Frisco Futuro House - Nags Head

Frisco Futuro "UFO" House

Photo credit Runder (from Flickr) Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

History

In 1965, Finnish architect Matti Suuronen began drafting plans for a custom ski chalet that was lightweight, simple to transport, with a nod to the modernity surrounding the space age. Dubbed the “Futuro House”, these homes were created with fiberglass reinforced plastic. Only around 100 were ever built due to the 1973 oil crisis and the drastically increased costs of plastic associated.

In the late 1960’s the Russo family purchased what has since become known as the OBX UFO house. It was a family vacation home located in Hatteras until 1983, when the Russo family donated it to the local volunteer fire department. Originally the plan was to set the home on fire as a training exercise, but ultimately the home was raffled of as a fundraiser for the fire department.

In the intervening years the home has been moved a few times, served as a cabin for the local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, an office, home of the local newspaper, and a hot dog stand. Today it is an out of this world roadside attraction.

More on the history of the home can be seen in this short video.

Fun Facts

The main design feature of the Futuro House is portability. Consisting of sixteen fiberglass reinforced plastic panels, which could easily move by the use of truck or helicopter and require only a few days to assemble. Costing between $12,000 and $14,000 in the United States, the Futuro House gained popularity due to coverage in an article in the June 20, 1969 edition of the New York Times as well as a feature in the September 1970 edition of Playboy Magazine.

The Frisco, NC Futuro House is currently at center of controversy in Dare County. As of September 2017, the home is uninhabitable and will require the owners to work with an structural engineer to update the structure to modern building codes. A petition on change.org has produced more than 3.500 signatures to save the house.

Where to Go

The Frisco house is located on Highway 12 on Hatteras Island. Visitors travelling from the north (Avon, Nags Head) should travel using Highway 12. For those travelling south from Ocracoke Island, the house is accessible by using the North Carolina Ferry System. Departure time may vary depending on time of year. Visitors are advised to review the ferry schedule before departure.

When visiting this roadside attraction, visitors should ready to take pictures with the “resident alien”, owner Leroy Reynolds, a sense of humor and an appreciation of science fiction.

Best times of year to visit

The Outer Banks are truly a gem of the coast, and a vacationer's delight all year round. The summer months are the busiest, and advance planning for a trip is recommended. As with many tourism-driven towns, winter is the slow season. While you’ll be able to spend more time with the aliens due to fewer tourists, many other tourism-related amenities shut down during these months.

It is always good idea to check for current and seasonal weather trends when planning.