Photos courtesy youlivewhere.com.Weird houses are hard to find in the Midwest — we’re all so very practical. Throwing Northern Illinois for a loop, the Onas family built a crazy pyramid-based complex — a pyramid the live in, a giant (64-foot tall!) Ramses II statue, and a MOAT.
If you find yourself driving up the I-94 towards the Illinois-Wisconsin border, you will feel that you have lost your mind and landed straight in the middle of a full-blown mirage around the halfway point.
The exterior is obviously designed to look exactly like an ancient Egyptian pyramid. The gold pyramid house stands 6 stories tall. The 17,000 square-foot roof is made up entirely of stainless steel plates electroplated with gold. It is generally thought to be the largest 24 karat gold plated object ever created. The home also contains a triple-pyramid topped three-car garage, Photo courtesy youlivewhere.com.a 64 foot-tall and 200-ton statute of Ramesses II, a metal palm tree, and a driveway lined with 80 stone sphinxes. In fact, the replica statute of Ramesses II in Wadsworth, Illinois is larger than the original in Egypt.
There’s a LOT more text up on You Live Where — you can read all about why the owners choose to live in such an odd home over there.
I was the Managing Editor of Offbeat Home for a year and a half. I have a rich Internet life and also a pretty good real life. Hobbies include D&D, Twitter, and working on making our household more self-reliant. I also draw things.
Comments on The mysterious and energy-focusing, gold-plated pyramid home in Illinois
That is indeed a unique home. I’d love to see the inside. Do the walls of each outside room slope down? Also, this seems like it might be ideal for the zombie invasion. The author of the article used some pretty judgey language in it, which is unnecessary. (although, I haven’t read anything else on the site, so snark may be the overall tone)
I could be wrong, but didn’t an eccentric cult build pyramids in Georgia? If I’m right though I think they were taken down after the leader was imprisioned. (Which is sort of a shame b/c I can imagine someone being interested in them; even for some kitchy tourist trap.)
OMFG! I know that place! And I’ve been there! I only live about 10 miles away. (Shout out to my southeastern Wisconsin peeps!)
When I was in jr high, my class took a field trip there (weird, I know). The family does live there and we had a quick tour of the house (as mentioned above, they are seriously loaded) and then looked at the “museum.” Apparently, the guy collects ancient egyptian artifacts and has them on display. I remember seeing a mummy, too. They even have a gift shop!
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They have a looooot of money O__O
I have spent my entire life living in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, how have I never seen this?
That is indeed a unique home. I’d love to see the inside. Do the walls of each outside room slope down? Also, this seems like it might be ideal for the zombie invasion. The author of the article used some pretty judgey language in it, which is unnecessary. (although, I haven’t read anything else on the site, so snark may be the overall tone)
I could be wrong, but didn’t an eccentric cult build pyramids in Georgia? If I’m right though I think they were taken down after the leader was imprisioned. (Which is sort of a shame b/c I can imagine someone being interested in them; even for some kitchy tourist trap.)
I dunno! Haven’t heard of it.
OMFG! I know that place! And I’ve been there! I only live about 10 miles away. (Shout out to my southeastern Wisconsin peeps!)
When I was in jr high, my class took a field trip there (weird, I know). The family does live there and we had a quick tour of the house (as mentioned above, they are seriously loaded) and then looked at the “museum.” Apparently, the guy collects ancient egyptian artifacts and has them on display. I remember seeing a mummy, too. They even have a gift shop!
I use to see this all the time driving up and down 94 from Chicago to Milwaukee.