Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania invites visitors to take a deeper dive into Fallingwater through a series of public programs this fall, including two public presentations and a bus trip to tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s timeless architecture in person.
The programs are being presented in conjunction with Seeing Fallingwater – Celebrating Pennsylvania’s Architectural Masterpiece, a special temporary exhibit which features an architectural model of Fallingwater from the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York. Fabricated by acclaimed model maker Paul Bonfilio in 1984, the model is currently on loan to the State Museum from MOMA and on view in the Museum’s Brockerhoff Hall through January 5, 2025.
The exhibit also includes interpretive panels highlighting the history of Fallingwater and the ways in which Wright’s architectural masterpiece, nestled in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands, continues to inspire visitors and professional artists alike. A computer animation of Fallingwater, created by Spanish film director Cristobal Vila, is also on display.
Program events occur in September, October, and November, and include:
Sunday, September 29 at 1:30 pm
Modelling an Architectural Masterpiece – A conversation with model maker Paul Bonfilio
- Model maker Paul Bonfilio will discuss the re-making of Fallingwater on a reduced scale: in 1984, the Museum of Modern Art commissioned Bonfilio to create an architectural model of Fallingwater for its permanent collections. The two-year process of researching and fabricating Fallingwater in miniature gave Bonfilio, a professionally trained architect himself, new insights into Wright’s genius and the building’s integral relationship to the natural environment. Bonfilio documented his experience on film and in a book, signed copies of which will be available to visitors after the presentation.
Sunday, October 20 at 1:30 pm
Fallingwater as a World Heritage Site – A discussion with Justin Gunther, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Vice President and Director of Fallingwater
- Fallingwater Executive Director Justin Gunther will discuss the history of Fallingwater and the process which led to its designation in 2019 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – only the second site in Pennsylvania to that point to have been bestowed that honor. The UNESCO designation culminates a series of historic preservation recognitions that began 50 years ago when the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s nascent state historic preservation office successfully nominated the property to the National Register of Historic Places in July 1974.
Saturday, November 2
A bus trip from Harrisburg to tour Fallingwater in Mill Run, Pennsylvania
- Co-sponsored by the PA Heritage Foundation and Historic Harrisburg Association, this bus trip will allow participants to see Wright’s masterpiece as intended – up close and in person. Fallingwater’s sublime beauty is evident year-round, but autumn’s special colors offer an especially compelling backdrop for experiencing the summer home built for Edgar J. Kaufman of Pittsburgh in 1938 and its relationship to the natural features of the Laurel Highlands. Seats for this tour are limited and require advance registration.
Visitors are encouraged to pre-register for the Sunday afternoon programs on the State Museum of Pennsylvania website.
Registration for the bus tour of Fallingwater is being handled by Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation and can be booked on their website.
For more information about the State Museum of Pennsylvania, visit statemuseumpa.org or follow us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or LinkedIn.
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