How Much Did Frank Sinatra’s Famous Farralone Estate Sell For? And What Stars Spent Time There?
Hollywood royalty made its way up the 101 freeway to spend time basking in Frank Sinatra’s sun-drenched Farralone Estate during The Golden Age. Ava Gardner, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, and the singer’s Rat Pack all hung out and enjoyed themselves at the giant house on the hill, which was originally home to Chase Bank heiress Dora Hutchinson.
In 1949, the wealthier-than-wealthy Hutchinson commissioned designer William Pereira in 1949 to build the estate on the four-acre plot, located northwest of Hollywood in Chatsworth, California, on 9361 Farralone Ave. When the doors swung open two years later, Tinseltown’s elite — celebrities, politicians and other VIPs — headed in.
Farralone became a popular hangout and party place for Hutchinson and company (she set off fireworks to let her neighbors know happy hour was beginning), until she decided to relocate back to New York a few years later. That’s when she leased the vast grounds to Sinatra, and the good times rolled on. Sinatra also rented the 1,000 square foot guest house to Marilyn Monroe (more on that later).
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These days, the nearly 6,500 square foot main house — which contains four bedrooms and six full bathrooms along with a 50-foot backyard pool — is much quieter, but there’s plenty of exciting activity still taking place, and the folklore continues to linger regarding this beautiful property throughout the decades.
The home first was publicly listed for sale in 2011 with a listing price of $12, according to Forbes. In March 2025, the main house was sold for $5 million, along with the guest house and property for $3 million. According to Mansion Global, the buyer was not identified, but Craig Knizek at the Agency commented that the individual is “someone who appreciates the history and the architecture and appreciates the investment income opportunities.”
Here are 7 things you don’t know about Frank’s famous Farralone residence …
1 Judy Garland said “I do” again there…
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In 1945, Hollywood superstar Judy Garland married her second husband, Vincente Minnelli, in Beverly Hills. Hutchinson’s Farralone Estate later played host to the couple when they renewed their vows prior to divorcing in 1951.
2 Halle Berry’s first nude scene happened at Farralone
The home was the setting for some iconic TV and movie moments, including one from 2001’s Swordfish, starring John Travolta, Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman. Farralone served as the house where Berry filmed her first topless scene — especially notable because the actress had previously opposed engaging in any nudity on camera. “I still want to do things tastefully and I don’t want to degrade women or degrade myself — but I’m now open to everything, and that feels good,” Berry shared in an ABC interview in 2001. “Once I decided to do it, then it was all a cakewalk.”
3 It’s practically invisible…
While the hilltop estate features sweeping views of a nature preserve and the city, not much of the property is visible from the street. It is surrounded by a perimeter wall, and guests must travel up a mile-long driveway to get to it.
4 An Oscar win
Everett Collection
Prior to becoming a renowned planner and architect, Farralone designer Pereira toiled in the moviemaking business. He worked for legendary filmmaker Cecil B. De Mille as set designer on 1942’s Reap the Wild Wind and won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects the following year for his work.
5 Those Marilyn rumors
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One of the movie star’s final photo shoots took place in a swimming pool — and many fans believe it was shot at Farralone. One reason people might believe this? Sinatra allowed Monroe access to the guest house on the property at the time. However, the pool in her final photo shoots was actually located on set at Twentieth Century Fox in Century City, and was used while filming Something’s Gotta Give with Dean Martin.
6 It’s called ‘the The Great Glass Mansion’ for a reason
Over half of the home’s exterior walls are made of 16-foot-tall glass. And by the way, the house also comes with 53 parking spaces and room for 200 automobiles. The vast property also takes in massive location fees, clearing about $2 million annually and has served as a luxurious backdrop for hundreds of movies, television shows and music videos — including the video for Miley Cyrus’ Grammy-winning 2023 song, “Flowers.”
7 One of only four homes
The Farralone home is one of only four homes designed by Pereira throughout his long career. However, he and his firm Pereira & Luckman provided their architectural skills for more than 400 buildings including the original Disneyland Hotel (in 1958), CBS TV Studios, the LA County Museum of Art, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and even several US Air Force and Naval bases.
Remind 
The Rat Pack
March 2025
No one represented the swingin’ style and devil-may-care attitude of the 1960s more than the quintet of entertainers known as the Rat Pack.
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