Cartoon fantasy has come to life in Herriman, Utah. Local home builder Bangerter Homes has painstakingly re-created the house from the Disney/Pixar movie Up, at the new Herriman Towne Center master planned community. The house has received worldwide attention, with stories in major newspapers and on TV as far away as Pakistan and Finland. Tours of the house begin Friday, July 29 and continue through Aug. 14, as part of the 65th annual Salt Lake Parade of Homes.

I recently had a preview tour of the home and was amazed at the effort the builders had put in to  every detail. Builders commissioned custom furniture, woodwork and decorations to match the cartoon house’s 1950s decor, with replica appliances, plumbing fixtures and even light switches. At the same time, they wanted to make the house liveable and energy efficient for a modern family, adding a garage and extra rooms that are not shown in the film. The result is a cozy, functional home that is undeniably unique. “It’s a magical house,” said Adam Bangerter. “The movie speaks to people in so many different aspects of their lives.”

People have already come from all over the country to see the home, which in part focuses on a couple’s inability to have children because of the wife’s Multiple Sclerosis. One woman with MS wept when she saw the replica of the nursery the cartoon couple prepared for children they would never have. Others have focused on the cartoon house’s ability to fly, including one little boy who refused to stand on the porch for a photo because, as he told his mother, “I don’t want to go up in the clouds.” The cartoon house flies with the aid of balloons, and Bangerter Homes plans to add balloons to the top of the real house on weekends during the Parade of Homes.

Tickets to the Parade of Homes are available online for $8 before July 29, or $10 after July 29. The parade includes tours of more than 40 new homes throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Tickets are also available for purchase at the homes, or at most R.C. Willey stores. Part of the proceeds go to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

View video of the Up house, from KSL.com

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Photo by Marsha Maxwell