6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Inside wacky €2.1m playground mansion filled with Vegas' lost treasures
A piece of Las Vegas history is up for sale - a huge $2.5m (€2.13m) home filled with treasures and props from the city's past.
The residence belonged to eccentric Lonnie Hammargren - Nevada's former lieutenant governor and renowned NASA neurosurgeon - who would open his home up for tours.
The eclectic collection of artifacts inside includes an Apollo space capsule, the iconic sign from the Hacienda Hotel and Casino, a Dunes' stained-glass dome, and a dragon from the Imperial Palace Hotel.
Hammargren and his collections were featured on an episode of the A&E series Hoarders and he revealed he had spent an estimated $10m (€8.5m) acquiring his collection - and was $750,000 (€640,000) in debt.
Hammargren, who died in 2023, purchased the Paradise Crest Manor in 1971 and later expanded it by acquiring two adjacent properties, transforming the space into a sprawling estate of over 12,000 square feet.
The result was three interconnected houses, each featuring elaborately themed rooms packed with thousands of artifacts - from Mayan and Egyptian relics to Las Vegas casino memorabilia.
The home has been frequently spotlighted on television series such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Pawn Stars, American Restoration, and Extreme Homes.
More recently, it appeared on America's Ugliest Homes, where it was described as "weird, but not necessarily ugly." As a hotspot for celebrities, Nicolas Cage and Buzz Aldrin have even visited the estate in the past.
Angie Hatcher, a Las Vegas-based real estate agent for Simply Vegas, says the Paradise neighborhood property has become a landmark. "It holds historic and emotional significance to so many people in the Las Vegas area and all of Nevada," she said.
As Las Vegas evolved and iconic casinos were demolished, Hammargren salvaged pieces of the city's history.
"He would take items, purchase items from them, and save them," Hatcher explained. "He always used to say, 'If I don't remember them, then who will?'"
As his collection grew, Hammargren acquired two neighboring properties to house his expanding treasure trove, which included a 60-foot dinosaur replica, memorabilia from movie sets, and countless signs from the Las Vegas Strip.
Beyond his collecting passion, Hammargren was beloved in the community for his medical work and approachable personality.
Paradise Crest Manor, former residence of Lonnie Hammargren, in Las Vegas, Nevada, which has gone on the market 1 of 9
Hammargren, who died in 2023, purchased the Paradise Crest Manor in 1971 and later expanded it by acquiring two adjacent properties 2 of 9
He transformed the space into a sprawling estate of over 12,000 square feet 3 of 9
