When it comes to silver screen stars, they don't get much bigger than Marilyn Monroe. The actress, model and singer took Hollywood by storm in the 1950s to become one of the world's most enduring icons. Over the course of her glamorous career, she went on to call over 43 places home. From high-end hotels to small apartments and sprawling Spanish-style mansions, let's take a look inside some of the jaw-dropping properties where Marilyn lived.

Having spent much of her life wandering from house to house until her untimely death in 1962, Marilyn Monroe surprisingly only ever owned one home, which she bought in the last year of her life. The star lived in the sprawling Beverly Hills mansion for just six months before she passed away, but the iconic star wasn't born into such a palatial property.

A world away from the glitz and glamour that would come to surround her, Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on 1 June 1926 in Los Angeles. Her mother, Gladys Baker, suffered from mental health problems and her father was absent from the star's life from the beginning. Marilyn had two half-siblings, Berniece and Robert, the latter of whom passed away in 1933. Marilyn only found out about Berniece when she was 12 years old, with the pair meeting for the first time in 1944. 

Just two weeks after she was born, Marilyn was taken to the foster home of Ida and Wayne Bolender by her mother Gladys. Over the next seven years, the young star kept in touch with her mother and the pair saw each other often. Marilyn stayed with her foster parents in their modest home until she was seven years old.

Pictured here, Marilyn's childhood home with the Bolenders was in the city of Hawthorne in southwestern Los Angeles. She lived in the 1,300-square-foot home with Ida, Wayne and her foster siblings. Marilyn then moved in with her mother in the summer of 1933 but it wasn't all plain sailing, with Gladys suffering a nervous breakdown in 1935. Monroe was eventually moved to the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society for two years, before living with family and friends in numerous homes across Los Angeles. 

 At just 16, Marilyn, still known as Norma Jeane, married high school sweetheart James Dougherty in 1942. The couple lived in this small apartment block for just one year until they moved on in 1943. Home to just eight small apartments, the Sherman Oaks property would have been the perfect starter house for the newly married couple. 

It's not known which of the apartments Monroe and her new husband stayed in, but it may have been a similar layout to this space. This unit comes in at just 600 square feet and has one bedroom and one bathroom, as well as a small balcony that overlooks the streets below. 

Today, the shoebox homes in the block boast modern wooden floors, air conditioning and compact kitchens that sit open-plan to the living areas. In the summer of 1943, the couple moved on from their snug starter home and rented out a bigger home in the San Fernando region of Los Angeles. 

After their brief time in the San Fernando Valley, the young couple upped sticks to Santa Catalina Island where Dougherty was enlisted in the Merchant Marines. However, in 1944 he was shipped out to the Pacific and Monroe had to move in with her in-laws. As Marilyn's modelling career started to take off, the couple began to have differing views over her future and parted ways in 1946. 

After her divorce, Marilyn stayed at the female-only Hollywood Studio Club for less than a year in the late 1940s, a residence for women who were in the motion picture business. She then rented a space in this apartment building in Burbank for the summer while the couple who owned the property were on holiday. The home was close to the Warner Brothers Studios, and it was during this period that Monroe embarked on her acting career with roles in Dangerous Years and Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! and went to change her name to the now-iconic Marilyn Monroe. 

After her stay in Burbank, Monroe moved into the West Hollywood apartment of actor John Carroll and stayed for just five months. Then in 1949, she upped sticks again to this home, a stone's throw away from the celebrity property hotspot of Sunset Boulevard, with Johnny Hyde, an American talent agent. Married at the time, Hyde later left his wife for Monroe. The talent agent was also said to have encouraged the young star to dye her hair platinum blonde 

The nearly 5,900-square-foot home has five bedrooms and six bathrooms and was built in 1941. With a grand sweeping staircase taking centre stage in the hallway, the property is undoubtedly glamorous – befitting of a rising star like Marilyn Monroe.

The plush two-storey residence boasts a spacious backyard with a swimming pool, a sun terrace and a guesthouse. To avoid gossip and rumours surrounding her affair with Hyde, Monroe later left the home and moved into the luxurious Beverly Carlton Hotel.

Following a stint living with fellow actress Natasha Lytess after parting ways with Hyde, Monroe met New York Yankees baseball star Joe DiMaggio in 1952 and the pair became inseparable. For six months, they rented a sprawling property in West Hollywood, before moving into this glamorous Hollywood Hills home, a year before they tied the knot in January 1954. 

Built in 1938, the spectacular property sits behind gates in the exclusive Outpost Estates and overlooks the breathtaking Runyon Canyon. With just over 3,300 square feet of interior space, the home is spread over two floors and offers four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms. 

The beautiful residence boasts classic Mediterranean architecture and features a sun-soaked terrace that's accessed through sliding doors from the main living space. Elsewhere, the plush estate also has a two-car garage, a luxurious swimming pool and a spa in the backyard.

In September 1954, around eight months after marrying Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn headed to New York for the filming of The Seven Year Itch. One of Monroe's most famous movies, it features the famous scene where her dress blows up over a subway gate. Not long after, having been married for just 274 days, the couple divorced in October 1954.  

Following her separation from DiMaggio, Marilyn moved into this elegant apartment building in West Hollywood. Known as Granville Towers, the French Normandy-style property is no stranger to celebrities. Over the years, the likes of Nicole Scherzinger and David Bowie have owned pads in the complex. In fact, Marilyn’s apartment was most recently owned by actor Portia de Rossi, wife of Ellen DeGeneres. The penthouse is currently on the market for $2.5 million (£1.9m).

The 2,032-square-foot penthouse apartment dates back to 1930 and Granville Towers was actually designed by iconic architects, Leland Bryant and Samuel Coine. Historic and highly elegant, the home boasts gorgeous structural elements, floor-to-ceiling windows and sprawling views. Resident amenities include a 24-hour doorman, a clubhouse, pool and spa. Though it's been modernized over the years, it isn't difficult to imagine how the apartment might have looked in Marilyn's day. 

The master suite is certainly fit for Hollywood royalty. The lofted space is one of two bedrooms in the apartment and boasts a soaring ceiling, sitting area, walk-in closet and an open-plan, wall-less ensuite bathroom. Elsewhere, Marilyn had access to a large lounge with city views, a compact kitchen and a chic dining room. Yet a little less than a year after she moved in, the star left Hollywood and headed for New York City, where she married her third and final husband...

Back in the early 1950s, Marilyn was introduced to playwright Arthur Miller, and following her divorce from DiMaggio, the two reconnected and embarked on an affair. Following Miller's divorce from his wife, they married in 1956 and the newlyweds reportedly moved into this penthouse in New York's Midtown East area. 

Said to be where Miller wrote the screenplay for The Misfits, the last film Monroe starred in, the plush penthouse features two bedrooms and just over 2,300 square feet of interior space. The airy open-plan living space and dining room lead through to the kitchen, which sits opposite a plush private elevator.

The luxury apartment is located in the 444 East 57th Street building, which is still popular with New York City's wealthy residents. Built in the 1920s, the home also comes with a 1,000-square-foot private terrace with spectacular riverside views of the Queensboro Bridge. 

During their marriage, Marilyn and Arthur rented out this picture-perfect windmill house in the Hamptons. Used as a hideout to avoid the paparazzi during their very public marriage, the secret holiday home still features the rotating blades from when it was an operational windmill.  

On the first floor, there are two characterful bedrooms, while the third floor still houses the original mechanics of the windmill, though this level now functions as a walk-in wardrobe. Located on five acres of land, the home was the perfect private escape for the famous couple. 

In January 1961, Monroe divorced Arthur Miller and headed back to California to Palm Springs, where she is said to have rented out this beautiful home. Built in 1961 and designed by Charles Dubois, the star reportedly moved in not long after it was built, presumably to escape the media circus surrounding her divorce. 

The 3,000-square-foot mid-century property features sleek open-plan living spaces with grey porcelain tiles and double-height beamed ceilings. Sleek and stylish, the four-bedroom home is surrounded by sliding glass doors that frame the beautifully landscaped grounds.

Outside, the backyard dazzles with a large swimming pool set against endless mountain views. Flanked by a wraparound patio and a covered terrace, it would've been the perfect alfresco entertaining spot for Marilyn to host fellow Hollywood A-listers.

Around 1961, Marilyn finally decided to put down roots and settled on this home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. By then aged 35, the star paid a reported $80,000 (£59.5k) and lived there with her longtime housekeeper Eunice Murray. Offering the actress a break from the spotlight, the private home sits behind secure walls and features a gated entrance.

Featuring four bedrooms and three bathrooms, the 2,600-square-foot house includes many of the details Monroe selected herself, after a reported trip to Mexico to hunt down decorations for the Spanish-style home. The single-storey residence, which dates back to 1929, boasts plenty of beautifully manicured outside spaces too.

With arched doorways and original beamed ceilings, the living room still features the original blue-tiled fireplace from Monroe's time at the house, while the kitchen is framed by a rustic wood ceiling and tiled floors. Not long moved into the property, the interior was only partially furnished when the star tragically passed away in her bedroom at the age of 36 in 1962.

Outside, the property's verdant grounds still resemble a tranquil paradise with a swimming pool, pristine lawns and a citrus orchard. The home is currently owned by Jasmine Chiswell, a Marilyn Monroe lookalike, who claims the mansion is haunted by the ghost of the glamorous star. Whatever the truth behind it, there's no denying that the silver screen icon had impeccable taste in real estate. 

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