Old Hollywood mansions were monuments to ego, ambition, and that quintessential L.A. need to outshine your neighbors — literally. These estates, draped across Beverly Hills and beyond, are where the stars escaped their spotlights only to bask in another kind of glow: chandeliers dripping from frescoed ceilings, infinity pools reflecting meticulously landscaped gardens, and ballrooms built for the kind of parties that defined an era. Take Pickfair, once the stomping grounds of Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, or Hearst Castle, where Charlie Chaplin might’ve stumbled upon a Romanesque statue on his way to a midnight swim. These homes were as over-the-top as the personalities that inhabited them — each more like a film set than a place to hang your hat. They were social hubs where movie deals were made over cocktails, relationships bloomed (and often combusted), and Hollywood royalty crafted their image both on and off-screen. In a town obsessed with reinvention, these homes are the last relics of a glittering era — timeless monuments to the American dream on steroids.
18. Cecil B. DeMille’s Mansion
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Cecille B. DeMille was a legendary filmmaker in Hollywood – considered the founding father of Hollywood films. With his success and fortune, he lived in luxurious mansions including this 11,000 square feet Beaux Arts-style mansion. It sits on 2.1 acres of land. There are mature trees and gardens that have been manicured for decades. There are inside and outside terraces leading to a magnificent swimming pool. In more recent years, this home was owned by Angelina Jolie.
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17. Historic W.C. Fields Mansion – Neighbor To Cecil B. DeMille and Charlie Chaplin Mansions
The W.C. Fields Mansion is located in Laughlin Park, a gated neighborhood of the rich and famous in Los Angeles, California. The 1920 mansion is measured at 8,000 square feet with four bedrooms, five bathrooms, Italianate architecture, antique mahogany paneling, woodwork from a Spanish monastery, and beautiful archways along with four fireplaces. It also has French doors that lead to the terraces and gardens from almost every room in the house, including the master bath. The mansion boasts of a special room, a copper-and-glass sunroom with a view of the estate’s lush landscaping. Though he didn’t own the house, not believing in home ownership, Fields rented the home in 1940 and added a pool table, a ping-pong table and bowling lanes set up in the living room – but almost no furniture. A legendary party guy, he had three bars in the house, including a portable bar, and lived there until his death in 1946. Since then it has always been known as the W.C. Fields Mansion. One of L.A.’s first celebrity neighborhoods, Laughlin Park was developed by Homer Laughlin in 1905, whose intention was to limit it to 40 luxurious mansions. Lot divisions over the years increased that number to 60, several of the homes designed by Lloyd Wright. In addition to its quiet tree-lined streets, the enclave is unusually secure behind five gates. The area has always drawn celebrities who seek security, peace, luxury and privacy. Some of the first residents were Cecil B. DeMille, whose home was built on the highest point with stunning views, and Charlie Chaplin.
16. Lucille Ball’s Home
Lucille’s California home — all 4,126 square feet of it — features six bedrooms and seven baths. It’s well-shaded in front of a number of tall palm trees that tower above the red-timed roof. Juliet balconies complement the home’s light exterior and add to its charm. As for Lucille herself, she started out as a singer and model before “I Love Lucy” put her in the national spotlight. She was born in Jamestown, NY, in 1911. While she achieved considerable prestige throughout her career, her childhood was marked by poverty and tragedy. And as for the house…she and Arnaz had bought property on the same street and had a home built on it.
15. Marilyn Monroe’s House in Hollywood
Technically not old Hollywood, I’m including Marilyn’s home because she was such an iconic figure in Hollywood history. Interestingly, this was the only property that Monroe purchased, which she did shortly before she died in 1962. Although this estate isn’t as flashy as newer homes in Hollywood, it still maintains much of that Golden Age charm. Few elements have been updated since Monroe lived here, so you can get a sense of the history within its walls. The home was built in 1929 in the hacienda style. We appreciate the blending of southwestern architectural elements, such as vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams (called vigas), and multiple fireplaces. One of the central fireplaces has Mexican tiling around the edges, adding some cultural flair to the otherwise bare walls.
14. Canfield-Moreno Estate, now known as Paramour Estate
During the glitz and glamour of the legendary Hollywood parties in the 1930s, one house was proclaimed by the tabloids as the most beautiful home in Hollywood. This is the Canfield-Moreno Estate that is now known as Paramour Estate. The 4.3-acre Paramour Estate has a main mansion overlooking Silver Lake that is measured at 22,000 square feet. It has 15 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms and features include ceiling beams painted to match the colors in the home’s fabrics, a bar front covered in zebra skin, a grand ballroom with a 25-foot-high ceiling, gilded mirrors, bold colors, crystal chandeliers, a myriad of places to dine, marble-hand-tiled pool, sunroom, and lower-level staff quarters. The house also boasts of four guest cottages, two guest suites, lush landscaping with rose gardens, and parking for 50 cars. Heiress-and-socialite Daisy Canfield, with the Pan American Petroleum fortune in her back pocket, could have almost anything she wanted. And what she wanted most was the grandest home in Los Angeles. Daisy hired the most famous architect of the time to design and build a monument-mansion where she could overlook Hollywood from the highest ridge in the Los Angeles basin. It was the most opulent mansion of the era and like many of the old L.A. mansions, was full of celebrity connections and intrigue.
13. Legendary Howard Hughes Hollywood Mansion
Born in 1905 in Houston, Texas, Howard Hughes was an American philanthropist, engineer, pilot, business magnate, and, most famously, a film producer. During his lifetime, he became one of the wealthiest and most influential people on Earth. He earned fame through film and became a critical figure in the aviation industry. His film career began in the late 1920s when he first produced The Racket, Hells Angels, and Scarface. Although Hughes died in 1976, he will live in infamy as a billionaire and forward-thinking film director. The mansion was also featured in The Aviator, a 2004 biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hughes during the golden era of film. Designed by Roland E. Coate in 1926, Hughes’s mansion was initially constructed for Eva K. Fudger, a wealthy socialite. Over the past century, the home has changed hands several times, including the current owners, Ash Shah, a former film producer, and their wife, Niroupa Shah. This 12-bathroom, eight-bedroom estate sits on a private, half-acre property that delivers beautiful 8th-green Wilshire Country Club views and glimpses of the Hollywood sign, another subtle nod to Hollywood roots. The residence also includes several lounge areas, a stone pizza oven, and a swimming pool, all surrounded by several citrus tree varieties and other local greenery. This lively home also features a premier area for entertaining guests – an old-world cobblestone courtyard without an outdoor fireplace. Hughes’ residence also boasts a three-car garage, guest parking, a workshop, and an attached guest residence with a private entrance, bath, and full kitchen.
12. Greta Garbo’s 1937 Beverly Hills Mansion
During the 1920s and ’30s, Greta Garbo was one of the most glamorous stars on the silver screen. Although the Swedish actress was born in poverty, she skyrocketed to fame after landing an MGM contract. She started out in silent films but was best known for her roles in sound pictures like Camille and Anna Karenina. The hillside property, which is located in Los Angeles’ wealthy Beverly Crest neighborhood, was custom-made for Garbo back in 1937. In 2003, the property was purchased by renowned interior designer Nicole Sassaman for $1.4 million. Even though the adobe-style property has been modernized, it still has many features that are original to the home, including a stucco facade and a curved fireplace. It’s located on a spacious 15,080-square-foot lot and offers breathtaking 180-degree views of Downtown Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the property, you’ll find spacious windows and glass walls that let in natural light and help to showcase the surrounding scenery.
11. John Barrymore’s Mansion
When John owned the estate, it had was a 7-acre property. The home itself has seven bedrooms, eleven baths, a main house, two guest houses, and two apartments for a total of 6,976 square feet of living space. The large Spanish-style mansion has more character and history than many others, though, thanks to Barrymore’s riches and vices in the early 1900s. The successful actor had an interesting life, which involved many school expulsions, multiple marriages, unique collections of exotica (it is said that he collected shrunken heads), and many vices–one that had a particular influence in this amazing mansion. At the time that John Barrymore lived in Bella Vista mansion, he had joined the popular trend of the time of enjoying recreational drugs, particularly opium. Because of this hobby, he created an opium den above his bedroom in his mansion, which has been perfectly maintained and still stands to this day.
10. Greystone Mansion
Greystone Mansion, sitting high in Beverly Hills, is the former estate of oil tycoon Edward Doheny, completed in 1928. The 55-room, 46,000-square-foot house sprawls across 18.3 acres of prime real estate. Its Gothic and Tudor architecture screams old-money grandeur, but what really makes Greystone stand out is its history — a little less glamorous and a lot more scandalous. Doheny’s son, Ned, was found dead in the house in an apparent murder-suicide. After that, the estate changed hands several times and became a location for films like The Big Lebowski and X-Men. Now, it’s a park and event space, but the whispers of Hollywood drama still cling to those cold stone walls.
9. Beverly Hills Hotel Bungalows
Alright, this one’s a bit different, but no less iconic. The bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel have played host to more star scandals and romantic escapades than any single mansion on this list. Marilyn Monroe had her favorite, as did Elizabeth Taylor, who spent several of her honeymoons there. While technically not a mansion, the privacy and luxury of these bungalows have made them legendary. It’s Hollywood history on a smaller, albeit no less glamorous, scale.
8. The Chateau Élysée
Built in 1927 by Eleanor Ince, widow of the famous silent film producer Thomas Ince, this French-Norman style mansion once housed the most glamorous stars of the silver screen. Think of it as Hollywood’s answer to a Parisian chateau. Later taken over by the Church of Scientology, the Chateau Élysée became their Celebrity Centre, adding an extra layer of intrigue to its storied past. The arched windows and steep gables are more Versailles than Tinseltown, but that’s part of the magic — a place that’s always been for the glitterati, whether they were movie stars or spiritual seekers.
7. Falcon Lair
Originally owned by silent film legend Rudolph Valentino, Falcon Lair in Beverly Hills was built in 1925. Valentino only lived there briefly before dying at age 31, but the mansion’s Spanish Revival style became a Hollywood icon. The estate has since been owned by a string of A-listers, including Doris Duke and Talitha Getty. Duke spent a fortune restoring the property, though she rarely lived there. The place has a kind of haunted legacy, and it’s said Valentino’s ghost never left. No one stays for long, but the whispers of its glamorous and tragic past make Falcon Lair one of the most mysterious houses in Hollywood.
6. The Beverly House
The Beverly House, perched in Beverly Hills, has a résumé that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood lore. Built in the 1920s by banker Milton Getz, this 50,000-square-foot Mediterranean Revival estate is famous not only for its grandeur but also for its guest list. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and actress Marion Davies called it home when they weren’t at San Simeon, and it’s where John F. Kennedy honeymooned with Jackie. If that’s not enough star power, the house famously appears in The Godfather and The Bodyguard. It’s got all the makings of an old-school epic—columns, cascading gardens, a 75-foot hallway, and stories that whisper in every room. With multiple owners since Hearst, including investors who turned it into a $135 million listing, Beverly House is as much a part of the Hollywood story as the stars who passed through its doors.
5. The Knoll
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The Knoll, designed by architect Wallace Neff, is the sprawling Holmby Hills estate once owned by studio mogul Jules Stein, founder of MCA. This Georgian-style mansion boasts 10 acres of lavish gardens, an Olympic-sized pool, and all the classic charm of a studio boss’s playground. Stein turned the property into a social hotspot where the power brokers of Hollywood met to shape the industry. Later, the house became known for its equally storied buyers, including TV producer Aaron Spelling, who added his own brand of “Dynasty” excess to the property. The Knoll’s real intrigue lies in its long history of being a place where Hollywood deals got sealed — and more than a few martinis were thrown.
4. Harold Lloyd Estate
Greenacres, the Harold Lloyd Estate, was built in 1929 by one of the most successful silent film stars in history. Spanning over 15 acres in Beverly Hills, this Italian Renaissance villa stood as a testament to Lloyd’s success. Complete with a 900-foot canoe stream, a golf course, and a 44-room mansion, Greenacres was more than an estate—it was Lloyd’s personal amusement park. Though Lloyd was known for his slapstick comedy, there was nothing funny about the opulence of his home. He even had his own zoo. Post-Lloyd, the estate has seen various owners, but it remains one of the grandest relics of Hollywood’s golden age.
3. Buster Keaton’s “Italian Villa”
Buster Keaton’s Hollywood mansion, built in 1926, was an architectural playground that embodied the spirit of its owner. Known as the “Italian Villa,” this sprawling estate in Beverly Hills was as bold as one of Keaton’s stunts. Designed by Keaton himself, with architect Gene Verge, the mansion mixed Mediterranean influences with a dose of whimsy, as if each corner held the potential for a cinematic gag. The 10,000-square-foot mansion featured six bedrooms, a sunken Roman bath, a screening room, and a tennis court that saw the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Keaton’s comedic genius didn’t stop with the silver screen; it extended into his home life, where legendary soirées blurred the line between film set and real life.
2. Pickfair Estate
Pickfair was the epitome of Hollywood royalty. Built in 1919 for silent film star Mary Pickford and her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, the estate was originally a hunting lodge but was transformed into a 22-room mansion by architect Wallace Neff. It quickly became the social hub of the Golden Age, with guests like Charlie Chaplin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Amelia Earhart sipping cocktails on the terrace. Post-divorce, Pickford held onto it, eventually selling it to businessman Jerry Buss. Later, it was bought by Pia Zadora, who notoriously razed the estate, sparking outrage. Today, Pickfair’s mystique lives on in ghost stories and cocktail party chatter about “what used to be.”
1. Hearst Castle
Though technically not in L.A., Hearst Castle’s significance to Old Hollywood is undeniable. Designed by Julia Morgan for newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, the San Simeon estate is more than a mansion — it’s a fantasy made real. From the moment construction began in 1919, Hearst set out to outshine everyone, and in typical Hearst style, he did. The estate, with 165 rooms and 123 acres of gardens, pools, and terraces, looks like it belongs in some European dreamscape. The Neptune Pool alone is worth the trip. Hearst and his paramour, actress Marion Davies, hosted parties for the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and Clark Gable on a regular basis. Even today, it remains a symbol of what happens when money and ambition collide on a grand scale.
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