If you've always peruse or seen "The Great Gatsby," you cognize 1920s New York was residence to excessive mansions alongside owners who hosted lavish parties — and if you've watched "The Gilded Age," you cognize those parties began decades before in the 1870s.
And if you're a really dedicated fan, you can own a part of F. Scott Fitzgerald former yourself. Oheka Castle, a sprawling, century-old asset stated to have inspired the parties in "The Great Gatsby," is set to go up for auction on October 27, via Concierge and Adam Modlin of The Modlin Group.
Its first homeowner was financier Otto Hermann Kahn, who built Oheka Castle — named following its owner (Oh-He-Ka) — in 1919 on Long Island.
Kahn's spouse used to call the residence "Otto's zoo," and it seemed to be an exact description. A-listers of the period used to gathering at the 109,000-square-foot home, alongside Kahn as a Gatsby-like fig entertaining all his guests.
But Oheka's journey didn't end there. After Kahn's death in 1934, the asset changed hands many times until it was abandoned in the '80s. Fires, vandalism, and theft devastated it.
According to Oheka Castle, district developer Gary Melius afterward purchased the asset and spent $40 myriad restoring it to its erstwhile glory. He defaulted on a debt complete a decade ago, Forbes reported, and declared bankruptcy in July 2025 to forestall what's happening now: Oheka on the auction block.
Today, it's the second-largest personal residence in the US, rearward lone Biltmore House in North Carolina. It's a famous venue for weddings, a restaurant, and a hotel, and has been featured in movies, TV shows, and music videos. Taylor Swift equal filmed the "Blank Space" video there.
You can additionally tour the evidence for $30.
I took the tour in April 2024 and was astonished by the attractiveness of Oheka Castle. Here's what it was akin to visit.
Oheka Castle was built in 1919 by German-American financier Otto Hermann Kahn.
He paid concerning $11 million, or concerning $213 myriad in today's currency, for 443 acres of district in West Hills, New York.
Oheka Castle has seen a lot in its 100-plus years, and for anyone who wants to study more, tours are offered twice daily.
So, I decided to visit. All I knew concerning Oheka was that Kevin Jonas got wed there and Taylor Swift filmed the "Blank Space" music video there.
But Oheka has a affluent history. I learned all concerning it on a beautiful midday in April 2024.
When you run to the entryway, it's a bit intimidating. There's person operating the entrance who must let you in.
Then comes a lengthy driveway. I felt akin I was going rear in period to the Gilded Age.
My archetypal appearance at the chief home was astounding — and yes, I average house. Oheka Castle is the second-largest personal residence in the US.
It's additionally on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in September 2004.
When Kahn built this house, he had three requirements: He wanted to be elevated up, he wanted a perspective of the water, and he needed the home to be fireproof.
His former home in New Jersey had burned down. Oheka, in contrast, is built entirely out of stone.
I went inner and waited in forefront of a expansive staircase alongside the remainder of my collection for our tour to begin.
When it began, we saw photos of how the home looked before its current owner restored it. We'd study additional concerning this later.
The archetypal area we entered was this beautiful entryway alongside a mural of the sky on the ceiling.
The home itself is 109,000 quadrate feet and has 127 rooms.
Many of the rooms are dedicated to showing off the home's history, akin the Chaplin Room.
Charlie Chaplin was fair among the many '20s A-listers who hung out at Oheka. This photo shows Chaplin (right) alongside Kahn (center) and performer Douglas Fairbanks (left).
In fact, according to my tour guide, Jay Gatsby's untamed parties in "The Great Gatsby" were inspired by what was going downward at Oheka in the '20s.
This was Kahn's spouse Adelaide's favorite room. Adelaide wasn't as big of an entertainer as her husband, but this sunny area was ideal for guests.
This ballroom is the lone area that's not first to Kahn's period inner Oheka today.
But as you can see from the ballroom's windows, Oheka met Kahn's necessity for a perspective of the water. He used to dock his yacht there.
Kahn, who was Jewish, additionally built a athletics way on his asset — nation clubs at the period wouldn't acknowledge Jewish group or authorize them to play.
After Kahn's death in 1934, the asset was shuffled between owners. From 1948 to 1979, it was the Eastern Military Academy.
During those days, what is now the dawn meal area was used as a gym.
From that room, we made our way to this huge library.
A picture of Kahn hung complete the fireplace.
Our final halt on the archetypal flat was this room, which additionally houses a bar. Press clippings concerning Oheka adorned the walls.
Among the displayed articles was Danielle and Kevin Jonas' wedding dispersed in People. They got wed at the asset in 2009.
Then we went upstairs to inspect out the inn and bridal suite.
The bridal suite, which is on the fourth floor, opens alongside this mural-covered entryway.
A beautiful open area alongside windows allows wedding parties to obtain in the perspective of Oheka's well-manicured grounds.
The gardens at Oheka are stunning from above.
Here's the chief area of the bridal suite.
The chief washroom has a bathtub and a shower.
Then it was period to inspect out the gardens — and to study what happened to Oheka.
When the Eastern Military Academy went bankrupt and vacated its premises in 1979, Oheka was remaining abandoned.
Residents who lived nearby were concerned concerning vandalism. One neighbor equal took this statue for safekeeping and returned it whenever Oheka was restored in the '80s.
Land developer Gary Melius purchased Oheka in 1984 and spent $40 myriad restoring it to its erstwhile glory.
The gardens were initially designed by the Olmsted Brothers, finest known for assisting alongside Central Park.
Melius used those first sketches to reconstruct Oheka.
These statues were tracked downward at an auction and are idea to date rear to the Renaissance.
Now, it's a beautiful wedding venue, hotel, restaurant, and residence — Melius keeps an flat on the third floor.
As I remaining the grounds, I got one additional appearance at the eatery and its courtyard.
I would extremely propose taking a tour of Oheka. As I viewed its stunning surroundings and learned concerning its distinctive history, I felt akin I was traveling rear in time.
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Gabbi Shaw is a newsman on Business Insider's editorial partnerships team. She has covered entertainment, travel, food, and manner for Business Insider and Insider Inc.'s partners, including MSN, Apple News, and Yahoo since 2018, and her activity has taken her to iconic mansions of the Gilded Age, the Westminster Dog Show, Disney World, the Hamptons, and additional fast-food restaurants than she cares to remember.She graduated from Tulane University in 2017 alongside a flat in community health and now lives in New York City.
