The Playboy Mansion
Encyclopedia
The Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy
magazine founder Hugh Hefner
. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California
, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.
The 21987 square feet (2,042.7 m²) house is described as being in the "Gothic
-Tudor" style by Forbes magazine, and sits on 5.3 acres (2.1 ha). It was built by architect Arthur R. Kelly
in 1927 and acquired by Playboy from Louis D. Statham (1908–1983), an engineer, inventor and chess aficionado, in 1971 for $US1.1 million ($US5.5 million in 2007 dollars). In early 2011 it was valued at $US54 million. It sits close to the northwestern corner of the Los Angeles Country Club
, near UCLA
and the Bel-Air Country Club. Fifteen million dollars has been invested in renovation and expansion.
The mansion has 29 rooms including a wine cellar, a game room, a zoo and aviary
(and related pet cemetery), tennis courts, a waterfall and a swimming pool area (including a patio and barbecue area, a grotto
, a sauna
and a bathhouse
). These features and others have been shown on television.
The game room (game house) is a separate building on the property's north side. From the fountain in front of the main entrance, there are two sidewalks, running past a wishing-well. The sidewalk on the right leads to the game house and runs past a Hollywood Star of Hefner. Its front entrance opens to a game room with a pool table in the center. This room has vintage and modern arcade games, pinball machines, player piano, jukebox, television, stereo, and couch. The game house has two wings. Left is a room with a soft cushioned floor, mirrors all around, television. There is a restroom with a shower. The right wing of the game house has a smaller restroom, and entrance to a bedroom. This bedroom is connected to another bedroom, which has an exit to the rear backyard of the game house. The game house has a backyard with lounge chairs, and gates on either side.
A secret room known as the "Elvis Suite" is kept out of the public view. In a March 2007 television interview, Hefner — an Elvis Presley
admirer — explained the suite is special to him because of one night in the early seventies, when Elvis stayed in that suite along with no fewer than eight girls. Hefner confirmed that whenever movie stars, sports stars, or musicians come there, they always request the "Elvis Suite", but that it remains, and will most likely remain, off limits. He added "Yeah, Elvis loved women, of all colors."
In 2010, former Playboy Playmate Izabella St. James, in her memoir "Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion", wrote that the house was in need of renovation: "Everything in the Mansion felt old and stale, and Archie the house dog would regularly relieve himself on the hallway curtains, adding a powerful whiff of urine to the general scent of decay."
The house next door is a mirror image
of the Mansion layout, only smaller. Hefner purchased the neighboring building in 1996 and it is home to his separated wife Kimberley Conrad
and their children together. Hefner and Conrad married in 1989 and separated in 1998. According to the Wall Street Journal, Hefner and his wife announced in March 2009 that they are listing Mrs. Hefner's home for sale at $US28 million.
In 2002, Hefner purchased a house across the street from the mansion for use by Playmates.
, which had been built in 1899 for Dr. George Swift Isham; it was acquired by Hefner in 1959. For a period in the 1970s, Hefner divided his time between the Chicago mansion and the Mansion West, moving full time to the California mansion in 1974. The Chicago mansion boasted a brass plate on the door with the Latin inscription, Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare ("If you don't swing, don't ring").
Playboy pays for the Mansion's operating expenses (including depreciation and taxes), which were $US3.6 million in 2002, $US2.3 million in 2003, and $US3.0 million in 2004, net of rent received from Hefner.
, and an event to benefit research into autism.
and caused 34 deaths in 1976.
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine founder Hugh Hefner
Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...
. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.
History
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
-Tudor" style by Forbes magazine, and sits on 5.3 acres (2.1 ha). It was built by architect Arthur R. Kelly
Arthur R. Kelly
Arthur Rolland Kelly was an American architect who specialized in residential architecture, primarily in the Los Angeles, California area. Arthur Kelly designed approximately five hundred homes and other buildings....
in 1927 and acquired by Playboy from Louis D. Statham (1908–1983), an engineer, inventor and chess aficionado, in 1971 for $US1.1 million ($US5.5 million in 2007 dollars). In early 2011 it was valued at $US54 million. It sits close to the northwestern corner of the Los Angeles Country Club
Los Angeles Country Club
The Los Angeles Country Club is a golf and country club in Los Angeles, California.- History :In the fall of 1897, a group of Los Angelenos organized a voluntary association to further the cause of one of Southern California's newest sports...
, near UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
and the Bel-Air Country Club. Fifteen million dollars has been invested in renovation and expansion.
The mansion has 29 rooms including a wine cellar, a game room, a zoo and aviary
Aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds. Unlike cages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages...
(and related pet cemetery), tennis courts, a waterfall and a swimming pool area (including a patio and barbecue area, a grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
, a sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
and a bathhouse
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
). These features and others have been shown on television.
The game room (game house) is a separate building on the property's north side. From the fountain in front of the main entrance, there are two sidewalks, running past a wishing-well. The sidewalk on the right leads to the game house and runs past a Hollywood Star of Hefner. Its front entrance opens to a game room with a pool table in the center. This room has vintage and modern arcade games, pinball machines, player piano, jukebox, television, stereo, and couch. The game house has two wings. Left is a room with a soft cushioned floor, mirrors all around, television. There is a restroom with a shower. The right wing of the game house has a smaller restroom, and entrance to a bedroom. This bedroom is connected to another bedroom, which has an exit to the rear backyard of the game house. The game house has a backyard with lounge chairs, and gates on either side.
A secret room known as the "Elvis Suite" is kept out of the public view. In a March 2007 television interview, Hefner — an Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
admirer — explained the suite is special to him because of one night in the early seventies, when Elvis stayed in that suite along with no fewer than eight girls. Hefner confirmed that whenever movie stars, sports stars, or musicians come there, they always request the "Elvis Suite", but that it remains, and will most likely remain, off limits. He added "Yeah, Elvis loved women, of all colors."
In 2010, former Playboy Playmate Izabella St. James, in her memoir "Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion", wrote that the house was in need of renovation: "Everything in the Mansion felt old and stale, and Archie the house dog would regularly relieve himself on the hallway curtains, adding a powerful whiff of urine to the general scent of decay."
The house next door is a mirror image
Mirror image
A mirror image is a reflected duplication of an object that appears identical but reversed. As an optical effect it results from reflection off of substances such as a mirror or water. It is also a concept in geometry and can be used as a conceptualization process for 3-D structures...
of the Mansion layout, only smaller. Hefner purchased the neighboring building in 1996 and it is home to his separated wife Kimberley Conrad
Kimberley Conrad
-Personal life:She is probably best known for marrying Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in July 1989, an event which sparked worldwide media attention. The comic strip Doonesbury referred to the event as the belated end of the 1970s. The Hefners had two sons together: Marston Glenn Hefner and Cooper...
and their children together. Hefner and Conrad married in 1989 and separated in 1998. According to the Wall Street Journal, Hefner and his wife announced in March 2009 that they are listing Mrs. Hefner's home for sale at $US28 million.
In 2002, Hefner purchased a house across the street from the mansion for use by Playmates.
The original Playboy Mansion
The original Playboy Mansion was a 70-room classicizing French brick and limestone residence in Chicago at 1340 North State ParkwayState Street (Chicago)
State Street is a large south-north street in Chicago, Illinois, USA and its south suburbs. It begins on the Near North Side at North Avenue. For much of its course, it lies between Wabash Avenue on the east and Dearborn Street/Lafayette Avenue on the west...
, which had been built in 1899 for Dr. George Swift Isham; it was acquired by Hefner in 1959. For a period in the 1970s, Hefner divided his time between the Chicago mansion and the Mansion West, moving full time to the California mansion in 1974. The Chicago mansion boasted a brass plate on the door with the Latin inscription, Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare ("If you don't swing, don't ring").
Events and appearances
- During the early 2000s, ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
began broadcasting live boxing bouts from the large backyard. Vassiliy JirovVassiliy JirovVassiliy "The Tiger" Jirov is a professional Kazakh boxer and former IBF cruiserweight champion, currently fighting out of Las Vegas under Thell Torrence...
and David HayeDavid HayeDavid Deron Haye is a retired English professional boxer,Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and The Ring cruiserweight titles, and also the former European cruiserweight champion.- Amateur :Haye...
are some of the notables to have fought there. Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
, in his capacity as boxing promoter, has held boxing cards there.
- In addition to numerous Playboy features and pictorials, the Playboy Mansion has been the subject of a coffee table bookCoffee table bookA coffee table book is a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for...
(Inside the Playboy Mansion, 1998, ISBN 1-57544-044-X), a video game (Playboy: The MansionPlayboy: The MansionPlayboy: The Mansion is a business simulation video game for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows and Xbox consoles, developed by Cyberlore Studios, published by Groove Games and ARUSH Entertainment and licensed by Playboy Enterprises....
, in which the player must build the Playboy "empire"), and inspired the U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
song "The Playboy Mansion" on their 1997 album Pop. The NightwatchmanThe NightwatchmanThe Nightwatchman is the alter-ego and solo act of Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello...
's song "One Man Revolution", contains the lines: 'On the streets of Havana/I got hugged and kissed/At the Playboy Mansion/I wasn't on the list'.
- The mansion featured in music videos including "Playmate of the Year" by ZebraheadZebraheadZebrahead is an American punk rock band from Orange County, California, which fuses elements of Rapcore, Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal, and Funk Metal.-1996–98: Formation:...
, "Work It"Work It (Nelly song)"Work It" is a single by rapper Nelly which features pop singer Justin Timberlake, released in 2003, from Nelly's 2002 album Nellyville. It reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart, but only 68 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was later used in a Scott Storch remix and included on Nelly's 2003...
by NellyNellyCornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
featuring Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, "RockstarRockstar (Nickelback song)"Rockstar" is the fifth U.S. single by the Canadian rock band Nickelback from their 2005 fifth studio album All the Right Reasons. It was only released in the U.S. and Canada, and has since been re-released worldwide...
" by NickelbackNickelbackNickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
, and "Beverly HillsBeverly Hills (song)"Beverly Hills" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer. It is the first single from the band's fifth album, Make Believe. It was released on March 29, 2005...
" by WeezerWeezerWeezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
aired a special in late 2000 where Limp BizkitLimp BizkitLimp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
threw an album release party at the mansion to coincide with the release of their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.
- In the 1987 Eddie MurphyEddie MurphyEdward Regan "Eddie" Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, director, and musician....
movie Beverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop IIBeverly Hills Cop II is a 1987 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Tony Scott. It is the first sequel in the Beverly Hills Cop series. Murphy returns as Detroit police detective Axel Foley, who returns to Beverly Hills, California to track down a joint robbery/gun-running ring...
, his character, Detroit police detective Axel Foley, crashes a party at the mansion.
- In 2000, WWFWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's Eddie GuerreroEddie GuerreroEduardo Gory "Eddie" Guerrero was a Mexican-American professional wrestler born into the Guerrero wrestling family. He wrestled in Mexico and Japan for several major professional wrestling promotions...
appeared at the mansion in hopes to speak to Hugh Hefner about stopping the release of girlfriend Joanie "Chyna" Laurer's first photo shoot.
- A similar segment was shot in 2003, when WWEWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
diva Nidia GuenardNidia GuenardNidia Guenard better known simply Nidia is a former professional wrestler who worked for World Wrestling Entertainment...
made an appearance at the Mansion during an episode of SmackDown, where she attempted to get past security in order to speak to Hefner. Nidia was jealous of Torrie WilsonTorrie WilsonTorrie Anne Wilson is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment , where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.As a fitness...
, who was getting a Playboy photo shoot.
- The 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar was shot on the grounds of the Mansion in 2004. Playmates Hiromi OshimaHiromi Oshimais a Japanese model and in June 2004 became the second Japanese-born Playboy Playmate. The first Japanese-born Playmate was Lieko English who appeared in the June 1971 issue of Playboy...
, Lauren Michelle HillLauren Michelle HillLauren Michelle Hill is an American model and actress. She first appeared on the cover of Playboy on the October 2000 issue. She was chosen as Playboy Playmate of the Month in February 2001 and won the Playboy playmates edition of the game show Fear Factor...
, Carmella DeCesareCarmella DeCesareCarmella Danielle Garcia is an American model who was Playboy magazine's Miss April 2003 and Playmate of the Year for 2004. She is of Italian and Puerto Rican descent. She is best known for her time in WWE as a WWE Diva...
, Sandra HubbySandra HubbySandra Hubby is an American model who was the March 2004 Playmate of the Month in Playboy magazine. She is a former contestant in the Miss Hawaiian Tropic pageant representing Columbus, Ohio....
, Irina VoroninaIrina VoroninaIrina Voronina is a Russian model and Playboy Playmate for January 2001.- Biography :...
, Cara Wakelin, Karen McDougalKaren McDougalKaren McDougal is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in Playboy magazine as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year of 1998. In 2001, the readers of Playboy voted McDougal "No...
, Christina Santiago, Pennelope Jimenez, Marketa Janska, Krista KellyKrista KellyKrista Kelly is a Canadian model and actress. She was chosen as Playboys Playmate of the Month in April, 2004. Kelly tried out for Playboy scouts when they were searching for models for The 50th Anniversary Playmate Hunt...
and Teri Marie Harrison appeared in the calendar.
- From 2005 to 2008, life at the Mansion—specifically the world of Hef's girlfriends Holly MadisonHolly MadisonHollin Sue Cullen, professionally known as Holly Madison, is an American model, showgirl and television personality. She is widely known for being one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends on the reality television series The Girls Next Door...
, Bridget MarquardtBridget MarquardtBridget Marquardt is an American television personality, model, and actress. She is best known for her role on the reality television series The Girls Next Door, which depicts her life as one of Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner's girlfriends...
, and Kendra WilkinsonKendra WilkinsonKendra Leigh Baskett , professionally known by her maiden name, is an American television personality and glamour model...
—was featured on the E!E!E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series The Girls Next DoorThe Girls Next DoorThe Girls Next Door, also known as The Girls of the Playboy Mansion, is an American reality television series broadcast on the E! cable television network...
. It has also appeared in episodes of several TV shows including Curb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your EnthusiasmCurb Your Enthusiasm is an American comedy television series produced and broadcast by HBO, which premiered on October 15, 2000. As of 2011, it has completed 80 episodes over eight seasons. The series was created by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David, who stars as a fictionalized version of himself...
(Hugh Hefner and a variety of playmates co-starred), EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
(Hefner guest starred along with his Playmates), Sex and the CitySex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
(the four main characters went to a party and were thrown out), The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-AirThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
(Hilary Banks goes to the Mansion to do a Weathergirl Photo Shoot) and an episode of Viva La BamViva La BamViva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from MTV's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared...
.
- In 2007, the Mansion appeared in an episode of the sixth season of The ApprenticeThe Apprentice 6The Apprentice: Los Angeles is the sixth installment of the US version of The Apprentice reality television show. It was confirmed on November 30, 2005. Like the other Apprentice seasons, Donald Trump is the executive producer and host in his quest to hire a sixth apprentice...
as the site of a pool party held for the winning team.
- This site served as the starting line for the twelfth season of the five-time Emmy-award winning The Amazing Race.
- In February 2007, boxing returned to the Mansion with Fox Best Damn Fight Night promoted by Goosen Tutor in association with Sycuan Ringside and George Chung Productions. Guests included Shia LaBeoufShia LaBeoufShia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
, Chuck LiddellChuck LiddellCharles David "Chuck" Liddell is a retired American mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion. Liddell has an extensive striking background in Kempo, Koei-Kan karate and kickboxing, as well as a grappling background in collegiate wrestling.As of his...
and Brian McKnightBrian McKnightBrian McKnight is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and R&B/Pop musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays nine instruments: piano, guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussions, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet....
.
- On 3 September 2007, the first MMA Cage fight was promoted at the Mansion by Strike Force Scott Coker Promoter. The event drew stars that included Jaime PresslyJaime PresslyJaime Elizabeth Pressly is an American actress and model. She is best known for playing Joy Turner on the NBC sitcom My Name Is Earl, for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards, winning one, as well as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award...
and Bobb Sapp.
- In 2008, WWE DivaWWE DivaDiva is a term used by World Wrestling Entertainment , an American professional wrestling promotion, to refer to its female talent. The term is applied to women who appear as wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers....
s Maria KanellisMaria KanellisMaria Louise Kanellis, , or simply Maria, is a singer-songwriter, actress, model, and professional wrestler, best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment. Kanellis's career began as a contestant on the reality show Outback Jack in 2004...
and Ashley MassaroAshley MassaroAshley Marie Massaro is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to World Independent Ladies Division Wrestling. She is best known for her work with World Wrestling Entertainment and her appearance on Survivor: China....
guest appeared at one of the Playboy Mansion parties hosted by Hugh Hefner.
- On 31 May 2008, the Playboy Mansion had its first wine and food tasting event called Hollywood and Vino created by George Chung productions and Mediazone.com. The event featured wines from Hahn Estate, Brassfield Estates and special guests included Peggy FlemingPeggy FlemingPeggy Gail Fleming is an American figure skater. She is the 1968 Olympic Champion in Ladies' singles and a three-time World Champion...
, NFL Star Charles WoodsonCharles WoodsonCharles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
. Entertainment included Kevin EubanksKevin EubanksKevin Tyrone Eubanks is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of the Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.- Personal background :Eubanks was born into a musical family...
and special guest appearance by Arsenio HallArsenio HallArsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
.
- In 2008, Playboy Mansion saw the return of the Fight Night on ESPN 2 June 25 at the Mansion promoted by Sycuan Ringside and produced by Executive Producer and Mansion Promoter George Chung.
- On 20 September 2008, the Mansion hosted the StrikeforceStrikeforceStrikeforce is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization based in San Jose, California. It is headed by CEO Scott Coker and owned by Zuffa, LLC...
At The Mansion II event, streamed live on SherdogSherdogSherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts . The site is a member of the Crave Online network and provides MMA related content for ESPN.com.- History :...
.
Midsummer Night's Dream Party
The Midsummer Night's Dream Party, also known as the Midsummer's party, is an annual event held at the Playboy Mansion on the first Saturday in August.- In 2007, the party was thrown on August 4. The theme was Arabian NightsThe Book of One Thousand and One NightsOne Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age...
. Some of the guests were Christopher Knight and wife Adrianne Curry, Alfonso RibeiroAlfonso RibeiroAlfonso Lincoln Ribeiro is an American actor, director, dancer, game show host, and comedian. While he received attention for his performance in the title role of the Broadway musical The Tap Dance Kid and his appearance as a dancer in a Pepsi commercial featuring Michael Jackson, Ribeiro is best...
, Bambi Lashell and many more.
- This show was taped by E!E!E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
cable televisionCable televisionCable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
channel and aired on The Girls Next DoorThe Girls Next DoorThe Girls Next Door, also known as The Girls of the Playboy Mansion, is an American reality television series broadcast on the E! cable television network...
episode "Unveilings". For the first time in the history of the mansion, the event took place twice in one year (2007). The event started off at the mansion then headed to the Palms Casino Resort in Las VegasLas Vegas metropolitan areaThe Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, home to the world's only Playboy Club two weeks later.
Financial
According to Playboy Enterprises' SEC filings, Hefner pays Playboy rent for "that portion of the Playboy Mansion used exclusively for him and his personal guests' residence as well as the per-unit value of non-business meals, beverages and other benefits received by him and his personal guests". This amount was $US1.3 million in 2002, $US1.4 million in 2003, and $US1.3 million in 2004.Playboy pays for the Mansion's operating expenses (including depreciation and taxes), which were $US3.6 million in 2002, $US2.3 million in 2003, and $US3.0 million in 2004, net of rent received from Hefner.
Charity events
The Playboy Mansion hosts charity events, including Karma Foundation, the Celebrity Poker Tournament, a fundraising party for the Marijuana Policy ProjectMarijuana Policy Project
The Marijuana Policy Project, or MPP, is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States in terms of its budget, number of members, and staff...
, and an event to benefit research into autism.
Public health incidents
On February 2011, 123 people complained of fever and respiratory illness after attending a DomainFest Global conference event held at the Playboy Mansion. Epidemiologists from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported their findings at a Centers for Disease Control conference that the disease outbreak was traced to a whirlpool hot tub in the mansion's famed grotto, where they found bacteria that causes Legionnaires' Disease. The same disease had stricken 221 members of the American LegionAmerican Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and caused 34 deaths in 1976.