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All the United States Ohio Cincinnati The Cincinnati Mushroom House

The Cincinnati Mushroom House

What is it about mushrooms that makes people wish they lived inside of them?

Cincinnati, Ohio

Added By
michaeljsnyder
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The Cincinnati Mushroom House   DaveMenninger on Wikipedia
The Cincinnati Mushroom House   DaveMenninger on Wikipedia
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
The mushroom house!   sydneyhackworthj / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  ski queen / Atlas Obscura User
  cyrenaknight82 / Atlas Obscura User
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Me and my mushroom   DaytonDUI / Atlas Obscura User
Back side of the Mushroom House   rizzojn2 / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Located in Cincinnati's otherwise architecturally chaste Hyde Park neighborhood, the so-called Mushroom House is another in a long line of homes that share a resemblance to fungus, from real homes in Canada and Colorado, to the Smurfs.

Admittedly, soft round fungus does look like it would make a pretty comfortable building material, and maybe that was what architecture professor Terry Brown was thinking when he decided to transform his Cincinnati bungalow into a chaotic fairytale creation. Between 1992 and 2006, the late Brown used warped shingles and oddly wrapping staircases to give his one bedroom home on the corner of Erie and Tarpis Ave. a look like no other.

The shingles covering the sides of the home are meant to resemble the delicate sheets on the underside of a mushroom, while the bulbous decorative roofing complete the fungal look. He also added a glass-walled sun room protruding from one end of the building which certainly makes it look a bit less organic, but nonetheless magical.

Unfortunately Brown passed away in 2008, but the Mushroom House remains a beloved landmark in the neighborhood, and doesn't look to be wilting any time soon. 

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture Eccentric Homes Homes

Community Contributors

Added By

michaeljsnyder

Edited By

julnyes, Martin, Wildwoman, EricGrundhauser...

  • julnyes
  • Martin
  • Wildwoman
  • EricGrundhauser
  • rizzojn2
  • DaytonDUI
  • Collector of Experiences
  • ski queen
  • cyrenaknight82
  • sydneyhackworthj
  • MtnBound

Published

August 12, 2015

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_House_(Cincinnati)
  • http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2012/05/09/slideshow-heres-a-look-inside.html
  • http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20268781_20601968,00.html
The Cincinnati Mushroom House
3331 Erie Ave
Cincinnati, Ohio
United States
39.141132, -84.423699
Get Directions

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cincinnati

Cincinnati

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Places 16
Stories 6

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cincinnati

Cincinnati

Ohio

Places 16
Stories 6

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