Fallingwater Opens for 53rd Tour Season

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater will open for the 2017 season on Saturday, March 11. Since opening for its first tour in 1964, Fallingwater has welcomed more than 5.5 million visitors from around the world. Fallingwater will also host a variety of educational activities during the 2017 season to commemorate and honor Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy during the year of his 150th birthday.

“We are pleased to present a series of lectures, an exhibition in the Speyer Gallery and other activities that focus on Wright’s philosophy, sources of inspiration and his remarkable contributions to domestic design in honor of the 150th anniversary of his birth,” said Lynda Waggoner, vice president of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and director of Fallingwater.

Advance ticket purchase is strongly encouraged due to space limitations for tours. For more information or to purchase Fallingwater tour tickets, visit Fallingwater.org or call Visitor Services at 724-329-8501.

Tours

Fallingwater’s hour-long guided house tours are offered daily – except Wednesdays – from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 3.

Specialty tours are also available including the two-hour In-Depth Tour, which offers access to secondary spaces not available on the regular tour. The number of visitors on this tour is limited and interior photography is permitted for personal use only.

The Focus Tour offers groups of up to four people a private extended tour led by a senior staff member. The visit begins with a walk down the original drive to the house and ends with a private luncheon prepared by Fallingwater’s chef. Please call Monica Jackson at 724-329-7842 to reserve Focus Tour tickets.

A Brunch Tour is available on most Saturdays and Sundays from May through September. On this tour, participants spend nearly two hours in the house with an experienced guide, followed by brunch on Fallingwater’s covered terrace as Bear Run flows below.

Fallingwater also books tours for Frank Lloyd Wright’s Duncan House at Polymath Park, a Wright-designed prefabricated house completed in 1957 for a site in Lisle, Ill. The house was relocated to Acme, Pa. in 2007, and is located approximately 35 minutes from Fallingwater. Tickets are available at Fallingwater.org.

Exhibitions and Lectures

Along with guided house tours, Fallingwater visitors will have additional opportunities to learn about Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867-April 9, 1959) as part of commemorative activities to recognize the 150th anniversary of his birth.

Activities will include a series of special lectures presented by Fallingwater staff June through August. The 30-minute lectures will be held most Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and are available to all Fallingwater visitors. Registration is not required.

Visitors can also view the 2017 exhibition, “Wright for Wright,” opening April 1 in Fallingwater’s Speyer Gallery, sample special menu items based on some of Wright’s favorite recipes in the Fallingwater Café and purchase 150th commemorative specialty items in the Fallingwater Museum Store.

A full list of dates and activities honoring Wright’s 150th birthday can be found online at WaterLandLife.org/340.

Fayette County Appreciation Days

Fallingwater will offer free admission to Fayette County residents during its Fayette County Appreciation Days on Sunday, March 19 and Sunday, November 19.

Last year, more than 1,400 Fayette County residents visited Fallingwater during Fayette County Appreciation Days. Advance reservations for tours are essential to guarantee admittance. Tours are available from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Residents are encouraged to call 724-329-8501 for information and reservations.

Education Workshops and Opportunities

Fallingwater will offer several education residencies and workshops throughout the year for high school students, college students, teachers and lifelong learners.

Fallingwater is accepting applications for its week-long residency programs for adults and students interested in architecture and design. These studio-based programs take place onsite at Fallingwater’s fully equipped studio and the new educational facility, called High Meadow, May through July. Application deadlines vary for each residency, with applications due as early as April 1, 2017.

A two-day photography workshop is also available in June for high school students. The workshop is led by Andrew Pielage, an artist-in-residence at the Fallingwater Institute who has photographed more than 40 Frank Lloyd Wright sites around the country.

A three-day seminar for lifelong learners, called Insight/Onsite, will be held in May and September. Insight/Onsite participants stay at High Meadow, attend private lectures, among other activities.

For more information on educational programming at Fallingwater, please contact Amy Humbert, education programs coordinator, at 724-329-7829.

Volunteering

Fallingwater is also accepting applications for volunteer opportunities for the 2017 season. Residents from nearby communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Fallingwater volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of two days per month from May through October.

Interested volunteers may apply by contacting Marie Woof, volunteer coordinator, at 724-329-7826 or mwoof@paconserve.org and are encouraged to apply by mid-April.

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A photo has been made available courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: https://bit.ly/2m5VYGl

About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped to establish 10 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Conservancy owns and operates Fallingwater, which symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of about 12,000 volunteers. The work of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.

Media contacts:

Kristen Blevins
Communications Specialist
412-586-2328
kblevins@paconserve.org

Clinton Piper
Museum Programs Assistant
724-329-7821
cpiper@paconserve.org