Greystone Mansion & Park
905 Loma Vista Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
* Google Maps aerial view
* Google Maps street view – entrance
* Google Maps street view – parking lot
History – written by Richard Alleman
Greystone was originally the name of the huge 400-acre Beverly Hills ranch of the Edward L. Doheny (oil and later real estate) family. Doheny built the magnificent fifty-five-room stone mansion in the late twenties for his only son, E. L. Doheny Jr. Three weeks after the younger Doheny moved into Greystone with his wife and five children, both he and his male secretary were found dead in Doheny’s bedroom. The official version of the story says that the secretary shot Doheny and then himself when Doheny refused to give him a raise. Another version of the events suggests that Doheny and his secretary were lovers… and that it was Doheny who fired both shots, possibly because he feared that their affair was about to be discovered by his family.
No matter what really happened in 1928 in Doheny’s bedroom, Greystone remains one of Beverly Hills’ most impressive estates – and unlike its counterparts, this is one great property that is open to the public. That’s because the City of Beverly Hills bought Greystone and eighteen of its original 400 acres in the mid-1960s. (Most of the rest of the acreage has been used for the ultra-exclusive development called Trousdale Estates, former residents of which include Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley.) In 1971, Greystone’s grounds were made a public park, while the main house served as the headquarters for the American Film Institute’s film school. After the AFI moved to East Hollywood in 1983, the City of Beverly Hills restored the mansion to its original condition, which made it even more desirable for location shoots.
[This text comes from Richard Alleman’s 2005 book “Hollywood: The Movie Lover’s Guide – The Ultimate Insider Tour Of Movie L.A.“.]
Fun Facts
Stripes (1981)
John (Bill Murray) and Russell (Harold Ramis) meet up with their dates, Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young), at the Schloss Von Hapsburg resort in Germany. The resort, of course, is the Greystone Mansion in AMERICA! You can buy the movie on DVD (Theatrical Cut) and Blu-ray (Extended Cut). Just avoid the Extended Cut DVD for the reasons I give in my Blu-Ray review.
The Holiday (2006)
Graham (Jude Law) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz) are eating in a restaurant, and that “restaurant” is actually the Greystone Mansion’s Drawing Room. You can watch the scene online, or buy the movie on DVD and Blu-ray.
Outside Links
