Publisher's Desk: On 8/29/2026 Frank Lloyd Wright's Masterpiece Gets a New Reveal After a $7.5 Million Restoration

"Falling Water" is a masterpiece of site location 65 miles south of Pittsburgh, PA. More photos below...

Three years ago, I visited this incredible house as a "Bucket List" venture. The picturesque setting is dazzling, the interior of the house -- well, not my cup of tea. I guess the first thing I experienced was how damp and moldy it smelled! The flooring was uncomfortable -- irregular flagstones, if I recall correctly. Not a comfortable surface for barefoot walkers. The "compression and release" architectural design technique actually felt claustrophobic. Granted it leads your eye and your feet out onto those beautiful decks seen above, but remaining in the room seemed stifling.

According to the docent, shortly after the Kaufman family moved in, the living room ceiling sprung a leak. Calling Frank to inform him of the issue, Frank's nonplussed reply was, "Put a bucket under it." End of story. No customer service, there -- ha!

Stairways were uncomfortable to maneuver; kitchen was nice for the era and the huge window overlooking the natural setting -- magnificent. I was really amazed by the open stairway from the living room leading down into a clearly visible cold-water creek where previous owners regularly swam!

Construction began in 1936 and was completed the following year. Since 1963, the property has been overseen by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and is open to the public. A visitors' center above the ravine where the house sits offers a bountiful boutique of Wright-inspired giftware, jewelry, scarves, Christmas ornaments, books, and more.

The trek down to the house location is tricky to navigate. The muddy "stairs" are defined by roots and embedded vines. Shortly before I arrived at the house location, my walking partner stopped and put her arm across my body to prevent me from taking another step.

Right there, a few feet from our shoes, was a long, black snake, slithering across the path into a patch of leaves. YIKES!

I'll never forget this visit to Falling Water and how nestled it was, literally, with everything nature delivers. It was an amazing property -- almost like a treehouse enveloped by leaves, trees, water and sheltered skies.

Definitely, visit!!!! It's well worth the trip, the property is simply stunning, and you'll learn a lot.

Living room sitting area with built-in sofa overlooking cantilevered decks.

You can see the large fireplace and uneven flooring. You can also get a sense of the compression and release technique with the low ceilings visible in the photo.

Considering this kitchen was built in the 1930s, this is a very nice area with an incredible floor-to-ceiling window overlooking nature.

Dining area features more built-ins -- cabinets, unique chairs and table seemingly coming out from the adjacent flagstone wall.

This exterior shot of the windows shows the ones illuminating the living room and the kitchen.