The fairground attractions at Michael Jackson’s infamous Neverland Ranch appear to have been reinstalled as new pictures show the abandoned estate undergoing a transformation.
The controversial singer, who passed away in 2009 at the age of 50 from an overdose of anaesthetic propofol, bought the California property in 1987 for approximately $19.5million (£15.8m).
The property, which is located near Santa Barbara, spanned across 2,700-acres and was known for its larger than life theme park attractions.
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The 12,598-square-foot main house included five bedrooms and eight bathrooms and there was also another building situated on the property.
While Jackson was the owner of the property the ranch had a Ferris wheel, a train station, giant statues, and swan boats.
(Image: LB / SplashNews.com)
The extravagant ranch also included a 14-foot lagoon-style pool, a 50-seat movie theatre, a dance studio, and a tennis court.
Before his death in 2009, the hitmaker sold the infamous ranch to Colony Capital for $22.5m (£18.2m).
The ranch was later purchased by billionaire businessman Ron Burkle for $22m (£17.8m) in December 2020, however it was initially listed for almost four times as much as what he scooped it up for.
(Image: LB / SplashNews.com)
In December 2020, a spokesperson for the businessman said that he saw the ranch purchase as a land banking opportunity and it appears as though he had decided to resurrect pieces of the property.
Reports previously claimed the property fell into chaos after Jackson decided to sell, however it looks like work is being done to repair and restore the grounds.
(Image: LB / SplashNews.com)
The new snaps that have emerged show the fairground stands that appear to have been reinstalled, along with a playground of sorts and teepees.
As well as this, a new attraction called “Hook’s Revenge” could be seen in one of the photos, featuring a broken pirate ship with Captain Hook and his rival crocodile.
The train track that was on the property appears to still be intact while the petting zoo that was formerly onsite also appears to have been remade.
(Image: LB / SplashNews.com)
The enormous swimming pools that were once drained out have also been filled.
Although the property has been renamed as Sycamore Valley Ranch, the famous Neverland gardens as well as the basketball court graphic still have the previous name.
Jackson’s former home became the centre of controversy after allegations emerged accusing the singer of child abuse which stemmed over a certain period of time.
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During Jackson’s child molestation trial in 2003, police raided the property and discovered photos of nude children and other pornography in a triple-locked closet in his bedroom, according to Radar Online, who obtained what appeared to be the case documents in 2016.
In a report at the time, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department wrote that “the vast majority of the pictures were of teenagers and/or young adults”.
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The Rock With You singer was later cleared of charges in 2005 and moved out of his property, admitting that he felt it had been “too violated” by police during the raid.
While Jackson lived at the property, he opened the gates to a number of children to experience his home.
Speaking to Geraldo Rivera in 2005, he shared the reason why he decided to do it.
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He said: “I do it for my heart. There are many children in the cities who have never seen mountains, who haven’t been on a carousel, who haven’t petted a horse or a llama.
“So if I can open my gates and there’s that bliss – an explosion of screaming, laughter, and they run past me to the rides, I say ‘thank you God’.
“I feel I’ve won God’s smile of approval. Because I’m doing something that’s bringing joy and happiness to other people.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
