Inside transformation of Michael Jackson’s crumbling Neverland Ranch with eerie new pics of resurrected rides
NEW photos have emerged showing the transformation of Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch as the on-property rides are resurrected.
Michael Jackson - who died at age 50 in 2009 from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol - purchased the California property in 1987 for around $19.5million.
The 2,700-acre property near Santa Barbara was known for its large-scale, over-the-top attractions.
The 12,598-square-foot main house had five bedrooms and eight bathrooms and it wasn't the only building on the property.
During Jackson's ownership, the ranch had a train station, a ferris wheel, giant statues, and swan boats, to name a few.
Other amenities included a 14-foot lagoon-style pool, 50-seat movie theater, dance studio, and tennis court.
He sold the infamous ranch to Colony Capital for $22.5million prior to his 2009 death.
The ranch was then bought by billionaire businessman Ron Burkle for $22million in December 2020 despite having been initially listed for nearly four times as much.
A spokesperson for Burkle said in December 2020 that the businessman saw the ranch purchase as a land banking opportunity.
Now, it appears that Burkle is resurrecting pieces of the property - including some of the aforementioned attractions.
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While the property reportedly fell into chaos after Jackson sold it, it now appears that work has been done to restore the grounds.
New photos show fairground stands that appear to have been reinstalled, along with a playground of sorts and teepees.
A new attraction called "Hook's Revenge" is seen in the photos, featuring a broken pirate ship with Captain Hook and his rival crocodile.
The petting zoo that was formerly onsite also appears to have been reinstated and the train station and train tracks have remained intact.
Giant swimming pools that were previously drained appear to be refilled as well.
Despite the property's renaming to Sycamore Valley Ranch, the famous Neverland gardens and basketball court graphic still bear the former name.
Jackson's ranch has become infamous in the last 20 years after allegations surfaced accusing the pop star of child abuse.
Cops raided the property ahead of Jackson's 2003 child molestation trial and found photos of nude children and other pornography in a triple-locked closet in his bedroom, according to Radar Online, which obtained what appeared to be the case documents in 2016.
“The vast majority of the pictures were of teenagers and/or young adults,” an investigator from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department wrote in a report at the time.
Jackson was cleared at his 2005 trial and moved out of the ranch, stating that he felt it had been "too violated" by police during the raid.
Then, in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, Wade Robson and James Safechuck claimed that Jackson sexually abused them as kids while at Neverland Ranch.
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Jackson's family and estate slammed Leaving Neverland, calling the film one-sided, and Jackson strongly denied allegations of sex abuse made against him before his death.
Another documentary, Searching For Michael Jackson's Zoo With Ross Kemp, claims that two giraffes nearly burned to death, elephants were whipped, and chimp Bubbles was beaten at the ranch.
