Amazing Celebrity Houses
Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller in front of their Connecticut house
Have you ever wondered where the most beloved stars of Hollywood's golden era called home? Or if they're all that different from where you live? From the era of silent film to stars of the 1970s, these rare vintage photos of expensive celebrity homes will show you just how the other side really lives.
Look closer at these photos and you won't just see outrageous houses and expensive mega mansions, you'll see what your favorite actors and musicians were really like. These snapshots show the places that the most beloved celebrities in the world retired to when they were exhausted of the spotlight. In essence, these homes are extensions of who they really are.
The lifestyles of the rich and famous really are fascinating, but they're just like normal people in many ways. They want a place to call home and a place where they can get some peace and quiet. Look deep and you might see a bit of yourself in these recently uncovered photos...
Marilyn Monroe was at the apex of her fame when she married playwright Arthur Miller in 1956. Following their wedding Monroe became an official east coaster and began living in the couple's Sutton Place apartment in Manhattan, a home in upstate New York and a out of the way estate in Connecticut. At the time she was happy to never to return to the west coast.
While in Connecticut the couple spent much of their time in a two-story home in the middle of a 325 acres of land. This secluded wonderland was allegedly chosen because Monroe told Miller shortly after tying the knot:
I hate Hollywood, I don't want it any more. I want to live quietly in the country and just be there when you need me. I can't fight for myself any more... All my life I've been alone. Now for the first time, the really first time, I feel I'm not alone any more. For the first time I have a feeling of being sheltered. It's as if I have come out of the cold.
Jayne Mansfield bought a seven-bedroom Los Angeles home with her husband, Mickey Hargitay, in 1958 for more than $70,000
Jayne Mansfield's Los Angeles Spanish Colonial was a mansion fit for a bombshell. Bought in 1957 with her husband Mickey Hargitay, the seven-bedroom, eight bedroom home became known as the "Pink Palace" because of its floor-to-ceiling pink shag carpeting. Aside from its so bright you gotta wear shades design, this home was built to house Mansfield, her family, and anyone who stopped by.
Purchased for a whopping $76,000 in 1958, the house had seven outdoor fireplaces for those cold Los Angeles nights, a heart shaped pool with "I Love You Jaynie" spelled out in gold mosaic tile and matching fixtures across the home. Unfortunately, this architectural spectacle was demolished in 2002.
Lucille Ball in front of her "starter" home in Beverly Hills
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz knew how to live. While the couple was waiting for one home to be built in Beverly Hills they lived in a 1920s Spanish-style house just down the block. This in-between home was no fixer upper, it haad seven bedrooms, six and a half baths, a trellised loggia fireplace, a poll and a guesthouse.
As you might imagine, the home is a rather spacious place where the Lucyand Desi could relax in peace. A major plus for these stars was how far back it was set from the street. Today the house is worth just under $7 million, which isn't bad for a piece of comedy history (also a really nice home).
Kirk Douglas lounges beneath a pair of Picassos 🎨🖌
In the 1960s Kirk Douglas had it made, and nothing proves that like this photo of the actor lounging on a skylit sofa in his Beverly Hills home. Purchased in 1960, the $17 million home was similar to many of the massive compounds that we see today, with its five bedroom, eight bathrooms, and wild amount of amenities. It's the kind of place where one can disappear.
Real estate wasn't the only thing that Douglas collected, he enjoyed art as well. He even owned multiple works by Pablo Picasso. Douglas said of the Picasso painting on the left:
[The painting is] a seated child with a squashed-in face and two eyes on the same side of her head. It was typical of Picasso’s work during the thirties. I thought it was awful.
Shaquille O'Neal's slam dunk of an estate
In 1994, Shaq bought this Florida mansion for a cool $4 million, but in the following years the basketball player has crank the property value into the sky. The actual Orlando adjacent home is 31,000 square feet sits on about four acres of property in the middle of a gated golf community. It's genuinely insane that this place exists.
Referred to as "Shaq-apulco," the estate has 12 bedrooms, 700 feet of prime lake frontage, and a recording studio. It's literally got everything that someone would want. Whether you're the size of a champin slam-dunker or you just like being in a huge house, if you've got about $20 million to throw around it could be yours.
Sophia Loren's Roman villa
Of course Sophia Loren lived in a beautiful Roman villa, where else would she be? Following her marriage to Carlo Ponti in 1957, her beau promised to construct the most gorgeous home in the world for her. It took a few years to build, but they finally laid down their roots in this villa with 50 rooms.
Inside, visitors culd find guilded ceilings, art covering the walls, and some truly gorgeous rooms. Aside from the living areas, Loren had a 135 foot swimming pool, complete with a pool house the size of a normal house, and her own orchard on the property. Now that's living European style.
Bill Gates' home, dubbed "Xanadu 2.0"
Why yes, Bill Gates does own a $127 million mansion in Mendina, Washington, that has more than 18 bathrooms. This compound has anything you could want and more, it's truly an extravagent home for one of the first men of tech. Referred to as "Xanadu 2.0" after the massive home in Citizen Kane, this place clocks in at more than 66,000 square feet so you can definitely get your steps in.
Gates initially purchased the grounds for just $2 million in 1988, but he's definitely increased the property value. Constructed out of 500-year-old Douglas fir trees, the mansion is both tech savvy and eco friendly - it works with its surroundings to keep the temperature regulated. This massive place is exactly the kind of place you picture someone like living.
Humphrey Bogart sits on the balcony of his home
Bogey always looked cool, and this shot of him hanging out with his wife, actress Mayo Methot, on the balcony of their 1920s home in Los Angeles just proves that point. Referred to as "Sluggy Hollow," the home was purchased in 1936. The couple only lived here for a few years but it was a well known spot in the area.
Unlike many celebrity homes, Sluggy Hollow was more of a party house than a place to get away from it all. The Bogarts hosted all manner of the Hollywood elite almost every day of the week. Sadly, the home was demolished to make way for a condo in the mid 20th century.
Sonny and Cher's Palm Springs villa
In the 1960s this Palm Springs villa was the home of Sonny and Cher, but it has a long Hollywood history. Film star Jospeh Cotten originally purchased this sunny getaway in the 1940s and this home slowly encouraged his fellow celebrities to buy up property in the area. His neighbors included Lloyd Bridges, Kirk Douglas, and Natalie Wood.
Sonny and Cher enjoyed the mountains around the Villa Carmelita as well as the beautiful terracotta floors on the inside. 12 people can stay in this home comfortably while enjoying the spa-esque bathrooms. If you can't stay at Sinatra's place then this is the Palm Springs home to enjoy.
Frank Sinatra in the modern kitchen of his Palm Springs home
This shot of Frank Sinatra in his open space kitchen in Palm Desert doesn't do the estate justice but he sure looks cool. The five bedroom and six bath house was known as Villa Maggio and it was constructed by architect Ross Patton. This homey A-frame has a tennis court, and a very aesthetically pleasing pool - it's clear why Sinatra loved it.
Inside, this home is a mid-century modern lover's dream. It's covered in wood paneling, has seven stone fireplaces, two kitchens, and the guesthouse even has a kitchen and a deck. Oh, and of course it has a helicopter pad. You never know when you need one of those.
George and Amal Clooney's Italian villa
Before the Clooneys purchased this $100 million 18th century villa on Lake Como this area was just a place in the past. This single purchase revitalized American interest in the Italian getaway, and for good reason. the home carries an air of European luxury even though it houses one of the most sought after American actors of the 20th century.
The Clooney's home features 25 rooms, an outdoor theater, a gym, a tennis court, and something called the "pizza room." This reall is one of the most stunning celebrity homes of any era. The luxury of this villa is so much more romantic than a regular ol' compound in Calabassass, don't you think?
In the 1950s, Joan Crawford was photographed in her newly designed Brentwood, California, home
In 1928, Joan Crawford plunked down $57,500 (that's just over a million today) for a ten room house in Brentwood. Initially built as a Spanish villa, in the mid '30s Crawford had the entire home rennovated to a more contemporary Georgian style. Crawford was always changing the interior, from the furniture to the literal layout so this was an expensive home to keep.
In 1934, Crawford added two new rooms to the house - a dressing room and a master bathroom. LAter that year she added a pool house and an outdoor theater, so she could better acclimate to performing live. She later said about her constant rennovations:
I've been criticized for being a faddist about my home in decorating and redecorating it with my change of mood. That's absurd, of course. But I couldn't live in that house if not a stick of furniture had been changed from the way it was when I first moved in. Because the same person isn't living there.
Sting's Manhattan duplex sold for $50 million
What kind of home in Manhattan can you buy on a policeman's salary? If you're Sting (and you were in that Police) then you can call wherever you want home. Up until 2017, Sting and his partner were living in this gorgeous $50 million Manhattan duplex.
The duplex is exactly what you want from the city, it has 43 feet of frontage on Central Park as well as a 396 square foot terrace where you can watch the world go by. The master bath has his and hers spas as well as a sauna and dressing rooms. It's safe to say that everything about this place is magic.
John Wayne's home office
There was nothing about John Wayne, including his home in Newport Beach, California. The house sat on the edge of the water and was seen as the Duke's respite from the outside world. Before moving to Newport he had a ranch in Encino, but he saw the value in this formerly sleepy beach front community and moved right in.
Wayne's home was exactly what you'd imagine. The interior was cozy with woord panelling and fireplaces to make everyone feel at home, but it was his den that he was the most proud of. Wayne had what he referred to as the "Fifty Years of Hard Work Wall" that featured his Oscar for True Grit as well of photos of friends and family. He told Architectural Digest:
I find things that appeal to me, and I try to blend them in here. I don't [care] whether anyone else likes them or not. But I think I've done a pretty fair job.
Bob Hope's space age home
Anyone who makes their way out to Palm Springs has to stop by the fascinating home built for the Hope family by John Lautner in the 1970s. If you're scratching your head at the odd triangular roof you're not the only one. Upon seeing Lautner's design for the home Hope is said to have joked, "Well, at least when they come down from Mars they'll know where to go."
The house was already expensive, but after it burned down in 1973 it cost an additonal $500,000 to get back in working order. Even though it has a very modern design it's not without its classic pleasures. While at home Hope would play tennis on his personal court while enjoying the outdoor fireplace on chilly evenings.
Gregory Peck pours a drink at his home bar
When it came time to settle down Hollywood star Gregory Peck decided to call the Pacific Palisades home. In the late 1940s he and his wife bought a home designed by legendary architect Cliff May. The home was a ranch-style piece that made use of the natural space around the home to create a kind of indoor-outdoor type of house.
The house wasn't all artsy ranch arcitectural flourishes, it also had the green leather bar that you see in the photo. Architectural Digest later noted:
[Peck's den was] a place for casual entertaining and where family evenings, kids [the Pecks had three sons], and dogs [the couple had several Alsatians] were welcome.
Elvis Presley strolls the grounds of Graceland
Purchased in 1957, Graceland was meant to be Elvis' simple escape from the rest of the world, but that changed as his fame grew. This Colonial Revival style mansion, built in 1939, was just over 10,000 square feet in size before Elvis began his additions. At the time the estate only cost $100,000, but its costs quickly ballooned as the King turned it into a giant clubhouse for his crew.
Following the death of Elvis' mother the King began to go hog wild with the eccentricies of Graceland. He installed a swimming pool in his father's room with a jukebox full of Elvis' 45s and the entire place was outfitted with cameras that Elvis wastched on a close circuit television at all hours. Speaking about the over the top oppulence of Graceland in the 1970s, NYU professor Mark Crispin Miller referred to it as:
The home of the organization that was himself, was tended by a large vague clan of Presleys and deputy Presleys, each squandering the vast gratuities which Elvis used to keep his whole world smiling.
Mary Pickford's Los Angeles mansion, PickFair, was one of the most famous homes in the US
Pickfair was quite possible the first mega-esate owned by a member of the Hollywood elite. Initially the property was a hunting lodge until it was purchased by Douglas Fairbanks in 1919 for actress Mary Pickford. After rennovations the home became a four story, 25 room mansion with stables, a guest wing, multiple garages and tennis courts.
It's truly crazy just how amazing Pickfair was. Hollywood's elite often stopped by the estate to have a drink at the saloon, take a look at the art, and swim in the first of its kind in-ground swimming pool. It's not clear how much the estate costs in the beginning of the 20th century, but decades later it sold for $60 million.
Tom Cruise's secluded estate
Tom Cruise has plenty of homes, but this secluded estate in Telluride, Colorado is absolutely stunning. The 11,512 square foot home sits on a 320 acre property, which is perfect for keeping the paparazzi at bay. It may look rustic, but this seven bedroom, nine bathroom home is like something out of a postcard.
This house wasn't just picked up by the star, he had it specifically built for privacy while on vacation in this affluent Colorado area. Listed for $39.5 million in 2021, the home sold in less than a year. It's not clear who purchased the property, but we're sure they're going to enjoy this picturesque homestead.
O.J. Simpson's Brentwood estate
In the 1990s the Brentwood estate owned by O.J. Simpson was genuinely palacial. The photo you're seeing shows the jaw-droppingly amazing swimming pool with the balcony that overlooks this amazing property. This area of the home really is the high point of the estate.
Inside, Simpson carried on with the very '90s khaki interior. Simpson's success in the NFL, as well as his time as a spokesman for various products meant that he had a lot of money to play with when it came to building out his dream home. IT's not clear how much the home cost initially, but it sold for $2.6 million at auction following his court case.
Marlon Brando called this neo-Gothic mansion home
Built in 1926, this neo-Gothic mansion in the Hollywood Hills once belonged to mercurial star Marlon Brando. The home is still standing today, complete with its vaulted ceilings and flying buttresses. Anyone who pays a visit to this place will immediately be entranced by the envious views of the Sunset Strip and West Hollywood.
The house itself features four bedrooms and five baths, as well as two different winding staircases. This is exactly the kind of place you can picture someone like Brando living, especially when you realize that it has a dining room that seats 20 and a library. Living here would be an offer you can't refuse.
Oprah's Oasis
It probably won't come as a shock to learn that Oprah owns a lot of homes, but this place in Montecito is refferred to as "The Promised Land." Why is that? Well, it sits on an 42-acre estate that holds horse stables as well as fruit and avocado orchards.
When Oprah bought this estate in 2001 it went for $50 million. It's likely that the price has since skyrocketed, which makes since. Not only does this Montecito home have a very famous name attached but now that it can produce its own fruit it's literally giving life to the people of California.
Marilyn Monroe bought her most famous house in Brentwood, California, for $90,000
Six months before she passed away in 1962, Marilyn Monroe purchased this hacienda-style house in Brentwood, California that for $90,000. Built in 1929, it's exactly the kind of place that you can imagine a Hollywood starlette calling home. Shut off from the rest of the world, this was the kind of place that Monroe needed towards the end of her career.
Standing amidst a small grove of orange trees, the home, guest house, and pool are now on the market for just under $7 million. At the time of the purchase Variety reported that Monroe was becoming quite the homemaker:
[Monroe has thrown] herself into making a home for herself. She planted an herb garden and in early 1962 traveled to Mexico to purchase authentic furniture, art and tapestries for her new home.
Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow's New York City apartment
Singer, actor, and owner of mucho real estate, Frank Sinatra kept a gorgeous home everywhere that he had business. His New York penthouse on the Upper East Side was a gorgeous glassed-in piece of art where he lived with Mia Farrow. The apartment had four bedrooms, six bathrooms, and a glass (of course) spiral staircase.
Today this penthouse is on the market for almost $5 million and it's exactly the kind of place that you can imagine the former Rat Pack leader owning. What better way to finish up a day in New York City than riding up the elevator to your penthouse and looking out at the skyline? Sinatra knew how to live.
David Bowie's New York City apartment is fit for the man who sold the world
Even a star man needs a place to live in the city. From 1992 to 2002, David Bowie and his wife, supermodel Iman, lived in a resplendent condo in the heart of Manhattan. The condo featured three bedrooms, two baths, and a halg bath aside from a living room that overlooked Central Park.
The entire condo has been remodeled multiple times and it includes a dressing room built specifically for Iman. The whole enchilada costs a very helthy $6.5 million, which is worth it for a Bowie superfan with cash to burn. At the very least it would be cool to be around that Ziggy Stardust energy.
Louis B. Mayer stands with his girls in front of the mansion he bought for his daughter
Purchased in 2017 for $40 million, the home of Edith Meyer Goetz has always had a storied history. Goetz's father was none other than Louis B. Mayer, the founder of MGM, and he bought her the property for her and her husband. The couple used the house as a place to host immaculate parties and to hold their massive art collection.
The Georgian Revival-style mansion was built in 1938 and it holds 11 bedrooms as well as a huge Art Deco library. Director Billy Wilder once said of the Goetzes:
[They] had the best food, the best people, and the best things on the walls.
Buster Keaton's mansion cost $5 million in 1926
Built in 1926, silent film star Buster Keaton's elaborate mansion is exactly the kind of place you want a celebrity to have. Aside from the absolutely gorgeous exterior, fountain out front, as well as a gym, spa, and pool, this place has a few secrets.
Keaton was a swell guy so the house wasn't home to unspeakable acts or anything, but it does have underground passages and even secret rooms. Not just a cool addition to the house, the tunnels made it easy to get around the 17,000 square foot Italian inspired villa. This may be the coolest celebrity home we've ever seen.
George Lucas calls Skywalker Ranch home
No, George Lucas doesn't live in a galaxy far, far away, but he does live on Skywalker Ranch in Northern California. Lucas purchases the 4,700 acre rance in 1974 and he's put more than $100 million into rennovating the property ever since. The wildest thing about this property is that so much of it is a secret.
Visitors to the ranch are asked to not take any photos, and blueprints for the location aren't readily available. What we do know is that the property has a 300 seat theater, a two story library, underground parking for 200(!) and it allegedly has its own fire station. When you're the guy who brought Star Wars to the masses where else would you live?
Paul Newman's Connecticut home is deceptively rustic
Paul Newman may have been one of the most beloved leading men of Hollywood's greatest era, but he called Westport, Connecticut home. Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward lived in a colonial on a 10.46 acre estate that had five buildings in total. There was the main house as well as a carriage house, two barns, and a cotton mill.
Every building on the property was completely rennovated, but it's the main house that was the centerpiece of the estate. Featuring exposed beams and a beautiful open floorplan, it was the kind of house you never want to leave. Today it's on the market for just over $7 million.
Brad and Angelina once owned a home on a $60 million vineyard
It may be marred by never-ending litigation, but the Chateau Miraval vineyard once owned by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is one of the most expensive homes that a celebrity could own. Purchased for $60 million, the 1,200 acre property served as the location for the couple's wedding in 2014. It also happened to be were they grew the grapes for their personal brand of wine.
It's rare that celebtrity home can pay for itself, but this vineyard wasn't just a vanity purchase for Pitt. In 2012, he explained that it was an escape from Hollywood:
I love learning about the land and which field is most suitable for which grape, the drama of September and October: Are we picking today? Where are the sugar levels? How is the acidity? Is it going to rain? It’s been a schooling for me. In the off months, I enjoy cleaning the forest and walking the land. It’s very peaceful and the antithesis of the drive, the want, the need to get ahead indicative of life in Hollywood. I’m instantly reminded what quiet sounds like.
Clint Eastwood's Carmel ranch
Clint Eastwood first came to Carmel by the Sea when he was only 21 years old, at the time he was only used to the desert terrain of Los Angeles. He told Architectural Digest:
The first time I saw the place I thought it was terrific. Visually it was something else, and I thought it was the place I'd like to call home. So I kind of adopted Carmel.
Eastwood established his home in the area, the Mission Ranch, with views over the glimmering Monterey coast. The actor lives in a farmhouse that was built in the 1850sand now features six guest rooms aside from the master bed. It really is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
James Dean in his collegiate apartment
We just can't get enough of James Dean hanging out in his various homes throughout the 1950s, so what if he didn't technically own them. This studio apartment was just a few steps away from Central Park, and the star kept it from 1953 until his death. If it wasn't expensive when Dean was living there it is now.
Dean could often be found lounging on the top floor of this five-story, 19th century townhouse in his beatnik inspired digs. This was where Dean came to get away from his fame, even if he had to share a bathroom with the rest of the apartment's tenants. Maybe he thought that this kept him grounded.
Cary Grant's Palm Springs hideaway
In the 1950s, Cary Grant picked up this hideaway in Palm Springs and held on to it for more than two decades. Known as Las Palomas, or "The Doves," the home was made of double-thick whitewashed walls and hand painted Spanish tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. The roof was covered in terra-cotta tiles to add to the European vibe.
With views of the mountains and a saline pool, it's no surprise that Grant stayed here whenever he needed to get away from it all. Situated in the middle of the "Movie Colony," the house sits on an acre and a half, it's perfect for the star who wants to disappear for a while. However, if you want to buy it you'll have to shell out a little over $4 million.
Candice Bergen's country kitchen
Candice Bergen has always been a lover of architecture and a California girl at heart, so it's no surprise that in the 1970s she lived in a rustic farmhouse. As a member of the jet set she was no stranger to Paris, Rome, and New York City, but when she needed to get away from it all she came back to her cottage and shut everyone out. Although she remembered to keep the windows open to give the place a nice, airy feel.
Even in the 1970s Bergen's cottage cost a pretty penny. However, thanks to her constant stream of work it wasn't a major issue for her to pick up this wonderful little spot that she could call home. She's gone on to live in bigger and even more expensive places, but this cottage will always carry a special place in her home.
Dennis Hopper's Venice, California estate
Dennis Hopper had many ups and downs throughout his life, but following his career resurgance in the late '80s he made the all important decision of purchasing his own compound. Hopper's 4,900 square foot Venice, California home featured three free-standing lofts designed by Frank Gehry as well as seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. If Hopper didn't want to leave he really didn't have to.
Aside from the "Three Little Pigs," Hopper's affectionate name for the lofts, his compound also features floating staircases and a set of ginormous windows. This $5,800,000 home where Hopper spent his final years, and it makes sense why he did that. The place is absolutely stunning and it's right on the beach.
Dolly Parton's retro estate
Dolly may be one of the most successful singer-songwriters in the country scene, but that doesn't mean that she throws around money on a new house every other year. However, the house she's been living in since 1999 is pretty awesome. Her home outside of Nashville cost her about $400,000 at the end of the millennium and it's only increased in value since then.
The house clocks in at more than 3,000 square feet, but that's just the house. Her actual property is home to a swimming pool, a tennis court, even a chapel. There's a ton of room on her property so she doesn't have to leave if she doesn't want to.
Sylvester Stallone's superyacht, Enchantress ✨
A yacht can be a home too as long as it has enough guestrooms. If you don't believe us then just ask Sylvester Stallone when you see him out on the Enchantress, a superyacht that has everything you could want and more. It's not clear just what Stallone paid for this bad boy but it had to cost at least as much as the production budget of a couple of Rambo movies.
The Enchantress is built for play and for stay, and with a length of 114 feet it's like being on a house on the sea. There's a master bedroom, two double cabins, and space for 10 guests to sleep in five rooms. Oh, and this superyacht can also host seven crewmembers.
Christie Brinkley's Hamptons home sits on 20 acres of land
When looking for a house in the Hamptons supermodel Christie Brinkley picked up this quasi castle for tidy little sum of $10 million. The entire estate is too much to capture in one photo, it's made up of three different compounds over 20 acres. There's even a 50-foot-tall observation tower overlooking the area.
The main room of the house has four bedroom and five baths, and there's a guest house with another four bedrooms and two and a half baths. Basically, if you went out to the Hamptons for a weekend Brinkley in the 2000s you had a place to sleep that wasn't a sofa. The entire property has recently been listed for just under $30 million, so if you're looking for a place to stay with a tower...
Clark Gable's Spanish inspired home
Built in 1925, the former home of Gone With the Wind star Clark Gable is a true home away from home for a star who just wants to take off for a while. With four bedrooms, six baths, a pool, and a pool house, no one would confuse you of roughing it if you stayed here. To top it all off the house is completely pink on the outside, you can't beat that.
Gable lived in this Spanish Colonial home for a while with actress Carol Lombard when they were both able to get away from their respective sets. The home is genuinely cool. It has exposed beams, beautiful tiles, and a master bedroom that opens right into the outdoors.
Henry E. Huntington's mega mansion
When you're a railroad magnate who came into a fortune at the end of the 19th century there's no excuse to not have a super expensive mega-home. The mansion sits on a more than 500 acre large slice or property that that he referred to as the San Mareno Ranch. This isn't just a home, it's a monument to Huntington's success.
While the magnate was alive he put together one of the most astounding collections of 18th century British portraits that exists today. Believed to be worth $50 million, the collection is now on display in Huntington's former home. Today, it's a library that's supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, can you imagine living in something like this?
Beyoncé & Jay-Z's luxury home in Los Angeles
Beyonce and Jay Z aren't just a musical power couple, they're legitimate real estate moguls who keep multiple lavish homes across the country. The mansion pictured here on Cuesta Way cost a cool $88 million but it's totally worth it. The home features pretty much anything you could want, including a spa, "wellness facilities," and 30,000 square feet of living space.
More than a mansion, this place is a legit compound with an exterior area that features 10,000 square feet of outdoor living space and an additional two acres where one can find a basketball court. Weirdly enough, this estate was never officially put on the market. That means that Bey and Jay just snatched it up.
Elton John's superyacht, "Wabi Sabi"
Elton John can live wherever he wants, and that includes his superyacht "Wabi Sabi." Constructed specifically for the star by Donald Starkey, this bright white gleaming star of a ship cost the singer a cool $26 million. As expensive as that sounds it makes sense when you take a look at this massive ship's specs.
The Wabi Sabi doesn't just cut through the ocean, it acts as an all in one resort for a select few. It houses 18 guests in eight beautiful cabins and can fit even more crewmembers. No one on board John's superyacht will want for anything... unless the singer starts taking requests.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Meditterranean villa in the heart of Los Angeles
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Arnold Schwarzenegger has an amazing pad in Los Angeles - and this is just one of his impressive homes. The Terminator star's Mediterranean-style home is located in the middle of 2.5 acres that's in the middle of a gated community. Anyone visiting this house is sure to say "I'll be back."
The home comes complete with seven bedrooms and seven baths along with a chef's kitchen, multiple living rooms, and of course, a private gym. Aside from the many amenities it's the exterior of the home that's really impressive. Stepping out to one of the many balconies Arnie has views of the ocean, the mountains, and his own private duck pond.
Barbara Eden from 'I Dream of Jeannie' enjoying her home
Barbara Eden has been redoing the home she bought in the mid 1970s from the moment she put her money down. She first gutted the 4,000 square foot home in 1991 and spent half a million dollars on a pretty cool remodel. She turned on of the house's five bedrooms into a closet and put in French doors while completely re-doing the baths and kitchen.
Located deep in one of Los Angeles' many canyons, Eden's home is a classic celebrity getaway. There's a pool and a paddle tennis court just beyond the redwood deck. During one remodel she told the LA Times:
I was eight months with no kitchen. It was also a country kitchen that men flipped over, but I didn’t know I was going to get married when I started the project. I decided to make the whole house brighter, so we sandblasted, plastered and painted to make it lighter and to take advantage of the views.
Aaron Spelling's massive manor
Where else would you expect the guy who created Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Dynsasty and pretty much every popular primetime soap of the 20th century to live? Known as The Manor, this 56,500 square feet mansion in Los Angeles was built in 1988 and it features 14 bedrooms, 27 bedrooms, as well as rooms specifically for gift wrapping and a doll collection. In 2019 the property was sold for a whopping $119.75 million.
To put the immense size of this mansion in perspective, it has about 1,500 square feet on the White House, and it has a one lane bowling alley with its own shoe closet. To keep this place going it has to have a staff of 30, but that's probably a minimum, right? This is one celebrity house that sounds like way too much work.
James Dean was a handyman at this Hollywood hacienda
James Dean may not have owned this gorgeous $4 million Hacienda in the Hollywood Hills but it's one of the many places he lived while he was waiting around to become a star. At the time that he was living in the home he was working as a handyman around the house for the Warner Brothers executive who actually owned the place. That story is just as good as if he actually owned the home.
Inside the home you can expect to find three beds and four baths as well as a kind of Mission style design that's popular on the west coast. There's also a set of exposed beams and the original 1927 fireplace. So it doesn't just have plenty of history, it's an architectural beauty as well.
Dr Dre's makes beats in his Brentwood estate
Dr. Dre is a long way from Compton in this 14,000 square foot home smack dab in the middle for four acres in Brentwood, California. Originally built by Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, the hip hop mogul spent top dollar on this five bedroom home that comes complete with a moat and a view of the Pacific Ocean. You read that correctly, this house comes with a moat.
This house comes with anything you could want, including an outdoor kitchen, bathtub, and a cabana. The interior is constructed from reclaimed and antique materials, which is just smart construction, and it has its own kitchen as well as a state of the art gym. If this place has a recording studio then there's no need for Dre to ever leave.
Hearst Castle is one of the most expensive vanity projects ever 🏰
It's impossible to know exactly how much money was spent to build Hearst Castle, the massive estate dreamt up by William Randolph Hearst and executed by architect Julia Morgan between 1919 and 1947. Constructed on 40,000 acres of property left to Hearst by his father, the estate was initially meant to be a family home but by the 1920s that all changed. After Christmas 1925, Hearst Castle became the place for the jet set to party hard.
To get to Hearst Castle visitors had to either take a private train from Glendale Station outside of Los Angeles before hopping in a car that finished the winding trip to the Castle, or they had to fly into Hearst's private airstrip. British photographer Cecil Beaton wrote of his first experience at the castle:
We caught sight of a vast, sparkling white castle in Spain. It was out of a fairy story. The sun poured down with theatrical brilliance on tons of white marble and white stone. There seemed to be a thousand statues, pedestals, urns. The flowers were unreal in their ordered profusion. Hearst stood smiling at the top of one of the many flights of garden steps
Bing Crosby surveys the grounds of his horse ranch home 🏇
Sometimes crooners need to get away too. Bing Crosby's adobe home in Rancho Santa Fe, California sits in the middle of a 65-acre horse-breeding ranch just a few miles away from the Del Mar racetrack. Purchased in the early 1930s, the huse was built about 90 years before that by Juan Osuna, the first mayor of San Diego.
After purchasing the home Crosby continued adding on to the house until it was complex fit for his growing family. The family picked this far out residence specifically because it was far away from the big city, or so explained Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society’s Sharon Alix:
Dixie raised the children there because it was shortly after the Lindbergh baby abduction; she had a 1-year old baby and feared for their safety in Los Angeles as a high-profile family.
Audrey Hepburn's Swiss residence
When Audrey Hepburn retired from acting she meant it. In 1965, the beloved actress and her husband Mel Ferrer purchased an 18th century farmhouse and the surrounding estate in the Swiss village of Tolochenaz before naming it La Paisible, or "The Place of Peace" in French. It was a genuine escape from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.
The large estate was absolutely gorgeous while Hepburn was overseeing its splendor. Painted in tones of white and pastels, it was a sensuous European getaway that was all about rest and relaxation. While living on her estate Hepburn was known to spend most of her time in the garden tending roses.
One of the smaller Howard Hughes estates
Howard Hughes was no stranger to going overbudget. He was an Academy Award winning producer, a pilot, and some who liked his space, which is why he purchased this single-story midcentury-modernhome in the Trousdale Estates area of Beverly Hills. From the upper level of this home he was able to look out across the vistas of the greater Los Angeles area whenever he liked.
Inside, Hughes was able to relax - when he wanted to - in a sunken living room with a double-sided fireplace. On the other side of the living room was a dining room that was separated from the terrace by glass walls that could be moved around however Hughes saw fit. Aside from the mind bending interior design, the home featured a spa, a sundeck, and terazzo floors across the house.
Harold Lloyd spent his silent film money on the Greenacres estate
Harold Lloyd was easily one of the most successful stars of the silent film era. Growing up in an unstable household, once Lloyd made bank with his film career he spent $2 million to put his Greenacres estate in order in the early 1920s. The home wasn't just luxurious, it was a place where Lloyd could disappear into his own world.
Suzanne Lloyd, Harold's granddaughter, said of how much the estate meant to the actor:
The house had a personality and a life to it. It was a lovely feeling—there was warmth and laughter, but there was also structure, strength, and integrity. The main thing is that it was his home. And he was very proud of it.
Hugh Hefner's iconic home 🐇
Hugh Hefner's former home wasn't just a house, it a signifier of just how successful he was throughout his career. Built for department store heir Arthur Letts, Jr., in the mid-1920s, Hefner's mansion had 12 bedrooms, 29 rooms, and it cost just over $1 million in 1971 (which is about $7 million today).
Hef's place has pretty much anything you could want. Aside from the multitude of rooms this place has pinball machines, a wine cellar, a multi-media room, and even a pipe organ if that's a thing you're interested in. The centerpiece of the mansion has to be the famous grotto which connects to the outdoor swimming pool.
William Randolph Hearst bought a beachfront estate for Marion Davies in the 1920s 🌊
Developed by William Randolph Hearst in the 1920s for Marion Davies, this five acre oceanfront home could house multiple families, let alone a single actress. When Davies lived here there were more than 100 rooms designed by architect Julia Morgan. By day, Davies swam in the marble pool, and by night she hosted jet setters from Hollywood like Louis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn, and even Charlie Chaplin.
The plot that the home sits on is actually a collection of 15 beach lots purchased by Hearst to make a compound for Davies. Overall, the massive living space had four more homes where Davies' family and longterm guests could stay. It's not clear how much this massive home cost, but it's got to be up there with the most expensive of them all.
Phil Spector's castle in the suburbs
In 1998, famed record producer Phil Spector bought the Pyrenees Castle and its surrounding 2.6 acre estate for $1.1 million. Built in 1925, this mansion is located in Alhambra, California, in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The castle-like estate really does stick out like a sore thumb.
With 10 bedrooms and 11 baths, the house also has two wings that are perfect clones of one another in the 10,590 square foot home. Spector abandoned the home after his arrest in 2009, and as of 2019 it has been on the market for various, very expensive prices. If you want a piece of rock n roll history this could be yours.
