Californian mansions are known for their lavish amenities—we've all heard about The One, haven't we? From luxe swimming pools and bowling alleys to Louis Vuitton furnishings, we're used to seeing plenty of bling, but some properties on America's west coast come with features that you simply wouldn't be able to guess existed. From the outside, this property is ordinary enough, but head inside and things take a turn for the unusual...

Positioned on a two-acre lot inside the gated community of Hidden Hills West Estates, the house measures an impressive 11,000 square feet and across its three floors, you'll find a double-height entrance hall, numerous formal living rooms, a massive quartz kitchen, six bedrooms, and six bathrooms—some of which are draped in black marble. Everywhere you look you'll spot high-end details, such as hand-blown Murano glass light fixtures. So far, so normal...

But head into the home's basement and you'll be greeted by this incredible home theatre—not the movie kind, the Broadway variety! Complete with velvet seating and a huge stage, the room looks to have been designed for putting on private am-dram shows.

According to listing agent, Holly Hatch of The Agency, the seating was sourced from Italy and dates back to the 18th century. Reportedly, the person who built the home loved opera and would have people come from all over the world to sing in his house. In fact, Andrea Bocelli apparently performed on this stage. If you've got $3.9 million (£3.3m) going spare, then you could soon be hosting award-winning singers yourself.

Known for their grand façades and characterful interiors, American castles are often overflowing with features that make them truly unique. However, this 30-acre estate in the Californian city of Jackson might well be the most unusual castle of all time. Let's find out more...

The pad was constructed in 1985 and measures an impressive 8,500 square feet. Traditional and elegant in equal measure, its rooms are decorated with plenty of refined architectural details, including timber-panelled walls, hardwood floors, and ornate fireplaces. There's a living room, a dining room, two kitchens, seven bedrooms, and six bathrooms. There's even a private apartment on the lower level. But this fairytale castle has far more than that to offer...

That's right, outside you'll find a miniature theme park, complete with Ferris wheels, bumper cars, a merry-go-round, a train ride, and various other attractions that were bought and installed by the previous owners.

The estate even has a faux safari park, with life-size metal animals and circus characters dotted around, as well as a 3,000-square-foot bar and banquet hall that was previously used for hosting weddings. Fancy getting your hands on the place? Well, you're in luck because it's currently for sale with Foundation Real Estate for just shy of $4 million (£3.3m). 

Over in Fayetteville, Arkansas, lies this 393-acre estate. In fact, the property has the largest contiguous tract of land in the city and the previous owners certainly put that land to good use.

The 7,764-square-foot home was finished in 2016 and features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, endless living spaces with vaulted ceilings and walls of glass, and even a luxurious basement, kitted out with games, a bar, and a pool table.

There's a movie theatre and gym, too, as well as a 606-square-foot guest house and 4,125 square feet of outdoor patio space—perfect for whiling away the hours.

But outside is where things get really interesting because this property comes with its very own race track. The 1.2-mile-long asphalt course is perfect for go-carts and could even be used as a way of generating extra income. Plus, there's a huge garage and shop building, where you could store and repair your favourite toys. On the market with RE/MAX for $6.7 million (£5.6m), this home was designed for a true petrolhead. 

This magnificent property in Palm Springs is just one of the countless mid-century modern homes in the Californian city, but trust us when we say this one is unlike any of the others. Built in 1972, it can be found inside the private gated Rose Hill enclave of Las Palmas Heights.

The pad has an 8,000-square-foot interior and as soon as you take one look at it, it's clear this is no ordinary mid-century home. That’s because it was designed by Buff & Hensman for Jerry Zarowitz, the former Caesar's Palace executive who was imprisoned for bribing New York Giants football players to influence the NFL championship game in 1946. Throughout, there are plenty of Caesar's Palace-inspired design details, including the trademark Roman-esque patterns in the flooring.

Since Zarowitz’s day, the house has been thoughtfully upgraded, but luckily the previous owner kept plenty of elements we're sure the former gambling magnet would have loved. This includes a mini in-house casino, complete with roulette and blackjack tables. There's also a bar and a grand piano to keep any guests at the tables for as long as possible! Other amazing extras include the home’s media room and custom three-sided glass wine cellar.

Plus, the backyard is home to a miniature putting green, perhaps a nod to the many world-renowned golf courses that can be found in Las Vegas. Celebrities including Frank Sinatra and two U.S. Presidents have stayed here, too, according to the listing. We can certainly see why! The dreamy house is for sale right now for $11.8 million (£9.9m), but you know what they say— the House always wins!

From the outside, this luxurious property looks like a grand traditional estate with its turrets and sweeping verandas. Located in the city of Wentzville, Missouri, the lavish residence was built in 2001 and could definitely be described as a 'Peter Pan' house, designed for someone who seemingly didn't want to grow up...

Measuring 20,550 square feet, the mansion is currently up for grabs for $14.9 million (£12.5m), making it one of Missouri’s most expensive homes to date. And when you start to explore all of its lavish features, you'll soon understand why. As well as seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, the property also comes equipped with a two-storey library and its very own indoor chapel, finished with stained-glass windows and wooden pews.

This mansion is basically home to its own tiny town, too! Outside, you'll find 20 acres of land, kitted out with every conceivable luxury. There's a stable block designed to look like a traditional English convenience store, a sports field, an events venue, a bowling alley, a bar, a movie theatre, a dance hall, a conference room, changing rooms, plus basketball and volleyball courts. What else could you possibly need? But yet there's more...

According to Realtor, the owners who built the property allowed plenty of input from their five kids. In fact, they let each child come up with a design for the pool and the winning idea was custom-built by a professional pool architect. If that wasn’t enough extravagance, the mega-mansion also boasts two racing slides, a lazy river, a hot tub, and a swim-up bar area. The 20-acre estate is also home to a fantastic playground, with a Ferris wheel and a carnival-style flying car ride.

With its 50,738-square-foot interior, this is one of the biggest homes in America. Located at the end of Hobble Creek Canyon in Springville, Utah, the mega-mansion is currently on the market for a cool $17.5 million (£14.7m), but for their money, the new owner will gain plenty of amazing extras.

The pad is situated on a bluff, with jaw-dropping views of the Wasatch Mountains, but you'd be forgiven for being totally distracted by what's going on inside! There’s a grand foyer with a 20-foot ceiling, massive chandelier, and elegant dual staircases, as well as a formal living room, six bedrooms and eight bathrooms—including a huge master suite. There's even a resort-style indoor pool with a waterslide, waterfall, lazy river, rope swing, hot tub, and kitchen.

But that isn’t all. There’s a children's playroom with a pirate ship, slide and ball pool, an area outside that was designed as a shooting range, a two-lane bowling alley, a 27-seater movie theatre, and a games room, so there's definitely something for the whole family.

The home would be perfect for a sports star, too, since it comes with a full-size indoor basketball court, a fitness centre, and a sauna for unwinding after working up a sweat. Plus, with 156 acres of land just outside your front door, you'd be able to do whatever you liked with this extensive estate.

Another amazing Californian home is this one. Known as Villa Bellezza, the lavish mansion lies in Calabasas, where celebrities including Will Smith, Khloé Kardashian, and Britney Spears live. However, listed for a cool $23.9 million (£20.1m), this deluxe home is unlike any you might have seen before...

For starters, the home has a 1.3-acre garden, which was created by Hollywood icon James Dean and features a pool, a spa, and a life-sized chess board. Inside, there's 15,745 square feet of space and every single room is decorated with eye-catching textiles and architectural details. You'd be forgiven for thinking the estate is historic, but the Italianate home was actually finished in 2010, after a six-year construction project.

There are seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, a formal entry that leads to a 150-foot-long gallery hallway with a soaring cross-vault ceiling, a library, and a dazzling great room with a 28-foot ceiling, covered in hand-painted frescoes. Elsewhere, there’s a movie theatre, a 1,100-bottle wine cellar and tasting room, a beauty salon, a gym, and a five-car garage. The rooms benefit from some of the finest craftsmanship and interior design in the world. 

From extraordinary crown mouldings to custom-carved travertine fireplaces and marble floors, no expense was spared during the creation of this home. Yet the piece de resistance has to be the Marie Antoinette-inspired primary suite. Draped in the finest fabrics, it has a private patio, a beauty room with palladium windows, a Roman bath, a custom-built closet, and a kitchenette. How's that for surprising?

This sprawling private estate can be found in the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, which is very apt when you see all of the home's magical extras. As well as a 550-acre garden and 50,762 square feet of living space, this mega-mansion harbours plenty of billionaire bling. In fact, it took the former owner 35 years to create this one-of-a-kind retreat. Let's take a closer look...

Known as Big Tree Farm, the main custom-built log home has 15 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, a double-storey living room, and a huge kitchen, all decked out with rustic stone fireplaces, exposed timbers, and plenty of leather furnishings. But the house isn't all that exciting when you find out what lies in the backyard. In a separate structure, you'll find a private gas station, complete with pumps, a mechanics garage, and an auto showroom. But that isn't all...

The luxurious home also boasts a retro American diner, complete with a counter, red leather booths, iridescent surfaces, and neon lights. Akin to the Hard Rock Cafe, the diner's walls are overflowing with movie and music memorabilia, including guitars, records, and signed posters. It's also climate-controlled, so any patrons stay nice and cool while they're tucking into their fries.

There's even an entertainment barn, equipped with a saloon-style bar. Other highlights include the home's Kentucky Derby-themed guest house, fitness centre, and games room, which is decked out with old-school arcade machines and foosball tables. If you've fallen in love, the property is currently for sale with Talk to Tucker for a staggering $47.9 million (£40.2m). 

Mesa Vista Ranch in Pampa, Texas, is one of the largest and most expensive properties ever to come on the market in America. Built for T. Boone Pickens, a prominent oil executive and financier who passed away in September 2019, the vast estate covers more than 100 square miles.

At the core of the ranch sits a 25,000-square-foot residence called The Lodge, which features everything from living rooms and a library to a 30-seat home cinema and a conference centre. The amazing American estate also has a chapel, as well as two additional homes with a total of eight bedrooms.

As far as luxury features go, the ranch is hiding more than its fair share. The estate has its own FAA-approved airport, consisting of a 25,000-square-foot hangar and 6,000-foot runway, so you can jet off at a moment's notice. There's also a dedicated gun room on-site, plus a two-storey pub. Talk about billionaire bling!

If that wasn't enough, Mesa Vista Ranch offers some of the best quail hunting in the world, and the seller will even throw in Boone's pack of 40 bird dogs. The animals, which have been expertly trained to retrieve shot quails, live in what must be one of the world's largest and most well-appointed kennels. The two-storey building has all the mod cons, including a meat processing centre and veterinary lab. Bet you weren't expecting that!

Loved this? Check out more unusual homes hiding intriguing secrets