Neverland Ranch located at 5225 Figueroa Mountain Rd., Los Olivos, CA 9344.
Ever since Michael Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, rumors have circulated that the "King of Pop" haunts his former home. Jackson bought the 2,675-acre ranch property from real estate developer William Bone in 1988, and began making all kinds of eccentric changes to the property: adding a zoo, statues, amusement park rides, trains, gardens, etc. Soon, his celebrated home and private amusement park was rechristened Wonderland. The original house located on the property was built in 1982.
Jackson lived at Wonderland from 1988 until 2003, and his lifestyle was often mocked by the media as being bizarre and filled with all kinds of peculiarities. Jackson was also subjected to damning rumors, especially the ones that claimed he had an unhealthy attraction toward young, male children. In 1993, a 13-year old boy accused Jackson of child molestation, but the matter was settled out of court, which added further speculation that the rumors were true.
Accusations resurfaced again after a documentary called Living with Michael Jackson aired in March 2003. The film, shot at Wonderland Ranch, raised many questions about Jackson’s private life and following the broadcast, law enforcement officials in Santa Barbara County launched a criminal investigation, charging Jackson with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent to a minor. Over 70 police officers arrived at the Neverland Ranch, searching for evidence to use against the pop star and his trial became a media circus. Though Jackson was eventually acquitted of all charges, his reputation was in tatters. Jackson refused to return to his house, claiming that it had been violated to the point where he no longer considered it to be his private sanctuary. In 2006, Neverland was closed down and the staff was dismissed. Meanwhile, news reports claimed that Jackson had fallen into serious financial hardships, which also could have affected his decision.
. Their account appears to be well-documented: “On February 25, 2008, Jackson received word from Financial Title Company, the trustee, that unless he paid off $24,525,906.61 by March 19, a public auction would go forward of the land, buildings, and other items such as the rides, trains, and art. On March 13, 2008, Jackson's lawyer L. Londell McMillan announced that a private agreement had been reached with the private investment group, Fortress Investment, to save Jackson's ownership of the ranch. Before the agreement, Jackson owed three months' arrears on the property. McMillan did not reveal the details of the deal. “On May 12, 2008, a foreclosure auction for the ranch was canceled after an investment company, Colony Capital LLC, purchased the loan, which was in default. In a press release, Jackson stated, "I am pleased with recent developments involving Neverland Ranch and I am in discussions with Colony and Tom Barrack with regard to the Ranch and other matters that would allow me to focus on the future." “On November 10, 2008, Jackson transferred the title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC, and neighbors reported immediate activity on the property, including the amusement rides being trucked along the highway. Jackson still owned an unknown stake in the property, since Sycamore Valley Ranch was a joint venture between Jackson (represented by McMillan) and an affiliate of Colony Capital LLC (an investment company run by billionaire Tom Barrack). The Santa Barbara County Assessor's Office stated Jackson sold an unknown proportion of his property rights for $35 million.
It probably comes as no surprise that following Michael Jackson’s unexpected death, his ghost is thought to haunt his old home. The first reports of Michael Jackson’s ghost haunting Wonderland emerged in 2009, when viewers watching the Larry King Show saw what looked like a ghostly shadow walking across the hallway during a remote broadcast from Wonderland. The footage went viral, but the alleged phantom turned out to be the reflection of a CNN employee walking behind the camera. Since that time, ghostly rumors continue.
According to Michael Jackson's sister, LaToya, a Wonderland security guard claimed that he had heard the sound of tap dancing coming from inside Jackson's practice room. Apparently, a security guard's dog also barks every time it sees Michael Jackson’s bedroom window. LaToya confesses that she personally believes that Jackson haunts Wonderland and that she, too, had heard the disembodied sounds of his tap dancing feet. “It’s the strangest thing because you feel something like thick around you or behind you and you’re wondering,” La Toya told Good Day New York . “You don’t see anything, but you feel a presence … It’s very interesting because it is there, it’s definitely there.”
