, said she saw me on camera and wanted to know if she could help. She drove me to the guest house and back to my car and was a wonderful wealth of knowledge. Amazing customer service!!! The house and waters are amazing!!!!! read more

Seeing Fallingwater in person was incredibly awesome--it's really hard to get a sense of the place just from photos, and I really didn't know what I was missing before I went. My party only had an hour to spend at Fallingwater, so we weren't able to get a tour of the inside, instead just doing the $8 grounds tour. I was honestly very pleased with just being able to poke around the outside of the house; it would have been nice to go inside, but it was incredibly beautiful anyway, and I don't regret it. Make sure that you go all the way down the covered steps between the guest house and the main house--there's a lovely little niche there that I don't think a lot of people pay attention to if they aren't on the indoors tour! One thing that was a pleasant surprise was how helpful and kind the guides were, even though we weren't taking the tour. They really went out of their way to answer questions and direct us. The entire setup of the place was lovely--one of the best and most comfortable ways to see a historic home that I've ever seen. Generally when I go to see a historic home I expect the gift shop/cafe/bathrooms to be in a cramped outbuilding and to have to wait around in un-scenic, un-interesting areas until I'm allowed in. The waiting area here, though, was lovely and well-kept and (most importantly) large enough for all the people who were milling about. Cheers! I'll separately review the café, since it has its own page... read more

Spectacular architecture , quite the visionary, impressive tour guide.... sadly the tour ended with them begging for more money. If you buy your tickets in advance you save $2.00 otherwise it's $27 per adult at the gate and it takes 2 hours.... lots of walking up and down hill.... beautiful though. read more

Beautiful home and well run touring operation. We stopped on road trip from NC to Chicago. There's a beautiful visitors center and everything very well run. I would put this along with Monticello as the very best home tours in the country. read more

We had a 3 day weekend and we planned our visit around this. We took the In-depth tour and didn't regret a minute of it. The architecture is astounding while learning the history of the house was pretty amazing as well. Definitely for the romantic at heart. This house, The nature and the land are pure art in themselves. We will definitely plan another trip here in the future. We also visited Kentuck Knob which is another FLW just about 6 or 7 miles from Falling Water. It was designed for use as a personal residence as opposed to Falling Water which was planned as a vacation retreat for a rich family in 1935. If your unfamilar with Frank Lloyd Wrights homes these two spots are a great introduction. I'm entirely hooked. Once I returned home I started to do a lot of research and discover amazing books of the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. He not only designed buildings but the furniture and layout of which to go in them. While he was considered rather arrogant he was definitely kept many Japanese aspects of design in creating homes (such as the use of nature and exemplifying the landscape) I highly recommend the books in the gift shop. Wow. Just Wow. Please see my other review for Kentuck Knob here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/kentuck-knob-chalk-hill#hrid:gFGjN4Cdx5CpZmB1Zz48MA read more

Drove 4.5 hours from Philadelphia with an architect friend to check out this marvel and it was sure pretty cool. I found the entry fee a little on the higher side (esp, when you are not alloweed to take any pictures inside it) but for people who love cool houses, this is darn good. read more