Spadena House: Inside the $6M Beverly Hills Witch Mansion 🏚️
The Spadena House is one of the most unusual homes in Los Angeles. Located in Beverly Hills on a 0.29-acre lot, this whimsical property has 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, and about 3,982 square feet of space.
Built in 1921 by Hollywood art director Harry Oliver, the home is a dramatic departure from the traditional Dutch Colonial House style common during that era; instead, its crooked storybook design makes it look straight out of a fairy tale. The historic landmark sits at the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita Avenue in the famous 90210 zip code. Though privately owned and usually quiet, the house becomes one of the most visited spots in Beverly Hills every Halloween. 🎃
Spadena House Photo
If you search for Spadena House photos online, you will find thousands. Every season brings a new look — spring gardens blooming around the moat, Halloween decorations covering every inch of fence and gate, and winter fog that makes the house look genuinely haunted. The moat is currently filled with lily pads and surrounded by a beautiful garden, with whimsical touches like fake birds and an alligator head in the water. Every photo tells a different story. That is the magic of this house — it never looks the same twice.
Spadena House Location
- Full Address: 516 Walden Drive, Beverly Hills, California 90210.
To get there, take Sunset Boulevard into Beverly Hills and head south on Walden Drive. The house sits just a few blocks north of Santa Monica Boulevard. You cannot miss it — it is the only house on the street that looks like it belongs in a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Tour buses stop here countless times per day, and it is fully visible from the sidewalk.
Spadena House Tour 🧙♀️
Hi there! I’m Stefano Schiavon, the voice behind RivonHome, where I explore unusual homes and the stories hidden in their design. I still remember the first time my friend Jake and I drove down Walden Drive looking for this place. We almost passed it — until Jake grabbed my arm and said, “Wait… is that real?”
I stepped out of the car and just stared. The sloping roof, the small moat, the twisted trees — it all felt surreal. A wooden bridge crossed the water, and a lantern sign read “Witch’s Landing.” As we walked the perimeter, it felt like stepping off a Beverly Hills street and straight into a movie set. Every angle was different, every window crooked, every shrub almost magical. 🏡
Inside Spadena House Interior and Other Features
From the moment you cross that wooden bridge and walk through the front door, the interior hits you differently. This is not just a house — it is an experience from floor to ceiling.
Entrance
The moment you approach the front of the Spadena House, the entrance sets the entire tone. Beneath the exaggerated wooden shingles of the swayback roof, you are greeted by an interior that matches the home’s festive fairy tale exterior.
The foyer features arched doorways, curved walls, and wooden details that feel centuries old. The ceilings in the living room, den, and entry were raised during renovation, giving the space a dramatic, cavernous feel. Custom hardware covers every hinge and handle. The entry does not just welcome you — it swallows you whole into another world.
Bedrooms
The storybook house packs 3 bedrooms within its slightly crooked walls. The master bedroom is cozy yet dramatic, complete with a fireplace. Owner Michael J. Libow has been photographed preparing for the holidays with a toasty fire burning in the master bedroom. The guest rooms carry the same storybook character — think curved ceilings, dark wood accents, and custom-built furniture. Nothing in this house is ordinary. Even the bedroom doors look like they belong in a castle.
Bathrooms
The house features 4 full bathrooms, and each one is a work of art. Cascading tile shards rain down archways that create a cavernous feeling in bathrooms and stairwells, but never compromise a sense of luxury. The master bathroom features stained glass provided by James Thomas Stained and Leaded Glass, and the guest bathroom showcases tiles arranged in the shape of a tree. You feel like you are washing your hands in a medieval castle — except with very good water pressure.
Living Spaces
The living areas of the Spadena House are as theatrical as the exterior. From custom cabinetry and built-ins to curved walls, wooden ceilings, and fanciful tile work, the entire home is spectacularly odd. Much like the eccentric, art-filled interior of the Rimsky-Korsakoffee House, the rooms here are designed to transport guests to another world; the dining room, for instance, features a table with a base made from a massive tree trunk.
The den flows naturally into the living room, both warmed by wood and tile. Every aspect appears antique—including the features created since Libow’s acquisition. He estimates that around 98% of what you see inside is relatively new, despite looking like it was salvaged from a medieval cottage in Germany’s Black Forest.
Kitchen
The kitchen continues the Gaudí-inspired design throughout. All of the wild hardware comes from J. Nicolas Hardware in Corona Del Mar, and expert woodworker Jim Betts — a film industry veteran — created all the incredible cabinetry, doors, windows, and custom built-ins.
The layout is social and functional. Mosaic tile countertops wrap the space in color and texture. The kitchen feels like something out of a Spanish fantasy — warm, artistic, and totally one-of-a-kind. I kept thinking: even the kitchen in this house would make an interior designer cry happy tears.
Special and Unique Spaces
Libow added a pool with a lagoon style and beach entries on either side, so you can walk into it without stepping down stairs — giving it the feeling of a natural swimming hole. The owner found particular inspiration in the works of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí, whose curving contours, kaleidoscopic tiles, and Art Nouveau aesthetic breathe life into the design.
The English garden outside is equally dramatic — full of twisted trees, gnarled shrubs, and a restored koi-filled moat that wraps the property like something from a storybook.
Security and Privacy
After tall, black fencing was initially placed around the lot during renovation, the owner received hate mail from people who thought he was going to tear it down. The fencing remains today, protecting the property with a Gothic elegance.
The landscaping itself acts as a natural privacy barrier — the dense, overgrown garden hides much of the home from direct view. On Halloween night, Libow hires private security, and police and volunteer officers also maintain control in the area. Surrounding streets are cordoned off due to the volume of visitors.
Spadena House History
The house was originally built in 1921 to serve as the offices and dressing rooms for Irvin Willat’s film studio in Culver City, and was moved to its present location in 1926. Ward Lascelle, a producer who worked for Willat Studios, bought the structure to save it from demolition. When his wife later divorced him, she remarried a man whose last name was Spadena — and the house officially gained its name.
A second family renovated the interior in the 1960s, and by 1997 the house had fallen into serious disrepair. Michael Libow, a real estate agent who did not want to see the home demolished, purchased it and began a gradual renovation utilizing the designs of Production Designer Nelson Coates. It is now listed as protected Landmark Number 8 in the City of Beverly Hills.
Spadena House Price 💰
Libow paid $1,267,510 for the Spadena House back in 1998. Today, analysts estimate the house to be worth at least $6 million. And that figure likely undersells it. The Spadena House likely wouldn’t be able to be reconstructed today — in this sense, it may as well be priceless. Its status as Beverly Hills Landmark #8 also means it is legally protected, making it irreplaceable real estate in one of the most expensive zip codes in America.
Spadena House in Movies 🎬
The house appeared very briefly in the 1995 movie Clueless, during the scene when Alicia Silverstone is walking distractedly through Beverly Hills. Besides Clueless, the Witch’s House was also featured in the 1965 movie The Loved One and in the 1957 horror film The Undead. In 1921, shortly after it was completed, the Witch’s House made its first on-screen appearance in the silent film The Face of the World. Every film appearance adds another layer to its already legendary status.
Spadena House Clueless
You likely recognize this house if you are a Clueless fan. During her introspective walk, Cher wanders by the Spadena House during an emotional montage in the film. “It was strictly a background shot with Alicia Silverstone walking by the house,” said Libow. “But everybody respects the home for being in that movie.” That brief few seconds of screen time turned the Spadena House into a pilgrimage spot for Clueless fans worldwide. People still visit specifically just to recreate that walk.
Spadena House Reviews
The Spadena House is a must-see and an experience you will never forget. It is a real house and the place to be on Halloween night, but it is a photo-op dream every day of the year. Visitors on TripAdvisor describe it as beautifully kept, calling out the decorative spiders, crows, and gate decorations. The house is not open for tourists, but the fairy-tale-like appearance is viewable from the street for onlookers to snap photos. Most reviewers say the exterior alone is worth the trip. It is one of those rare places that looks exactly as magical in real life as it does in pictures. 📸
Most Frequently Asked Questions About Spadena House (2026)
After sharing my Spadena House experience, my readers never stop asking questions. So I sat down and answered the ones that pop up most in 2026.
Can you go inside the Spadena House?
No, the Spadena House is a private residence and does not offer public tours. You can only admire it from the sidewalk, but the exterior alone is absolutely worth the visit.
Why is the Spadena House called the Witch’s House?
It earned the nickname because of its eerie, fairy tale design — the sagging roof resembles a witch’s hat, and the dark shingles, twisted trees, and moat give it a genuinely spooky, storybook feeling.
Who designed the Spadena House architecture?
Oscar-nominated Hollywood art director Harry Oliver designed it in 1921. He was known for his storybook style and later became one of the most influential figures in fairy tale architecture across California.
Is the Spadena House open on Halloween?
Yes! Halloween is its biggest night. Between 3,000 and 4,000 visitors show up at the door. Owner Michael Libow hires private security and the surrounding streets are fully cordoned off for safety.
Spadena House Owner
The Witch’s House is a private residence owned by Beverly Hills realtor Michael J. Libow. Tours are not offered. Libow has poured years of creative energy and significant resources into the property. He has said the home brings him great joy and that restoring it was a personal mission. He told a Starline tour guide that his is the most requested and most visited non-celebrity house in all of West Los Angeles. Libow lives in the home and continues to maintain and evolve its character over time.
Conclusion
Visiting the Spadena House — even just from the sidewalk — is an experience that stays with you. It’s not just a home, it’s a bold statement that design can be fearless, whimsical, and completely unforgettable. Often compared to the early spirit of Walt Disney’s Imagineering, this house feels less like architecture and more like a living storybook. ✨
And that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. As a designer, I see more and more clients asking for this same energy — spaces that feel alive, personal, and unafraid to break the rules. Homes that don’t just look good, but tell a story.
If exploring a place like this sparked something in you, don’t stop here — there are many more extraordinary Homes Tour and ideas waiting to be discovered. 🏡
