The Monsanto House of the Future was a walk-through attraction in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, operating from June 12, 1957, to December 1967. Sponsored by Monsanto Company, designed by MIT architects Marvin Goody and Richard Hamilton, and built with Walt Disney Imagineering, it showcased a futuristic home for 1986, constructed primarily from glass-reinforced plastics. Located near Tomorrowland’s entrance, the 1,280-square-foot house featured innovative appliances and modular design, attracting over 20 million visitors. Its concrete foundation remains in Pixie Hollow, painted green.
“Monsanto Plastics Home of the Future, Disneyland, 1958” by Orange County Archives is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Below are 10 fun facts about the Monsanto House of the Future (1957–1967) at Disneyland, focusing on its design, technology, and operations:
- Plastic Construction: The house was built using glass-reinforced plastics for walls, floors, and furniture, with Monsanto showcasing over 14 types of plastic to demonstrate their versatility in homebuilding.
- Cross-Shaped Design: Its four 8’x16’ cantilevered wings extended from a central concrete core, creating a floating appearance over a landscaped garden with a waterfall and pond for cooling.
- Microwave Oven Debut: The kitchen featured a compact microwave oven, a rarity in 1957, highlighting its potential for quick cooking, alongside a push-button ultrasonic dishwasher for plastic dishes.
- Adjustable Sinks: Bathroom sinks could be raised or lowered to accommodate children or adults, a novel ergonomic feature controlled by simple mechanical levers.
- Flat-Screen TV Vision: By 1960, the living room displayed a large, wall-mounted television (non-functional), predicting the rise of flat-screen TVs, a futuristic concept for the era.
- Modular Furniture: The children’s bedroom had a sliding plastic wall to create flexible play or sleep spaces, replaced in a 1960 remodel with a permanent wall and built-in desks.
- Touch-Tone Phones: The house included touch-tone phones with speakerphone capabilities, a cutting-edge communication upgrade from rotary dials, introduced before their 1963 commercial rollout.
- Rapid Construction: Built in just four months starting January 7, 1957, the modular plastic sections were prefabricated off-site, assembled on a concrete pedestal for efficiency.
- Durable Demolition Challenge: In 1967, demolition took two weeks as wrecking balls bounced off the sturdy plastic structure, requiring hacksaws to dismantle it, leaving the concrete base intact.
- Massive Visitor Numbers: Over 435,000 guests toured the house in its first six weeks, with a peak of 681,994 by September 1, 1957, totaling over 20 million visitors by closure.
