20 Upside Down Houses

The world is full of architectural gems, some dating back many centuries. Old towns throughout Europe have numerous buildings and churches that take you back to a time long ago. However, modern skyscrapers have begun to dominate skylines in prosperous cities, with designers seeking to produce something that defines the 20th and 21st centuries.

A relatively new popular design that challenges your imagination may not have the splendour of what those old towns reveal or the engineering feats of the skyscrapers, but they do make an impact. The Upside Down House is less than two decades old, but there are several examples following the building of the first one in Poland in 2007. It was a political statement at the time. Others have no political motive and offer pure entertainment value. Here are 20 fun examples of upside-down houses around the world.

Upside Down House

20 Strange Upside Down Houses Around The World

1- Szymbark, Poland

A Polish philanthropist and businessman, Daniel Czapiewski, decided to make a statement about the political uncertainty in his country post-communism.

His way of doing that was to construct an Upside Down house in the small village of Szymbark in Northern Poland, which has become a rather quirky landmark in Poland.

This project was never going to be an easy build, with a vast amount of concrete needed for the foundations.

It is timber-clad and would ordinarily have taken just three weeks to build. Czapiewski’s took more than 16 to complete.

The main problem was that the strange angles of the walls required in the build were quite disorientating.

Tourists have come in numbers to see the finished house, with many reporting a feeling of disorientation themselves because of entering through an attic window and then walking on the ceiling.

Address: 83-323, Szymbarskich Zakładników 12, 83-323 Szymbark, Poland.

2- Dukorsky Maentak, Dukora, Belarus

This example of an Upside Down house is on a tourist farmstead complex, Dukorsky Maentak in Dukora, Pukhovichi, Minsk.

“The House of Ellie” is a piece of fun that creates a strange sensation for all who go inside.

On entry, you will see it furnished, with the furniture firmly fixed to the ceiling and a wood-panelled floor.

The complex itself is a park with a museum and street art, with the house as the main exhibit that gets plenty of attention from visitors.

3- Riviera Park, Sochi, Russia

This park dates back to the end of the 19th Century, created as a recreation facility for the Tsars.

The choice of Sochi on the Black Sea coast revolved around its pleasant climate, starting in spring and remaining until the snow returns in November.

Today, its visitors are ordinary families looking for a day out with plenty to entertain them.

In contrast to the palatial landmarks in Russia, one of the attractions is its colourful Upside Down house.

4- White House, Batumi, Georgia

Some Upside Down houses have little function other than their appearance.

In the case of the White House in Georgia’s resort on the Black Sea in Batumi, it is a restaurant that resembles the seat of government in Washington DC, USA.

It was the idea of a young architect in 2011, initially designed as a joke but subsequently built and now in operation.

The restaurant covers three floors, and its Georgian cuisine receives excellent reviews.

It may not be the cheapest in Batumi, but it does provide a unique experience.

Visitors can be disorientated on entry, especially those who have had a drink or two.

5- White House, Wisconsin, USA

The Dells in Wisconsin is home to perhaps a better replica of the home of the US President, which is a strange Wisconsin landmark.

The park gets busy in the summer months, but there are discounts for winter visitors.

The Upside Down house has a jail occupied by Bigfoot, the legendary and elusive “animal” in the wilds of the USA.

Motion detectors activate as you walk past, setting off a cannon.

It can’t be much fun working at the Dells when it is busy and listening to cannon blast after cannon blast.

The Dells is at 2127 Wisconsin Dells Pkwy, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965, USA.

6- Haus Steht Kopf, Terfens, Austria

This Upside Down museum in Terfens, Austria, seems to defy gravity and is not the kind of landmark in Austria you might expect to see.

Soon after entering, you will wonder whether to tilt yourself to stay upright.

The furniture sticks to the ceiling, and later as you look at your photos, you will realise what you have just experienced.

The garage holds a VW Beetle, which appears likely to crash to the floor any minute.

Or is that crash to the ceiling?

Haus Steht Kopf is at Vomperbach AT, Stublerfeld 1, 6123 Terfens, Austria.

7- Die Welt Steht Kopf, Trassenheide, Usedom, Germany

Trassenheide’s Upside Down House, Toppels, is a two-storey building with several crazy rooms to explore.

Trassenheide is a strange German landmark that operates as a Baltic Sea resort in North East Germany.

In keeping with this tourist attraction, the bicycle outside is upside down as is the café next door.

Finished in 2008, Toppels is on a slight incline, and there’s no need to worry about the sky falling in.

Worry about whether the house is falling in on you.

8- Broederstroom, South Africa

Broederstroom in the North West province of South Africa welcomes many tourists, many heading there to go on safari.

An additional attraction is the Upside Down House, with every feature you would expect to find in a house, furniture, the lot.

The only difference is that everything is upside down.

Slip a few shots of the house into your safari photos before you show them to friends and family.

The site includes the house and has other amusements to entertain the kids, including bouncy castles and children’s rides.

Broederstroom is at R3 Hartbeeshoek Road, Hartbeespoort, 0216, South Africa.

9- Salmiye, Kuwait

Kuwait’s Upside Down House is a fun place for everyone, especially children.

You will find it in the Cube Mall on the first floor, so it is a great distraction when the kids are bored with shopping.

It describes itself as “a combination of street art and experimental entertainment”.

Next door, the café is upside down as well, with food and drink available throughout the day.

Salmiye is at مجمع ذا كيوب، Arabian Gulf St, Salmiya, Kuwait.

10- Wonderworks, Orlando, USA

This museum, “Believe It or Not”, is just one of the numerous landmarks in Florida‘s Orlando.

It’s no wonder the Upside Down house makes you feel like you are upside down.

The house was brought to Orlando from its original home in the Caribbean, a small island in the Bermuda triangle.

It’s now one of the popular family attractions in this amusement capital.

Wonderworks is at 9067 International DriveOrlando, FL 32819.

11- Museum of Illusions, Los Angeles, USA

What better illusion than letting visitors experience what it would be like to live in an Upside Down house?

This LA Museum has many attractions, and the house is one of the strange landmarks in Los Angeles.

Seven rooms allow you to experience the disorienting effects of walking on the ceiling and cooking breakfast in the weirdest kitchen you have ever encountered.

It’s a place for all the family with free entry for kids under 5.

Museum of Illusions is at 6751 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028.

12- Device to Root Out Evil, Canada

Stanford University commissioned a sculpture but rejected the final production as unsuitable for the campus.

The design aimed to root out evil, so the image was of a New England-style church with its steeple planted into the earth.

The intent of the work was to inspire debate, and you need to see it to decide for yourself whether the sculpture achieves that.

The controversial artwork moved to Vancouver’s waterfront as an art installation for the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale in 2005 and made its way to Glenbow Museum in Calgary (until 2014).

It was moved to the Plaza de la Puerta de Santa Catalina in Mallorca before landing in Calgary in East Village in 2019.

Last we heard, the Device to Root out Evil is there to stay for the foreseeable future.

Device to Root Out Evil is in 5th Street Square, East Village, Calgary.

13- Niagara Falls, Canada

There is more to Niagara Falls than torrents of water. Many of the fun things to do in Niagara Falls are in Clifton Hills.

You’ll find a six-room Upside Down House in Clifton Hill, close to Adventure City and the Skywheel.

It is around a decade old and aims to amuse youngsters.

So if you want to bring creativity out in your children, this might just be the place to do it.

The Upside Down House is at 4967 Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls, ON L2G 3N5, Canada.

14- House of Katmandu, Magaluf, Mallorca, Spain

There are multiple attractions in this park complex, with the Upside Down house supported by mini-golf, a 4D ride and an interactive shooting game.

The house looks especially impressive under the colourful lights after sunset and is one of the strangest landmarks in Spain.

House of Katmandu is at Katmandu Park, Avenida Pedro Vaquer Ramis
9, 07181 Magaluf, Balearic Islands, Spain. 

15- Tagurpidi Maja, Estonia

Walking in Estonia’s Upside Down House is disorientating, but it is certainly fun.

The photos of you walking on the ceiling will be a long-term reminder of your visit.

Goggles are available for hire, upside down, of course, adding to the experience.

A common observation from people who review the experience is that you should not go inside with a hangover.

Tagurpidi Maja is at Roosi 86, 51009 Tartu, Estonia.

16- London Livery, Blackfriars, London, UK

Upside Down houses are a 21st-century concept, but in the case of the Blackfriars one, the house utilises a building dating back to the 18th century.

In those days, its function was as livery stables holding horses and carriages.

For many years in recent times, the building was empty and boarded up.

That was until Alex Chinneck, an imaginative artist, got an idea and turned the building on its head.

“Miner on the Moon” was the name of his project, which was created for the MERGE Festival but was demolished to make way for a contemporary urban project.

17- Brighton, England, UK

Heading south from London to the coast, another Upside Down house looks out on the English Channel in Brighton.

The house is close to the famous Brighton Pier and gives the impression that a giant has picked up a house in his hands and turned it over.

It is a place for “selfies” with you walking around a full-furnished house on the ceiling.

The Upside Down House – Brighton is at 42-43, Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 2LN, United Kingdom.

18- Phuket and Pattaya, Thailand

It may take a lot to drag you away from the beaches of these top Thai holiday destinations.

Both offer more than just a beach holiday; both places have an Upside Down House to entertain visitors. 

It’s proving to be a popular attraction for both places.

The Upside Down House Museum in Phuket is at หมู่ที่ 5 51/11 Chalermprakiat Ratchakan Thi 9 Road, Ratsada, Amphoe Mueang Phuket, Chang Wat Phuket 83000, Thailand. Upside Down House Pattaya is at 31/48 Mo.2, Na jomtien, Sattahip, Chon Buri 20250, Thailand.

19- Casaloca Guatavita, Colombia

This Upside Down House in Cundinamarca, a suburb in Colombia’s capital, Bogota, has a topsy-turvy car in the driveway. It’s one of the quirkiest landmarks in Colombia.

Once in this two-storey building, you can take some great photos to show friends and family.

Admission is controlled so that a maximum number of people can be inside at any time.

Casaloca Guatavita is at Vereda, Santa María, Guatavita, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

20- Antalya, Turkey

The beaches of Turkey are popular in summer and Turkey’s largest Mediterranean resort, Antalya, attracts many tourists each year.

Since 2016, an Upside Down house has been one of the city’s quirky attractions and one of the weirdest landmarks in Turkey.

30,000 tourists visit yearly to see a fully furnished house with everything in reverse.

There is a fully-equipped kitchen, shower and toilet, bedroom and lounge.

Upside Down House is at Altıntaş mah, Kardeş Kentler Cd. no 15, 07400 Aksu/Antalya, Turkey.