Neverland Ranch, Los Olivos, USA
Back in 1983, Michael Jackson teamed up with Paul McCartney to record ‘Say Say Say’, and the former Beatle stayed at Sycamore Valley Ranch in California while the pair were recording the video.
After visiting McCartney there, Jackson fell in love with the place and promised he would buy it some day. True to his word, the King of Pop acquired the ranch in 1988 for a purported $19.5 million (£15.2m).
The Thriller singer renamed the property Neverland after the magical island in Peter Pan, and set about creating his very own amusement park. Jackson had two railways and a station (pictured) built to complement the Tudor-style six-bedroom mansion that came with the property and installed a petting zoo and numerous amusement rides.
Neverland had everything from a Ferris wheel and pirate ship ride to a carousel and bumper cars. Jackson hosted glittering events at the ranch, including the 1991 wedding of his close friends Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky. In 1995, Jackson and then-wife Lisa Marie Presley also hosted an event at the theme park attended by children from around the world.
In 2003, Jackson was charged with child abuse and Neverland Ranch was turned upside down by police searching for evidence, but the singer was eventually acquitted on all charges. Jackson complained of feeling “violated” following the search and vowed never to live at the ranch again.
