You don’t need to be a ghoul to live in a haunted mansion. You just need close to a million dollars and a desire to live in Georgia.
Just in time for Halloween, a 10,000-square foot home modeled after Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion is for sale in a gated community in Duluth, Ga. It is the only known home that replicates a Disneyland landmark, according to a release by Theme Park Connections, which is assisting in the sale of the house for owner Mark Hurt. The mansion has seven bedrooms and six bathrooms and is currently listed for $873,000.
“There’s got to be some Disney fan out there who would love to live in a replica of the Haunted Mansion,’’ Hurt told TODAY.com.
Hurt, who has worked as a contractor for Disney for years, built the home in 1996 in a neighborhood featuring New Orleans-style houses. He had met with an architect who had done work in Disney’s planned community of Celebration, Fla., and came up with the idea of the haunted mansion to fit the New Orleans theme.
“It’s not creepy and broken down,” Hurt said. “It just happens to be a replica. Halloween is a big deal and fun for the kids. We would put out an animatronic, full-sized Bengal tiger along with a fire pit and special effects [during the holiday].”
The home looks more contemporary now than when it was first built. Hurt had filled it with antiques and collectibles, and his vast Disney art collection covered the walls. He has since cleaned out the entire home and painted the walls white in order for the next owners to put in their own fixtures and furniture.
And just to be clear, the mansion is not officially haunted, although it may have seemed that way when it was initially constructed.
“As the house settled in the first year or so, there was a steel structure in the elevator shaft in the center of the house that made some of the most bizarre, weird noises,’’ Hurt said. “In the middle of the night one time, a weld popped loose on one of the decorator panels and made this ungodly, explosive ringing sound that scared the death out of us. It was like it was haunted.’’
Hurt and his family have moved to the island of Kauai in Hawaii, where he is building a new theme home that is a replica of the Grand Californian Hotel in Disneyland. He is also installing a pool in the theme of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland, complete with waterfalls and a faux elephant.
“It doesn’t make sense to keep (the Georgia home) because it becomes an expensive hotel room,’’ Hurt said. “…Between the taxes and homeowner’s fees, if you’re not there enough, it’s not worth it. It needs to be a home for somebody, whether it’s for the haunted mansion or not. We’ve had a real blast there.’’
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