Magician Lance Burton has put his Henderson estate — more like a castle at the top of a hill — on the market for $4.49 million.
Burton last performed in Las Vegas in 2018 and relocated to his Kentucky farm last fall. He closed his run at the former Monte Carlo hotel-casino on the Strip in 2010 and had primarily been performing across the country and internationally since. His last show was in England in February 2020.
Burton oversaw the construction of the estate in 2006 in southeast Henderson off College Drive, west of U.S. Highway 95. The three-story, six-bedroom home that measures 14,376 square feet sits on 10 acres in the Black Mountains. It’s surrounded by land owned by the Bureau of Land Management.
“I bought the land 20 years ago in 2001 on top of a small mountain and when I saw the site I fell in love with it,” Burton said. “Everything behind it is a wilderness area. It’s like the last site in town because you’re right up against the mountains. On one side you can look out and see the lights of Las Vegas and downtown and on the other side you have the mountains. And there’s wildlife up there, too.”
The home was built to look like a medieval castle because Burton said that’s what he pictured when he saw the hill.
“It’s kind of an illusion,” Burton said. “From the outside it looks like a castle. You have the cutouts from the top like where the archers would shoot through. Once you get on the inside it’s just a comfortable modern home.”
Burton said he wanted a home that was comfortable and fulfilled his needs with guest bedrooms, gym, two-story library, home theater and living room and a bar with four televisions so he could watch several things at once.
“There’s a sense of drama in the house,” Burton said. “The house is very cinematic with a lot of natural light. The living room has an overhead bridge that goes across the room. You walk up a spiral staircase and the bridge takes you to the guest rooms.”
Burton said he’s done a lot of interviews in the home for documentaries and television shows. He shot his movie “Billy Topit” in the home. There’s a lot of history with visitors over the years for events and parties. There was Sigfried Fischbacher, Criss Angel, Louie Anderson, Nat King and Rich Little. People even entertained on the theater room stage.
“I love the theater,” said Tom Love, Burton’s listing agent. “People would come from the Strip and do their shows and acts, and I can imagine they had great times up on stage. It must have been incredible to see.”
Secret doors in home
The home was built for a magician so, of course, it has secret doors built into the walls so when the doors close no one realizes there is a door there. That includes the two-story library whose second floor can only be accessed by stairs behind a secret panel.
“The home theater is really cool,” Burton said. “It’s got eight theater seats that recline, and that’s great for watching football. That was the room we went to for the Super Bowl. There’s a lot of televisions all over the house. There’s one in the gym, sitting room, bathroom, bedroom and living room.”
There’s no pool because Burton said he didn’t use it much at his previous home. Instead, he has a grotto area and spa off the master bedroom. It’s indoors but has the pocket doors that open to the outside.
The main level has a main kitchen, pantry, breakfast nook with booth seating looking outside and a formal dining room with seating for 18. There’s also a guest bedroom.
The master bedroom is on its own wing with the gym, office, library, sitting room and the grotto. The television in the room pops up from a cabinet when you hit a button. The master bedroom has great views of the mountains. Burton said he enjoys the view when he opens the curtains in the morning.
The upstairs has three guest bedrooms. There’s even an observation tower with 360-degree views. The home has a basement where Burton stored magical illusions. It also has a housekeeper’s suite and kitchen. That lower level also has a three-car garage.
There are three levels of gates to drive through before you can enter the home. The first is just off the street at the lower driveway. The other two come as you approach the home. The lights visible along the drive are from the Monte Carlo.
Burton relocates to Kentucky
Burton said he built his Kentucky home on the farm more than 20 years ago for his parents. It’s the site of his grandfather’s farm and has been in the family for nearly 100 years and sat empty for a decade.
“I always planned on retiring back to the farm and the time seemed right to make the move from Las Vegas,” Burton said. “I love it here. I have all of my animals here. We have four baby calves. I’ve been unpacking all of my stuff. You accumulate a lot in 40 years.”
It’s not a place, however, for a complete retirement. Once the pandemic lifts, Burton said he will do some shows again and hopes to return to Las Vegas, as well but not a permanent run.
Home with privacy
Love, broker/owner with the Tom Love Group, calls the estate one of the most spectacular places in Las Vegas because of its setting on top of a hill.
“It’s probably everybody’s dream to be king of the hill,” Love said. “It was Lance’s dream because he was in the public eye so much and wanted to have something that provided him the utmost in privacy. There’s no neighbors around you. If you’re looking for privacy, which he does, it provides that.”
The house has been a focal point in the area. People have talked about it over the years as they passed by and wondered who owned it, Love said.
What’s great about the location is the home is secluded and offers privacy, but it only takes 15 to 20 minutes to get to the Strip, Love said. That’s what Burton loved so much, he said.
It’s also built to a high quality like a luxury custom home, Love said.
The great room with the bar has barrel ceilings that are 30 feet tall. The home has high-end finishes and millwork.
“This is not a knockoff house you see in every neighborhood,” Love said. “This is truly a custom-built around his dream of having a castle. You couldn’t duplicate this for what we are asking and to get 10 acres in such a robust market.”