7. An $8.5 Million Dollhouse on View at Columbus Circle

Dubbed “The World’s Most Valuable Dollhouse” and certainly the city’s most expensive piece of “real estate” at the moment, The Astolat Dollhouse Castle is appraised at $8.5 million, and for about a month, it will be on view inside The Shops at Columbus Circle. Built by miniaturist Elaine Diehl, the dollhouse took thirteen years to make and was completed in the 1980s. Handcraft techniques were used to make each of the 10,000 miniatures inside the twenty-nine rooms of the castle. There are even miniature rolls of toilet paper, a tiny antique Bible, and an antique Torah.

The castle is nine-feet tall, has seven levels, including hidden passageways, and weighs over eight-hundred pounds. The privately owned dollhouse is being shown to the public on a World Tour to fundraise (via donation at the display) for children’s charities. The Astolat Dollhouse will be on display only until December 8th on the second floor of The Time Warner Center.