Some might say it’s dino-mite.
What do you put in the entryway of a 12,500-square-foot mansion that has everything? A real Allosaurus skeleton, evidentially—one worth an estimated $1.5 million.
The home, meanwhile, is listed for $37.95 million. Developer Tim Ralston incorporated the fossil because he saw an increasing number of on-the-market digs featuring distinct centerpieces. He admits, though, that the dinosaur—a Jurassic-era skeleton that’s more than 100 million years old—was not his idea.
“My first thought was no. It took a little convincing,” he tells Robb Report. “But the buyer wants a home that has everything, and this is a phenomenal, museum-quality piece. Everyone asks if it’s real.” Ralston found the piece via a private collector. It’s also available for purchase separately from the home.
Photography by Anthony Barcelo
Moving on from the elephant—er, dinosaur—in the room, the rest of the Beverly Hills mansion has plenty to offer. Decked out in Visionnaire furniture, the five-bed, nine-bath home has a wellness center with a sauna and steam room, a fitness studio with Technogym equipment and a car showroom with room for four automotive showpieces—all on the lower level. Also downstairs is a glassy, 600-bottle wine room and a 12-seat home theater.
Outside, a 1,000-foot-long driveway leads to the estate, and an 80-foot infinity pool takes advantage of the city and ocean views. In total, the property has 10,000 square feet of exterior space.
Photography by Anthony Barcelo
And there’s more than one museum-worthy piece in the residence. Ralston teamed up with art consultants Creative Art Partners (CAP), who furnished the home with a handful of blue-chip artworks. Each can be purchased separately from the real estate, with the home or swapped out for other pieces in CAP’s collection.
Photography by Anthony Barcelo
But, gorgeous as the home may be, it does beg the question—after a million-dollar fossil, what’s next? Ralston’s already got a plan: “I was talking to [the collector] and he told me he has a woolly mammoth skull,” he says. “So we might incorporate that into our next home out in Malibu.”
While we wait for that listing to surface, check out more photos of the Beverly Hills property, below:
Photography by Anthony Barcelo
Photography by Anthony Barcelo
Photography by Anthony Barcelo
