The Monsanto House of the Future sat in Tomorrowland from 1957 to 1967. When the wrecking ball finally came, it bounced right off, and part of the house is still in the park today.
Disneyland once had a house so well built that the demolition crew couldn’t knock it down.
The Monsanto House of the Future opened in Tomorrowland on June 12, 1957, per D23, Disney’s official fan club. It was a sleek, all-plastic home with four wings sticking out from a central core, packed with gadgets most families in the 1950s had only seen in magazines.
It closed in December 1967. Then came the hard part.
“When the wrecker’s ball struck the house, it merely bounced off,” D23 writes in its official Disney A to Z encyclopedia.
What was the Monsanto House of the Future?
A walk-through model home built to show off what plastic could do.
Chemical company Monsanto sponsored it, and the design came out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT architecture professors Richard Hamilton and Marvin Goody led the project, working with MIT engineers and Monsanto’s plastics division, per the Iconic Houses network, which tracks landmark modern homes.
The house was made of glass-reinforced plastic, with four symmetrical wings cantilevered off a center core, so it looked like it was floating off the ground. Inside, guests saw modern furniture, the latest appliances and intercoms, per D23. Tomorrowland in the 1950s was all about showing guests the world ahead, and this was the home version of that idea.
How many people visited the House of the Future?
A lot. About 435,000 people walked through it in the first six weeks alone, per Iconic Houses.
By the time it closed, more than 20 million visitors had toured it. For a house with no ride, no characters, and no snacks, that’s a pretty good run.
Why did Disneyland tear down the House of the Future?
The future caught up with it.
By 1967, “the future had caught up with the house,” D23 writes. A lot of what had looked futuristic in 1957 was ordinary a decade later. Tomorrowland was also getting a big makeover that year, with new attractions like the PeopleMover opening in the land.
So the house had to go. It just wouldn’t.
What happened when they tried to demolish it?
The house won the first few rounds.
The wrecking ball bounced off, per D23. Crews then tried torches, chainsaws and jackhammers without much luck, per Iconic Houses. In the end, they used choker chains to crush the house into smaller pieces and hauled it out bit by bit.
One detail really shows how strong it was. According to Iconic Houses, the half-inch steel bolts holding the house to its foundation broke before the plastic did.
Is any part of the House of the Future still at Disneyland?
Yes, if you know where to look.
The house’s concrete foundation was never removed, per Iconic Houses. It still sits in its original spot, now part of the Pixie Hollow area near the Matterhorn and the hub. Disney painted it green, and it’s used as a planter.
Most guests walk right past it. Now you won’t.
Did Disney ever build another House of the Future?
Sort of. From 2008 to 2014, Disneyland ran the Innoventions Dream Home in Tomorrowland, a model house with smart-home tech that nodded to the original.
The 1957 house is still the one fans remember, though. Plenty of Disney attractions have been torn down. This is the one that fought back.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
D23, Disney A to Z entry: dates, features and the wrecking ball
Iconic Houses, the MIT design team, materials, visitor numbers, demolition and the foundation planter
AI Disclosure: All articles are assigned, edited and reviewed by an experienced human editor before posting. Like most modern newsrooms, WebReef Media uses a variety of AI tools to help with accuracy and efficiency. Ways AI may be used in article creation include research, grammar, fact-checking and ideation, as well as occasional AI generated or enhanced thumbnails or graphics. No articles are generated or posted without human oversight or involvement.