'Up' house replica boosts tourism in Utah city

[October 15, 2011]  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The suburban Salt Lake County city of Herriman says it's seeing a surge of visitors after a replica of the house in the Disney/Pixar movie "Up" opened to widespread publicity.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/qcS7I6) an estimated 27,000 visitors have come to Herriman since the vibrant green-and-pink house opened this summer. One of the home's builders, Blair Bangerter, says about 1,000 people visit the home each week.

Herriman's population is about 20,000.

The 2,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home is a precision re-creation of the house in the 2009 movie. It features a stenciled mailbox in front of the house that reads "Carl & Ellie" as a nod to the main characters.

Bangerter says he and his brothers -- who collectively own Bangerter Homes -- wanted to replicate the house because it's iconic and plays an important role in the movie. They got permission from Disney to use the movie to promote their creation.

[Associated Press]

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