For the six long years since his death, Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch has been in limbo. The property was essentially abandoned after Jackson was acquitted of molestation charges in the mid-aughts, and shortly before his death a management company took over the property when Jackson defaulted on a loan. Now Neverland Ranch is up for sale—the 2,700-acre property in Los Olivos, now dubbed Sycamore Valley Ranch, is selling for a steep $100 million, a far cry from the $19.5 million Jackson paid for it in 1987.
Apparently, owner Colony Capital is heavily vetting all potential buyers looking to tour the ranch, so simply showing up in a tuxedo and monocle won't get you access. You gotta be a serious buyer to get on this lot. NBC's Today was lucky enough to get a chance to tour the Neverland property, though, to see what it's like post-Jackson.
The eventual buyer should note that there are NO RIDES ON THE PREMISES. That's right, the rollercoasters and the ferris wheels are gone. What's left from Jacko's Neverland days amounts to a train station and tracks around the perimeter, a 50-seat movie theater MJ designed himself, and one llama. Of course, the 12,000-square-foot, six-bedroom mansion Jackson called home is still there, but has been emptied completely of self-aggrandizing artwork and Disney memorabilia. Take the tour:
· Get a rare look at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, on sale for $100 million [NBC Today]
· Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch is For Sale For $100 Million [Curbed LA]