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Moats, Magic Caves, and 38 Other Absurd Celebrity Amenities

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Behind their glassy, security-protected doors, celebrities seem to hide not just massive mansions, heaps of awards, and tiny lap dogs, but also amenities crazy enough to suggest they've just plain run out of things to spend money on. And while it's par for the course for hard-partying young dudes like Chris Brown and Avicii to deck out their Cali estates until they look like personal nightclubs, and not too weird that Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon enjoy a glut of overwrought "theme rooms," some of the bizarre luxuries favored by types like Robin Williams, Heidi Klum, and even sweet Shirley MacLaine are altogether shocking. So come, take a tour through some of the wildest A-lister homes—some of which are currently on the market—right this way:

(↑) The estate in Sherman Oaks, Calif., listed in June by beloved sitcom star Neil Patrick Harris boasts both normal perks, like a home theater and backyard pizza oven, as well as a much odder "magic man cave," where the actor stores his magic trick accessories. It's all up for $2.995M. [link]

(↑) Country legend Kenny Rogers commissioned a Roman spa decorated with wraparound murals, huge clamshells, and a statue of David in his Mediterranean estate in Sandy Springs, Ga. Should that not be significantly weird and extravagant, the crooner's $4.8M home, listed in early June, also boasts Sistine Chapel-esque murals and a pool with a swim-up bar. [link]

(↑) Superstar Swedish DJ Avicii shelled out $15.55M in March 2014 for an L.A. pad that essentially amounts to an at-home log flume. In the words of Curbed LA, the "incredibly elaborate water feature" "begins at the entry to the house, flows into an ornamental pool, then into a 75-foot-long lap pool, and finally enters a cantilevered wet-edge infinity pool that hangs over the sloping hillside." Keep an eye out for some sort of tribal teepee, too. [link]

(↑) The Santa Fe, N.M., estate of country star Randy Travis, which listed for $14.7M in early May, comes with a not-so-holy "chapel" equipped with a bowling alley and gym. Outback, there's a big ol' shooting range. [link]

(↑) The lakefront Armonk, N.Y., home Ron Howard listed in May for $27.5M comes with a domed observatory and a professional-grade telescope. The child star-turned-director also built a "sports barn" with a full-sized tennis court inside, should the cosmos grow dull. [link]

(↑) Terms of Endearment-star and secret hippie Shirley MacLaine put her Abiquiú, N.M., Plaza Blanca Ranch on the market this April, asking $18M for both the solar panel-equipped main house, and an additional underground apartment, which is modeled after underground Native American rooms used for spiritual ceremonies. [link]

(↑) French banker Olivier Sarkozy and pint-sized fashionista Mary-Kate Olsen share a Versailles-esque NYC palace they bought in April for $13.5M, which boasts such grand perks as a full-fledged hall of mirrors, and a ballroom inscribed with french phrases. [link]

(↑) Who knew Robin Williams was the paranoid type? Apparently, the comedic actor's home in Napa, Calif.—which is currently listed for $29.9M—comes with with two "safe rooms," as well as "award-winning vines" a "a solar farm," and a climate-controlled cellar for art. [link]

(↑) Rapper and pool enthusiast Drake spent $7.7M on this Hidden Hills, Calif. Yolo Estate (yes, official name) mainly because of its ridiculous grotto and 80-foot water slide. Also available at Chez Yolo? A bedroom hidden behind a bookshelf, a mechanical bull, a 28-person theater, a championship tennis court, a volleyball court, an equestrian ring, and "half-dozen stables for all the horses Drake doesn't own." [link]

(↑) Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon's L.A. mansion—which the couple listed for $12.995M in February 2014—comes with basketball courts, putting greens, and themed rooms that include a ski lodge-y "Aspen room" and a "Moroccan room." [link]

(↑) Before selling for $1.79M last month, noted bad neighbor Chris Brown stocked his Jay Vanos-designed L.A. mansion with such manboy delights as flashing LED lights around the pool and patio, and Sonic the Hedgehog-inspired graffiti walls. [link]

(↑) John Fogerty's compound in Thousand Oaks, Calif.—which the Proud Mary minstrel bought for $8.95M in December 2013—comes with a Game of Thrones-esque 500-bottle wine closet and a "man cave" (ugh) the size of an airport hangar. [link]

(↑) The "faux-Euro" estate supermodel Heidi Klum recently listed for $25M comes with outdoor bonuses like a "secret" formal rose garden, a pillar-lined infinity pool, and a koi pond. Inside, there's a fireplace that harks from Napoleon's farmhouse. [link]

(↑) Flea—of Red Hot Chili Peppers and (more importantly) Wild Thornberrys fame—is selling a $4.55M L.A. estate that comes with a brokerbabble-coined "speakeasy" lounge in the basement. [link]

(↑) Oscar-winning actress Reese Witherspoon listed her L.A. pad for $14M in June, sweetening the deal with amenities like an outdoor dining room and fireplace, all surrounded by "vegetable gardens and towering Eucalyptus trees." For the kids, there's a full-blown playground and a "dangerous-but-fun" sunken trampoline. [link]

(↑) Proving that no one out-does Leonardo DiCaprio when it comes to truly ridiculous amenities, the Great Green Gatsby's new $10M apartment in NYC's eco-friendly Delos building offers everything from a vitamin C-infused shower to "dawn simulation coordinates lighting." [link]

· All Celebrity Real Estate posts [Curbed LA]
· All Celebrity Real Estate posts [Curbed National]