The legendary architect Philip Johnson designed this iconic glass-walled home for himself back in 1949. It became a hugely significant step in the evolution of both minimal and modern architecture.
Rather than create actual walls, Johnson’s vision was to have the surrounding landscape serve as natural wallpaper, now that’s ingenious! The house is clearly out of the ordinary, and you wouldn’t find many people comfortable with living like this. Still, plenty of people are curious from the outsider’s perspective. If you want to get an idea of what it would be like to live your life out in the open like that, it’s open to the public for tours.
Texas - Southfork Ranch
The Southfork ranch stood in for the Ewing's mansion for the show "Dallas" during both its original run and its more recent reboot. It was still owned by a private family when filming began, but they had to give it up once tourists began flocking.
Currently, the ranch is a conference and event center that hosts weddings and parties and even has its own on-set museum dedicated to the show that made it famous. The ranch prides itself on accommodating any group of people for whatever event they need - whether it's 10 or 1000. Visitors can even go horseback riding and feel like they are in the show themselves.
Colorado - Sleeper House
Nestled in Genesee Mountain and built in 1963 by architect Charles Deaton, this one-of-a-kind elliptical spread is probably best known for its starring role in Woody Allen's film "Sleeper." The house is officially called The Sculpted House (you can figure out why) and has changed hands a number of times over the years. It remains a private residence today, so, unfortunately, visitors are out of luck here.
Despite the unbelievably unencumbered views, it sat largely unfinished and vacant for the better part of three decades until being purchased and revamped in 1999. The reason being that Deaton, the architect, ran out of funds before he could finish the project, and he never even got his chance to live in the monumental construction.
Utah- The Lion House
This large but otherwise unexceptional house in Salt Lake City was built by Brigham Young (the second president of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints) to accommodate his polygamist brood, which by final tally included a whopping 56 biological children and 55 wives.
A truly elegant mansion, the Lion House is decorated with countless antique pieces from a bygone era. Built in 1856, the home derives its name from the stone statue of the reclining lion over the front entrance. The house is open to visitors who are curious about an inside look into the denomination and its leader.
Georgia - Swan House
This regal and incredibly striking mansion sits nestled on 28 acres and was home to the heirs of a cotton brokerage fortune. It looks almost like an estate out of the French countryside. It was built between 1924 and 1928, though the owner only lived in the house for three years before his sudden passing.
In addition to being one of the most recognized and photographed houses in Atlanta, Georgia, it has been used in several film and TV projects, including "The Hunger Games" and "The Amazing Race." The state boasts gorgeous gardens that transport visitors into a woodland fantasy.