The 110,000-square-foot Long Island mansion featured in Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” video is heading to auction; Oheka Castle will go under the hammer on October 27 after decades as a luxury estate
Oheka Castle, the sprawling New York mansion that served as the lavish backdrop for Taylor Swift’s 2014 hit music video “Blank Space,” is headed to auction next month.The more than 110,000-square-foot French Renaissance-style estate, located in Huntington on Long Island’s Gold Coast, will be sold through Concierge Auctions in cooperation with Adam Modlin of the Modlin Group. The live auction is scheduled for October 27 at The Dominick hotel in Manhattan.Located less than 40 miles from Midtown Manhattan, the 127-room property sits on approximately 23 acres and is one of the most historically significant private estates in the United States.
A mansion with more than a century of history
Oheka Castle will go under the hammer on October 27. (Photo: Brett Matthews Photography, Elliott Kaufman Photography, Phillip Ennia, Stefen Turner, and Camelot)
Oheka Castle was built between 1914 and 1919 for financier and arts patron Otto Kahn. Designed by architects Delano & Aldrich, the estate is described by Concierge Auctions as the second-largest private residence ever built in the US.The property has also developed a strong connection with Hollywood and popular culture over the decades. Its screen history dates back more than 80 years, long before Swift filmed “Blank Space” there.Oheka stood in for the fictional Xanadu in the opening newsreel sequence of Orson Welles’ 1941 classic “Citizen Kane.” More recently, the estate appeared as a Hungarian hunting lodge in the second season of HBO’s “Succession.”
Taylor Swift filmed ‘Blank Space ’ at the estate
The lavish estate has a long history on screen beyond Taylor Swift’s music video. (Photo: Elliott Kaufman Photography)
Swift’s increasingly chaotic and self-deprecating performance in “Blank Space” introduced Oheka Castle to a new generation of fans.Released in 2014 as part of her album 1989, the music video features Swift portraying an exaggerated version of a wealthy, obsessive lover whose relationship spirals into chaos inside an extravagant mansion.The estate’s ornate interiors, expansive grounds and grand architecture provided the perfect setting for the video’s lavish aesthetic.
‘No comparable property in the American real estate market’
The 110,000-square-foot mansion has undergone a $40 million restoration. (Photo: Brett Matthews Photography)
Concierge Auctions CEO and co-founder Chad Roffers highlighted the rarity and historical significance of the property.“There is simply no comparable property in the American real estate market,” Roffers said.He described Oheka as the second-largest private residence ever built in the country, a National Register landmark, a pop culture icon and one of the most celebrated wedding and events venues on the East Coast.According to Roffers, the estate is “the kind of asset that comes to market once in a generation, if that.”
Property was linked to bankruptcy proceedings
Oheka is owned by an LLC tied to Long Island developer Gary Melius, according to PropertyShark records.In 2025, the entity filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an effort to stop a foreclosure sale involving the estate.Melius also made headlines in 2014 after he was shot outside Oheka Castle. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
$40 million restoration and lavish interiors
From “Blank Space” to “Succession”: Oheka Castle’s Hollywood history continues. (Photo: Brett Matthews Photography, Elliott Kaufman Photography, Phillip Ennia, Stefen Turner, and Camelot)
The estate has undergone a reported $40 million restoration, which Concierge Auctions describes as the largest private residential restoration in American history.Its interiors reflect the scale and extravagance associated with the historic property.The mansion features a sweeping staircase modeled after the one at France’s Château de Fontainebleau, along with a ballroom and a grand library featuring hand-restored faux-bois walls, an artistic technique designed to imitate wood or wood grain.The estate also includes 34 individually designed bedroom suites.
Formal gardens feature nine reflecting pools
Oheka’s grounds are equally elaborate. Its formal gardens include nine reflecting pools and three fountains, all recreated from the estate’s original plans.With its history, architectural scale and appearances in major films, television series and one of Taylor Swift’s most recognisable music videos, Oheka Castle has become both a historic landmark and a pop-culture destination.The upcoming October 27 auction will put the iconic Long Island estate on the market as it enters another chapter in its more than century-long history.
