Welcome to the Astolat Dollhouse Castle
The Astolat Dollhouse Castle is certainly a sight to be seen. According to the official Astolat website, this project began in 1974 and took an astonishing 13 years to complete. Famed miniaturist Elaine Diehl commissioned experts and artisans from around the world to contribute to this miniature marvel of amazing artistry.
Experience Incredible Craftsmanship
According to a 2015 Vanity Fair article, this 7 story dollhouse is valued at such a high price because of the actual exterior of the structure, which is made of paper mache’ and crowned with a real copper roof, showcasing both talent and accomplishment through sculpture and engineering. Included in this 29 room castle you will find room after room of incredible opulence which includes:
- Chapel
- Grand Ballroom
- Two Kitchens
- Weaponry Room
- Garage
- Wizard’s Tower
- Wine Cellar
- Trophy Room
- 2 Story Library
- Working Electrical and Plumbing Systems
- Elevator and more
Boasting an official appraisal of over $8.5 million dollars, this 850 pound miniature masterpiece is filled with over 10,000 pieces of furniture and decor. Inside this magnificent dollhouse the interior design is just as lavish as the exterior, including:
- Stucco Walls
- Miniature Mounted Buffalo, Deer and Bison Heads
- Parquet Flooring
- Postage Size Rare Printed Books Lining the Library Walls
- Gold Chandeliers
- Oil Paintings
- Intricate Jewelry Pieces
- $5,000 Flatware Set
Taking to the Road
The current owners of the Astolat Dollhouse, who have owned it for the past 2 decades, decided to put this multi-million dollar masterpiece on public display, for the first time since its creation, in New York City during the 2015 holiday season. Amazingly, advertising of this event was not allowed, but through word of mouth alone, over 7,000 visitors per day came to see the Astolat Castle while it was on display at the Time-Warner building.
This historic debut in New York City marks the initial stop of a massive world tour and raised tens of thousands of dollars at this first viewing for various children’s charities which included Autism Speaks.
See more photos of this incredible dollhouse below.
Image via: Vanity Fair
