Thriller Villa is the name given to the primary structure of Hacienda Palomino, the 1.7 acre compound which was the final Las Vegas residence of Michael Jackson. An eccentric theater developer and art collector built the astounding home to house his collection of priceless art, including in its underground vaults. Later, Michael Jackson used the vaults to hide his massive art collection, secretly brought to the property from Neverland Ranch and from London. The Famously ornate Neverland Chapel, a chapel-themed performing arts hall at Thriller Villa, like the rest of the structures on the grounds of the Hacienda Palomino compound, is not open or available to the public. The entire property is a private residence and no business is transacted. However, the owners do on occasion host events at Thriller Villa to benefit the Liberace Foundation and the Las Vegas community. Built decades ago, the compound, complete with its hidden stairways and tunnels, remains owned and managed by members of the diplomatic community, and managed by the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts. This final bastion of the King of Pop remains a private residence, but the owners donate the use of most of the space to the Liberace Foundation for the Performing and Creative Arts, a not-for-profit organization which has distributed over $6 million in arts scholarships. Here the Foundation stores, maintains and develops exhibits for the Liberace Museum Collection of artifacts bequeathed to it by Liberace. A FABLED HISTORY
Contrary to many reports in the national press, Thriller Villa was not built in the 1950's and was not brought "brick by brick" from Mexico. A completely different, small ranch home was homesteaded there in 1955, which was replaced in the late 1990's by Las Vegan Horst Schmidt, known for having built the Redrock 11 Theaters on West Charleston Blvd. in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Schmidt was among the first in Las Vegas to create the feeling of an outdoor village inside a structure. This was the hallmark of his theater complex, as well as the Fremont Street Experience with which he was affiliated. The concept is now the norm in Las Vegas, with such properties as the Caesar's Forum shops, Canal Shops at Venetian, Miracle Mile at Planet Hollywood and others. Within Thriller Villa are numerous other themes and areas designed to resemble outdoor scenes. Some have remarked that the make believe settings created by Schmidt resemble other environments created by or enjoyed by Jackson in his lifetime. Subterranean passages, hidden staircases and rooms, spy windows on great rooms and over 28,000 square feet (over 2,600 square meters) of labyrinthian construction add to the mystique. The property is not open to the public, and tours by invitation only.
