Inside Hidden Hills’ $26.75 Million Observatory Estate

Marty McFly 0
5824 Jed Smith Road Hidden Hills Observatory Estate

Featured Architecture · Hidden Hills

An intensely personal 18,183-square-foot estate combines Prairie-inspired architecture with a private museum, cinematic theater and hilltop observatory.

A Hidden Hills estate built around personality

Hidden Hills is known for private, celebrity-scale compounds, but 5824 Jed Smith Road stands out because it feels unusually personal. The nearly three-acre estate pairs Prairie-influenced architecture with a collection gallery, 750-gallon aquarium, custom theater and hilltop observatory.

The property was purchased on May 8, 2007 for $3,275,000, before the current residence was completed in 2012. It was first listed on January 21, 2026 for $26.75 million. The house spans 18,183 square feet with six en suite bedrooms and extensive indoor-outdoor entertainment spaces.

Prairie influence without imitation

Low-pitched roofs, broad overhangs, timber framing and stone piers give the exterior a strong horizontal profile. Inside, geometric railings, ceiling grids and custom lighting add a more graphic quality. The listing calls the combination "Frank Lloyd Wright meets Mondrian," although no architect was verified in the public sources reviewed.

Entertainment becomes architecture

The double-height living room rises beside an onyx-clad wall, while sliding glass walls connect the main rooms to a covered terrace. Downstairs, the owners' massive Star Wars collection has been arranged in illuminated display cases, transforming the lower level into a private museum.

The custom theater features a 19-foot diagonal screen, starry ceiling and glowing octagonal fixture. A music room, cantina bar, wine room and game room complete the lower-level entertainment spaces.

Gardens, recreation and an observatory

The 2.95-acre grounds include an indoor-outdoor pool, tennis court, half basketball court, outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, firepit, fruit trees and an organic vegetable garden. A trail climbs through the landscaping to a private observatory containing a 14-inch reflector telescope—the estate's most distinctive feature.

Technology behind the spectacle

A Crestron control system, 24-kilowatt photovoltaic array, energy monitoring, solar pool heating and an elevator support the house behind the scenes. Two three-car garages and extensive service areas help the large residence function without making its infrastructure the focus.

Why it stands out

The numbers are substantial: more than 18,000 square feet, nearly three acres and six garage spaces. What makes the estate memorable, however, is its point of view. The aquarium, collection halls, theater and observatory turn a long luxury-home amenity list into a portrait of its owners' interests.

Photo Tour

An aerial view places the rambling estate within Hidden Hills’ green, low-density landscape.
A built-in aquarium turns an interior passage into a luminous gallery.
Deep timber beams, stone piers and broad overhangs give the covered terrace its sheltering character.
Custom display cabinetry makes the downstairs lounge feel closer to a private museum.
Mature trees create a layered canopy across the nearly three-acre grounds.
Warm wood cabinetry and pendant lighting define the expansive chef’s kitchen.
A vaulted bedroom pairs tailored woodwork with views into the landscape.
The front elevation combines low rooflines, stone masses and substantial timber detailing.
Geometric metal railings animate the bridge overlooking the main living space.
A second-level gallery wraps the double-height great room.
Tall glazing and a monumental stone wall emphasize the living room’s vertical scale.
A disciplined ceiling grid brings a geometric rhythm to the formal dining room.
One of the kitchen’s large islands provides generous preparation and gathering space.
The kitchen layers natural wood cabinetry beneath a broad recessed ceiling plane.
Multiple work zones let the kitchen function at an entertainment scale.
Custom lighting introduces circles of color against the home’s rectilinear architecture.
An illuminated wine room presents bottles as part of the interior architecture.
A richly finished library opens to trees through a wide wall of windows.
The home theater’s octagonal light and colored acoustic panels create a cinematic centerpiece.
A skylight and suspended ceiling panels turn the theater volume into an abstract composition.
A lounge links the formal rooms with the home’s collection-focused spaces.
Glass-fronted cases line a gallery designed for an extensive memorabilia collection.
A central display tower anchors the lower-level collection hall.
The collection gallery extends beneath a staircase with repeating geometric railings.
An illuminated octagonal ceiling crowns the dedicated theater.
Star-like ceiling lights and layered curves give the theater a deliberately theatrical atmosphere.
The mirrored gym occupies a bright, high-volume room connected to the landscape.
A vaulted ceiling and clerestory windows bring daylight into an en suite bedroom.
The primary bath centers on a transparent glass shower enclosure.
Wood paneling and patterned textiles warm the large primary bathroom.
Octagonal mirrors and finely detailed woodwork repeat the home’s geometric motifs.
The grounds climb into a densely planted hillside behind the residence.
The observatory dome appears above layered gardens and mature trees.
Stone pergolas and planted slopes organize the outdoor rooms.
A constructed waterfall adds sound and movement to the garden.
A half basketball court is tucked into the estate’s recreation zone.
Pergolas and paths weave through the heavily landscaped grounds.
The sport court sits below a broad sky and a dense perimeter of trees.
A linear skylight cuts through the heavy timber roof of the covered patio.
The main outdoor room uses exposed trusses, stone and oversized lanterns.
Sliding glass walls connect the covered terrace directly to the interior.
At dusk, the estate reads as a low horizontal composition beneath a violet sky.
A private observatory dome rises from the upper garden.
The observatory houses a 14-inch reflector telescope.
An aerial view shows the residence and gardens spread across the hillside parcel.
The low roofscape settles into Hidden Hills’ mature tree canopy.
A wider aerial reveals the property’s relationship to the surrounding equestrian community.
The full tennis court occupies a secluded corner of the grounds.
Broad eaves and a low-pitched roof create a Prairie-influenced silhouette.
Stone piers, dark timber and deep overhangs define the main facade.

Property facts and photographs reflect the July 2026 CRMLS listing and public records available at publication. Verify current price and availability independently.

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