Onan's Gold Pyramid House – Wadsworth, Illinois - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Onan's Gold Pyramid House

Wadsworth, Illinois

A six-story-tall golden pyramid, surrounded by a moat. 

View all photos
The largest 24-karat gold plated object in existence. kirchersociety.org
The largest 24-karat gold plated object in existence. kirchersociety.org
User submitted
User submitted
User submitted
a busty fence lines the property. User submitted
The man at the base is 6' tall Jennifer Newport (Used by permission of Jennifer Newport)
Section of wall in front of Gold Pyramid House dacubsrule (Atlas Obscura User)
Underground storage? dacubsrule (Atlas Obscura User)
396
871
Related Stories
essential guide

The Essential Guide to Modern Pyramids

Darmon Richter December 18, 2013
Top Places in Illinois
The Wieners Circle
Chicago, Illinois
Site of Eugene Sawyer's “Inauguration”
Chicago, Illinois
Fabyan Windmill
Batavia, Illinois
 See All

The six-story-tall, 17,000-square-foot Gold Pyramid House in Wadsworth, Illinois has to be one of the most bizarre homes ever constructed. Its builders, Jim and Linda Onan explain in three nouns and two adjectives what their unique home represents: “Power, Gold, Mystery, Exotic, and Impressive.” The Onans are subscribers to the seventies cult theory of “pyramid power.” Their home is believed to be the largest 24-karat gold-plated object in North America.

Located on an island and surrounded by a giant moat, the Pyramid House has many remarkable features, including a 50-foot statue of King Tut, a metal palm tree and, a four car garage topped by three smaller pyramids.

The house sustained major fire damage on July 17, 2018. Its future is uncertain.

Know Before You Go

W. of 41,E. of 74 L on Wadsworth Rd. on Dilly Rd/Mill Creek Rd., North of School Stearns Rd.

follies and grottoes outsider architecture architectural oddities architecture
Nearby
Dead River
7.03 miles
Cuneo Mansion
11.30 miles
Orson Welles Birthplace
13.03 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Water leaks from the Dead River into Lake Michigan
Waukegan, Illinois

Dead River

A river with some unusual, and occasionally dangerous, habits.
Not too shabby.
Vernon Hills, Illinois

Cuneo Mansion

The study has wall paneling from a 17th century ship.
This house birthed Orson Welles
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Orson Welles Birthplace

The birthplace of a titan of American cinema.
Volo, Illinois

Volo Auto Museum

Its eclectic exhibits range from the world’s first motorcycle to Luke Skywalker’s Land Speeder.
Related Places
A modern-day view of the stone house
Alcolea del Pinar, Spain

Casa de Piedra (Stone House)

An impressive home made of stone, carved more than a century ago.
La Pobla de Lillet, Spain

Artigas Gardens

Famed architect Antoni Gaudi built this generous thank you gift to a friendly host who housed him during a job.
Sparta, Wisconsin

Wegner Grotto

Homemade outdoor church and sculpture garden decorated with glass shards.
Inside the tunnels of Kariz-e-Kish.
Kish, Iran

Kariz-e-Kish

Hydraulic systems in an ancient underground Iranian city.
Appears in 1 List
One of nine gardens
List

Around The World In Chicago

Travel the world without straying too far from the Windy City. Curated by our intrepid Chicago Facebook group–join the conversation here! www.facebook.com/groups/ChicagoAtlas
Samantha Chong March 14, 2018
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web