The real-life playhouse of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” star Paul Reubens has found a new playmate. The late actor’s lovely Los Angeles estate was sold this week for $3.8 million.
The midcentury modern abode was listed for $4,995,000 in May. In June, the price was reduced to $4,500,000 and the home made it on our most popular homes list.
Reubens, the star of the popular children’s show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” purchased the property in 1985 for $415,000. Reubens died of cancer in 2023; he was 70.
“It’s a piece of Hollywood history,” the listing agent, Juliette Hohnen of Douglas Elliman, told Realtor.com® in May. The buyer was represented by Abigail Rebekah Dotson with Maisonre.
Playful property
The home is located at the end of a private road in The Oaks neighborhood of Los Feliz. The 1.4-acre lot on a promontory affords views of the city, including landmarks such as the Griffith Park Observatory and the Hollywood sign.
The one-story ranch house has three bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Classic midcentury details include walls of windows and glass sliding doors.
Reubens added vintage wallpaper, yellow Formica kitchen counters, and an enclosed patio for his cats.
The living room has patio access, and the den features a wet bar, retro wallpaper, and a fireplace.
The primary suite comes with a dressing area, a sitting room, and a bath that opens to the cat patio.
Reubens created the iconic character Pee-wee Herman and rose to stardom in the movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” in 1985. He went on to star in a movie sequel and an Emmy-winning TV show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.” An arrest on a charge of indent exposure in 1991 derailed his career until later that decade.
Reubens moved into acting in sitcoms such as “Murphy Brown.” He reprised his Pee-wee character for a Netflix special in 2016.