Archives For Greystone Mansion

Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance

May 2, 2012 — 2 Comments

This weekend the City of Beverly Hills third annual Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance returns to the historic former Doheny Family Estate. This prestigious event will feature more than 125 vintage, rare and unique automobiles and is fast becoming one of the most prestigious concours events in the United States. Ideal for car and motorcycle aficionados as well as lovers of luxury items, architecture and Southern California history, the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance has something for everyone.

The Concours exhibition will also include four lectures that will take place beginning at 11:00 a.m. and continue one per hour at 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Speakers include Donald Osborne, Contributing Editor of Sports Car Market Magazine who will speak about the “Top 10 Reasons Not to Buy in the Current Market, & 10 Why You Must”; Carl Bomstead, Sr. Auction Analyst of Sports Car Market Magazine who will speak on the art of Automobilia, and Margaret Leslie Davis, author of Dark Side of Fortune, who will speak about the history of Greystone Mansion and the infamous Doheny family murder.  An awards presentation will take place at 3:00 p.m. and honor select vehicles.

The Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience this historical landmark. Built in 1928, the exquisite mansion features 55 rooms and more than 18 acres of lush gardens, and stunning interiors. A high-end marketplace located inside the mansion will feature fine art, jewelry, automobilia, and accessories. Tours of the Greystone Estate will take place throughout the day and food stations catered by Lawry’s Restaurants as well as beer and wine gardens, margarita and espresso bars will be conveniently situated throughout the estate grounds.

A portion of proceeds from the Concours ticket sales will benefit the non-profit Friends of Greystone, and their ongoing restoration efforts of the Estate. Tickets are $108 per person when purchased in advance and $133 at the door. Ticket sales are limited to 3,000 and ticket purchase includes unlimited food and drink, program book and poster, access to the estate grounds and mansion, as well as a two for one admission to the Peterson Automotive Museum.

WHAT: Concours d’Elegance at the Greystone Mansion
WHEN: Sunday May 6, 2012 | 10 am – 4 pm
WHERE: 905 Loma Vista Drive | Beverly Hills, CA 90210

CONTACT INFO: (310) 285-6830

DETAILS:

  • Free parking at Beverly Hills Parking Structure (Parking Structure is located at 450 N. Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills) Guests will be picked up at the parking structure and transported to and from Greystone Manion via shuttle.

Dear reader,

I appreciate your support and feedback. Please respond to this article now by leaving a comment and/or “liking” it. For exciting, up to date events in Los Angeles, subscribe to this blog via email. You can also share this article with friends and family and visit my Facebook and Twitter pages.

Stick with me and I guarantee you’ll never run out of things to do because you’ll always be connected, and your friends and family will admire you.

Thank you!

Mr. Events.

In Family , , ,
permalink

The Greystone Mansion

January 18, 2012 — Leave a comment

Most of us are familiar with the nightclub Greystone Manor, some of us may even have enjoyed Nervo perform last night, but did you know that there is a hidden jewel in Beverly Hillscalled the Greystone Mansion? Didn’t think so, read on…

Edward Laurence Doheny (as in Doheny Road and Doheny Drive) became a successful oil tycoon as he drilled for and discovered the first oil wells in Los Angeles in 1892. In 1926, Doheny gifted his son Edward “Ned” and his daughter-in-law Lucy 12.58 acres of land that the Greystone Mansion was built on, at a cost of just over $3 million.  It became the largest undertaking of a family estate in the city of Beverly Hills.

The garden design mixed a variety of garden styles and themes based on Italian and English gardens. There were nearly 100 different species of plants and flowers on the property, representing every continent. Incorporated in the gardens, were two cascading waterfalls, two lakes, and a green house including a swimming pool and pavilion, tennis courts as well as stables.

Greystone’s exterior is 19th century English revival architecture with a combination of two story turrets faced with Indiana limestone, Welsh slate and leaded glass windows. The interior is 18th century in style and includes fifty-five livable rooms in 46,054 square feet, including the entertainment wing consisting of a theater, bowling alley and billiard room.

Unfortunately, Ned Doheny only enjoyed his new home for four months. He was found in the mansion in a murder suicide with his long time trusted family assistant. Three years after his death, his widow Lucy remarried. In 1945, Lucy acquired the 429-acre Doheny Ranch, and in 1954, she sold the Ranch to Paul Trousdale who developed the Trousdale Estates and built 539 homes.

Lucy sold Greystone in 1955 to a Midwest millionaire who rented the estate to movie studios and then wanted to subdivide the property. A citizen’s committee was formed to save the mansion and then the City of Beverly Hills purchased the property and the grounds were converted into a park and a subsurface reservoir. Between 1969 and 1982 the property was occupied by The American Film Institute.

Today, Greystone serves as the setting for many cultural and educational activities. Movies, commercials, T.V. shows and photo shoots are a major source of revenue for the upkeep of the mansion as are the exclusive weddings. Most of all, Greystone provides the visitor with the opportunity for a quiet moment in a pastoral park, offering sweeping panoramic views of the city below.

I hope this has inspired you to visit the mansion and take a step back in time to old Hollywood. You’re sure to enjoy the experience. If you have already visited the mansion, we’d like to hear from. Please share your experience with us by leaving a comment.

Check the mansion calendar of events for park information including up to date hours.

 

WHAT: The Greystone Mansion
WHEN: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: 905 Loma Vista Drive | Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Related articles
In Family , , , , , , ,
permalink