Oheka Castle, the 127-room Long Island estate that inspired 'The Great Gatsby,' is heading to auction. Look inside.

An aerial view of Oheka Castle. J. Conrad Williams, Jr./ Oheka Castle, the second-largest private home in the US, is headed to the auction block. The estate is said to have inspired "The Great Gatsby," and has been used in film and TV. It's also a favorite wedding venue for celebrities, such as Kevin Jonas, Megyn Kelly, and more. If you've ever read or seen "The Great Gatsby," you know 1920s New York was home to extravagant mansions with owners who hosted lavish parties — and if you've watched "The Gilded Age," you know those parties began decades earlier in the 1870s. And if you're a really dedicated fan, you can own a piece of F. Scott Fitzgerald history yourself. Oheka Castle, a sprawling, century-old estate said to have inspired the parties in "The Great Gatsby," is set to go up for auction on October 27, via Concierge and Adam Modlin of The Modlin Group. Its original homeowner was financier Otto Hermann Kahn, who built Oheka Castle — named after its owner (Oh-He-Ka) — in 1919 on Long Island. Kahn's wife used to call the home "Otto's zoo," and it seemed to be an accurate description. A-listers of the time used to party at the 109,000-square-foot home, with Kahn as a Gatsby-like figure entertaining all his guests. But Oheka's journey didn't end there. After Kahn's death in 1934, the property changed hands numerous times until it was abandoned in the '80s. Fires, vandalism, and theft devastated it. According to Oheka Castle, land developer Gary Melius then purchased the estate and spent $40 million restoring it to its former glory. He defaulted on a loan over a decade ago, Forbes reported, and declared bankruptcy in July 2025 to forestall what's happening now: Oheka on the auction block. Today, it's the second-largest private home in the US, behind only Biltmore House in North Carolina. It's a popular venue for weddings, a restaurant, and a hotel, and has been featured in movies, TV shows, and music videos. Taylor Swift even filmed the "Blank Space" video there. You can also tour the grounds for $30. I took the tour in April 2024 and was astonished by the beauty of Oheka Castle. Here's what it was like to visit. Oheka Castle was built in 1919 by German-American financier Otto Hermann Kahn. The grounds at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider He paid about $11 million, or about $213 million in today's currency, for 443 acres of land in West Hills, New York. The front of Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Oheka Castle has seen a lot in its 100-plus years, and for anyone who wants to learn more, tours are offered twice daily. Sitting outside of Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider So, I decided to visit. All I knew about Oheka was that Kevin Jonas got married there and Taylor Swift filmed the "Blank Space" music video there. "Blank Space." YouTube But Oheka has a rich history. I learned all about it on a beautiful afternoon in April 2024. Standing by the gazebo. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider When you drive to the entryway, it's a bit intimidating. There's someone working the gate who must let you in. The front gate. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Then comes a long driveway. I felt like I was going back in time to the Gilded Age. The driveway. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider My first look at the main house was astounding — and yes, I mean house. Oheka Castle is the second-largest private residence in the US. The front door. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider It's also on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added in September 2004. The plaque adding Oheka to the National Register of Historic Places. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider When Kahn built this house, he had three requirements: He wanted to be high up, he wanted a view of the water, and he needed the house to be fireproof. An exterior staircase. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider His previous house in New Jersey had burned down. Oheka, in contrast, is built entirely out of stone. Some of the stonework at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider I went inside and waited in front of a grand staircase with the rest of my group for our tour to begin. The staircase. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider When it began, we saw photos of how the house looked before its current owner restored it. We'd learn more about this later. The grand staircase in 1984. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider The first room we entered was this beautiful entryway with a mural of the sky on the ceiling. The entryway. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider The house itself is 109,000 square feet and has 127 rooms. More of Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Many of the rooms are dedicated to showing off the home's history, like the Chaplin Room. The Chaplin Room. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Charlie Chaplin was just one of the many '20s A-listers who hung out at Oheka. This photo shows Chaplin (right) with Kahn (center) and actor Douglas Fairbanks (left). Fairbanks, Kahn, and Chaplin. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider In fact, according to my tour guide, Jay Gatsby's wild parties in "The Great Gatsby" were inspired by what was going down at Oheka in the '20s. "The Great Gatsby." Warner Bros. Pictures This was Kahn's wife Adelaide's favorite room. Adelaide wasn't as big of an entertainer as her husband, but this sunny room was perfect for guests. Adelaide's favorite room. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider This ballroom is the only room that's not original to Kahn's time inside Oheka today. The ballroom. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider But as you can see from the ballroom's windows, Oheka met Kahn's requirement for a view of the water. He used to dock his yacht there. That's Cold Spring Harbor in the background. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Kahn, who was Jewish, also built a golf course on his property — country clubs at the time wouldn't admit Jewish people or allow them to play. The golf course next to Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider After Kahn's death in 1934, the property was shuffled between owners. From 1948 to 1979, it was the Eastern Military Academy. Otto Kahn in 1933. During those days, what is now the breakfast room was used as a gym. A breakfast room. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider From that room, we made our way to this huge library. Oheka's library. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider A portrait of Kahn hung above the fireplace. Otto Hermann Kahn. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Our final stop on the first floor was this room, which also houses a bar. Press clippings about Oheka adorned the walls. The bar. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Among the displayed articles was Danielle and Kevin Jonas' wedding spread in People. They got married at the estate in 2009. Kevin and Danielle Jonas' wedding spread in People. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Then we went upstairs to check out the hotel and bridal suite. The hallway at Oheka's hotel. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider The bridal suite, which is on the fourth floor, opens with this mural-covered entryway. The bridal suite entryway. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider A beautiful open room with windows allows wedding parties to take in the view of Oheka's well-manicured grounds. Bridal suite. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider The gardens at Oheka are breathtaking from above. The garden from the bridal suite. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Here's the main bedroom of the bridal suite. The bedroom in the bridal suite. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider The primary bathroom has a bathtub and a shower. The bridal suite bathroom. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Then it was time to check out the gardens — and to learn what happened to Oheka. The gardens. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider When the Eastern Military Academy went bankrupt and vacated its premises in 1979, Oheka was left abandoned. Oheka Castle in 2014. John Paraskevas/ Residents who lived nearby were concerned about vandalism. One neighbor even took this statue for safekeeping and returned it when Oheka was restored in the '80s. A statue at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Land developer Gary Melius purchased Oheka in 1984 and spent $40 million restoring it to its former glory. Huntington, N.Y.: Businessman Gary Melius during an interview in his office at Oheka Castle in Huntington, New York on August 6, 2014. Thomas A. Ferrara/ The gardens were originally designed by the Olmsted Brothers, best known for helping with Central Park. The front yard at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Melius used those original sketches to restore Oheka. The gazebo at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider These statues were tracked down at an auction and are thought to date back to the Renaissance. A statue at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Now, it's a beautiful wedding venue, hotel, restaurant, and home — Melius keeps an apartment on the third floor. The restaurant at Oheka. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider As I left the grounds, I got one more look at the restaurant and its courtyard. The courtyard. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider I would highly recommend taking a tour of Oheka. As I viewed its stunning surroundings and learned about its unique history, I felt like I was traveling back in time. Sitting at the fountain. Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider Read the original article on Business Insider

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