Buy Bacall’s (Haunted?) Home… For $26 Million

The world lost a piece of Hollywood history when silver screen legend Lauren Bacall passed away. Now, says Curbed New York, the actress’s estate is about to hit the market. Making the story even more interesting than the usual Tinseltown real estate fare? The home is valued at $26 million… and it’s apparently haunted to the hilt.

The iconic heights of The Dakota remain silver screen-ready after all these years… but what about the rumors of supernatural activity?

The Dakota building is notorious as the setting of Rosemary’s Baby (which, you will recall, involved Satan – coincidence?) and as the place where John Lennon was shot. Located in the area of Central Park West, it boasts one of the city’s most desirable addresses. It is also considered one of the Big Apple’s most spooky sites. Bacall once counted Roberta Flack and Boris Karloff as her neighbors. If you believe the hype, some of the building’s former residents might still be hanging around.

But back to Bacall’s unit. The high-ceilinged residence was bought in 1961 for $28,000. Talk is that it was appraised at $9 million, but that Bacall’s star-powered legacy (either that, or the building’s notoriety) ups the asking price. Reports also say that the home has been virtually untouched since the era during which Bacall first bought it, and that it’s screaming for a reno. Only time will tell if there’s a buyer out there willing to take on such a costly investment.

But back to the juicy stuff: rumors of paranormal activity have swirled ’round The Dakota for years. Workers and residents report frequent, unexplainable sightings, including a little girl in Victorian dress, a man with the face of a child, and, allegedly, John Lennon himself.

Whomever plans to take on Bacall’s old haunt will need to come equipped with deep pockets and a healthy appreciation for ghostly guests.