Astolat Dollhouse Castle

Astolat Dollhouse Castle (also known as Astolat Castle or Dollhouse Castle), is officially appraised as the most valuable dollhouse in the world." This museum quality dollhouse is officially appraised for $8.5 million. Its great value is attributable to its hand-made intricate 800 pound, 9 foot tall, 29 room structure, as well as its extensive collection of the finest miniatures in the world including extravagant furnishings, with working fireplaces, stained glass panels, and 10,000 handcrafted miniature pieces that include original works of art, gold chandeliers, and the smallest antique Bible in the world. The Astolat Dollhouse Castle was once on display at the Tee Ridder division of the Nassau County Museum of Art (New York City, U.S.A). "The Castle is worth so much because of the structure itself," said Paula Gilhooley, the Museum's curator. Furthermore, "Astolat is one of the finest miniature structures in the world exhibiting a rare combination of sculpture, art, engineering and detail that sets it apart from anything in existence to date." Astolat "is a massive feat of construction and when you see it, it will leave you absolutely speechless" In 2006, a photo presentation of the Astolat Dollhouse Castle was released courtesy of the Nassau County Museum of Art, an updated version released in 2009 showed some of the upgraded interior furnishings and acquisitions, and a video presentation that previewed a charity tour of the dollhouse. The value also derives from its collections of high quality miniatures, including some made of gold, sterling silver, and many are antique and one of a kind. Few others museum quality dollhouse meet such criteria

When Astolat was first installed, the museum's curator stated "each room is decorated with furniture, tables, chairs, artwork and lighting made by artisans from around the world, and the materials are unique and expensive." It weighs approximately 800 pounds. The interior consists of 29 rooms and adjacent areas that contain approximately 10,000 separate interior pieces. The Astolat Dollhouse Castle was acquired by collector L. Freeman in 1996 and moved it to the Nassau County Museum of Art. Freeman is an avid collector of dollhouses and since her acquisition of the Astolat Dollhouse Castle she has continually upgraded its interiors with additional one-of-a-kind antique miniatures, tiny antique furniture, and paintings in addition to those that already existed within the structure. There are reportedly now about 30,000 miniatures pieces in the Astolat Dollhouse Castle collection, but only about 10,000 are displayed at any one time. The inventory is rotated. The Astolat Dollhouse Castle was on rare public display at the Time-Warner Center at Columbus Circle, New York City from November 12 to December 8, 2015. All proceeds from this exhibition benefited charities for children, including St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Autism Speaks, Orphan's International and others.

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