Discover the Real ‘Up’ House: Whitewood Cottage

Disney fans love the movie ‘Up’. It’s heart-wrenching, sweet, and leaves people crying just a few minutes into this animated film. But did you know there is some truth to this heartfelt story? Obviously, no house goes flying in the air and lands in a different country, but there was a special person who refused to sell their home because of sentimental value. Follow along to discover the real ‘Up’ house and more about this film.

What is ‘Up’ About?

Before we discuss the real-life story that inspired ‘Up,’ let’s dive into the film’s premise. Spoilers ahead.

‘Up’ is a Disney animated film that was released on May 29, 2009, in the United States. It tells the story of Carl Fredricksen, who falls in love with Ellie, who has the same love and passion for exploration. In the first few minutes of the film, we watch the two fall in love and grow old, starting when they are around ten years old. Sadly, though, they experience their ups and downs, including a miscarriage and the decline of Ellie. Eventually, Ellie passes away, likely due to old age. Before she passes, though, she gives Carl a scrapbook. He never looks inside and becomes a grumpy old man, handling his grief.

Years later, things are steadily changing. The neighborhood is being redeveloped, but Carl doesn’t want to let go of the house, refusing to sell or move to an assisted living facility. One day, Russel (a young boy and wilderness explorer) goes to Carl’s home to help him. This just happened to be the day that Carl executed his plan of flying his home with large amounts of balloons to Paradise Falls, where he wanted to go with his wife before she passed.

The rest of the film centers around the relationship between Carl and the young kid, Russel as they try to figure out where they landed. Sweetly, in the end, they become close. Carl reads the scrapbook and finds out that his wife decorated it with their adventures, ending it with a note that thanks him for their adventures.

Is the ‘Up’ House Real?

Now that we know more about the film ‘Up,’ we can discuss the real-life story. It starts with Edith Macefield. In 2006, she was all over the news after refusing to sell her home in a developing neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. She turned down an offer of 1 million dollars for her home. She passed away two years later, in 2008, at the age of 86 in her home. The development continued, but around her home, which is a spectacular sight to see.

The house still stands at 1438 NW 46th St. but is now owned by Barry Martin, who became friends with Edith while constructing the project around her home. Inspired by their friendship, he wrote the book ‘Under One Roof: Lessons I Learned from a Tough Old Woman in a Little Old House.’

Technically, though, the real-life ‘Up’ house, dubbed as The Whitewood Cottage, may not have inspired the story entirely as ‘Up’ started production in 2004.

Can You Visit the ‘Up’ House?

Technically, there are two ‘Up’ houses. One is the Edith Macefield House, which you can visit from the outside. This adorable home has become a tourist attraction over the years. Many people visit to take pictures outside of it. Some people even draw balloons on white paper to emulate the ‘Up’ house. 

The other ‘Up’ house is also a tourist attraction, but it was created and designed off the home in the film. You can see this house in Utah. It’s vibrant and a near replica of the one in ‘Up’! Currently, this home is owned by Lynette and her family of four. Like the other home, though, it is private property, so you can’t just walk inside. Pictures are encouraged, but only stay for a few minutes! Drones are also not allowed. Remember, respect the owner’s privacy, as cool as the home is.

Wildlife in Venezuela

Paradise Falls in ‘Up’ was inspired by Venezuela, specifically Angel Falls. In this section, we’ll briefly discuss some wildlife found in this gorgeous South American country. Venezuela is a stunning country with a surface area of 353,841 square miles. Within this large space are over 8,000 endemic species of plants and animals. This includes more than 1,400 bird species.

Some incredible birds that live in Venezuela are contigas, grey-winged trumpeters, Amazonian motmots, and potoos. The country is also home to large mammals like capybaras, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, and jaguars. The national animal of Venezuela is the troupial. They are easy to spot from their black and orange coloration. So, what about the large bird in the film ‘Up’? Not to burst your bubble, but this large bird isn’t real! This flightless bird was called a ‘snipe’ in the movie. You will not find it in Venezuela.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/anyaberkut