7 Celebrities Who Have Bought Surprisingly Unique Properties, from Avocado Farms to Tombs
7 Celebrities Who Have Bought Surprisingly Unique Properties, from Avocado Farms to Tombs
Caroline BlairTue, October 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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Robert Redford; Sundance Mountain ResortCredit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty
While many celebrities own multiple properties around the world, a handful have made truly unique real estate investments.
In addition to owning homes in popular areas, some actors, musicians and entertainers have also opted for more rural lives on farms or ranches — including Gisele Bündchen, Martha Stewart and Millie Bobby Brown. Meanwhile, other stars have purchased their own islands.
Leonardo DiCaprio, for example, purchased a private island in Belize in 2005. Nicolas Cage, meanwhile, owns a nine-foot tall pyramid tomb in New Orleans.
Here are some of the most unique properties celebrities have purchased over the years.
01 of 07
Sandra Bullock’s avocado tree farm
Sandra Bullock; Sandra Bullock’s avocado tree farmCredit: Chloe Kern/FilmMagic; Getty
Although Sandra Bullock rose to fame for acting, she described real estate as her “first love” in a November 2021 appearance on the Smartless podcast.
In addition to her extensive real estate portfolio, the Practical Magic 2 actress was previously the owner of a 91-acre avocado tree farm in Valley Center, Calif. Bullock bought the property — that included 1,200 organic avocado trees — in 2007 for $2.72 million via a trust, per Mansion Global.
The farm, which was located about 40 miles northeast of San Diego, included a 5,938-square-foot main residence, a saltwater pool with spa, floral gardens and more. While she was the owner, Bullock reportedly converted the avocado trees to organic and imported olive trees, Cottages & Gardens reported.
In 2022, Bullock put the avocado farm up for sale and sold it for $5.6 million in 2022, according to Mansion Global.
02 of 07
Robert Redford’s Sundance Mountain Resort
Robert Redford; Sundance Mountain ResortCredit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty
Although Robert Redford was born in Santa Monica, Calif., and raised in Los Angeles, the late Oscar winner developed a deep love for Utah.
The Indecent Proposal actor and his then-wife Lola Van Wagenen got their start in Utah in 1961 when they bought a 2-acre plot of land in Provo Canyon for $500, and he built a small family cabin, per The New York Times.
By 1969, Redford, who was an avid environmental advocate, had expanded his reach to 5,000 acres in hopes of creating a sanctuary “that he thought was exquisite,” according to the Redford Center.
He continued building up the land when he bought the Timp Haven ski resort — which he later renamed the Sundance Mountain Resort — and founded the the Sundance Film Festival in 1978. The Sundance Institute followed soon after, in 1981.
Redford eventually sold the 2,800-acre Sundance Mountain Resort in 2020, but there are various large portions that remain protected.
03 of 07
Bear Grylls’ private island
Bear Grylls and his wife, Shara; Bear Grylls’ island in WalesCredit: Karwai Tang/WireImage; Bear Grylls/Instagram
Bear Grylls took his passion and dedication for the outdoors to a new level when he purchased his own island in Wales.
The survival expert and his wife, Shara, bought Saint Tudwal’s Island West, which is located off the coast of the Llyn Peninsula in Wales, in 2001 for £95,000, or around $135,000, according to the Telegraph. The surrounding waters are home to dolphins, seals and other marine life.
“In 2001 we were going to buy a London flat for $288,000, but we bought a houseboat on the Thames [now sold] and the island together and it cost less than the apartment, so we decided on the path less trodden and an amazing adventure,” Grylls told The Sunday Times in 2021.
At the time Grylls purchased the island, it was uninhabitable but featured a 200-year-old lighthouse and two lightkeeper’s cottages.
“[The houses] were derelict with no power, no water, no roof and rats,” he told The Sunday Times. “I remember my first bath sitting in three inches of water pumped from the old tanks we’d cleaned out. There was rubble everywhere and rain coming through, but it was a great moment.”
By 2012, Grylls had merged the cottages but still struggled with the sea spray and intense winds.
“It took about ten years to gain permission to build a slipway on the island, which we finished about three years ago,” he explained. “It has been life-changing for us. Previously we had to keep a boat on a mooring, row ashore and walk a mile up the beach with all the shopping.”
He continued, “We have wild, wild seas and when it got rough you wouldn’t sleep thinking about what would happen to the boat. We also have an old RNLI D-class lifeboat. The boys have grown up very competent and respectful around the sea. We have a quad bike and trailer to get supplies up to the house.”
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04 of 07
Céline Dion’s water park house
Céline Dion at a screening of ‘I Am: Celine Dion’ in 2024Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images
Céline Dion and her late husband, René Angélil, built a “Bahamian-inspired” 5.5-acre beachfront estate in 2010 on Jupiter Island, Fla., Cottages & Gardens reported based on a listing.
The “My Heart Will Go On” singer included a 500,000-gallon water park that included a lazy river connecting two pools, bridges and a waterslide, per Vogue Australia. There was also a second pool sitting along the beach.
In addition to the unique water features, the 10,000-square-foot main home included five bedrooms, two separate four-bedroom guest houses, a tennis house, pool house and beach house.
Dion listed the one-of-a-kind property for sale in 2013 for $72.5 million before she lowered the price in increments until she sold it for $38.5 million in 2017, per the Montreal Gazette.
05 of 07
Nicolas Cage’s pyramid tomb
Nicolas Cage; Nicolas Cage’s pyramid tombCredit: Michael Loccisano/Getty; SplashNews.com
Cage has been preparing for his future burial for nearly two decades.
The National Treasure actor purchased a nine-foot tall pyramid tomb at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, which is New Orleans’ oldest cemetery, in 2010.
The empty white stone pyramid mausoleum is inscribed with the Latin words “omnia ab uno”, which translates to “Everything from One,” and attracts tourists, despite its private location.
“The tomb puzzles everyone, even people who give tours of the graveyard for a living,” the description on Ripley’s Believe It or Not reads. “Since its installation, the tomb has even become the subject of tourists’ attention, with women leaving red lipstick marks on its white surface.”
06 of 07
Leonardo DiCaprio’s island
Leonardo DiCaprio at the premiere of ‘One Battle After Another’ in 2025Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage
DiCaprio is channeling his passion for environmentalism with a project on the small island of Blackadore Caye in Belize.
The Titanic actor bought the unpopulated 104-acre island, which is located west of Ambergris Caye, for $1.75 million with resort owner Jeff Gram in 2005, according to The New York Times.
“As soon as I got there, I fell in love,” DiCaprio told the publication of the first time he visited the island. “Belize is truly unique. It has the second largest coral reef system in the world, and it has some of the most biodiverse marine life, like the manatee population and almost every species of fish you can imagine. Then there are the Mayan temples and the culture.”
When DiCaprio purchased the island, he had plans to create an eco-conscious resort, titled “Blackadore Caye, a Restorative Island,” that would combine a luxury resort with environmentally designed aspects.
“The main focus is to do something that will change the world,” DiCaprio said. “I couldn’t have gone to Belize and built on an island and done something like this, if it weren’t for the idea that it could be groundbreaking in the environmental movement.”
The resort was scheduled to open in 2018 but has faced various design setbacks and regulatory delays.
07 of 07
George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch
George Lucas; Skywalker RanchCredit: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc
Filmmaker George Lucas combined both his personal and professional life with Skywalker Ranch.
The Star Wars creator began purchasing the land that is now Skywalker Ranch in Nicasio, Calif., in 1978 and has since transformed it into a 4,700-acre moviemaking compound.
The former dairy ranch includes 14 buildings centered around a Victorian-Style white home built in 1985, according to a 2004 profile in Architectural Digest. The home has become a retreat and workspace for Lucas.
“I’ve always worked out of my house,” he told the outlet. “I think a lot of writers do. It’s just a much more friendly atmosphere, more comfortable and calming. I wanted a nice, quiet place to come up with ideas, because, really, we’re in the ideas business. So when I got the opportunity and the wherewithal to do it, I thought, Well, I’m going to do it myself.”
The property includes the post-production facility Skywalker Sound, a bed-and-breakfast for visitors, soundstage studios, three restaurants, a health club, a theater, vineyards and a garden various farm animals call home. Many aspects of the property are named after Lucas’ projects.
Skywalker Ranch also boasts its own fire department, the Lucasfilm Research Library and a staff of 250 employees, per the outlet.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
