Jim Onan had a bit of an obsession. Some people collect stamps; Jim built a six-story, 17,000-square-foot pyramid in his backyard and covered it in 24-karat gold. If you’ve ever driven through Wadsworth, Illinois, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s hard to miss.
The Gold Pyramid House isn't just some roadside curiosity. It’s a massive, functional home that once served as a private residence, a museum, and a testament to one man’s absolute conviction that ancient Egyptian shapes held secret powers. For years, the Onan family lived inside those sloped walls. They dealt with the weird acoustics, the constant stream of gawkers, and the genuine belief that the pyramid was "energizing" their well water.
Honestly, the story of the Gold Pyramid House is even weirder than the building looks from the street.
Why Someone Would Actually Build a Gold Pyramid House
Back in the 1970s, "Pyramid Power" was a massive cultural trend. People genuinely thought that putting a dull razor blade under a small pyramid would make it sharp again. Jim Onan, a successful contractor and polymath, leaned into this hard. He started building small pyramids around his yard. Then he got ambitious. He wondered if he could live in one.
He didn't just want a pyramid-shaped house; he wanted a replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza. At a 1/9th scale, mind you.
The engineering was a nightmare. Think about it. Most houses have vertical walls because vertical walls are easy to build and furniture fits against them. A pyramid has four sloping faces that meet at a single point. You lose a staggering amount of floor space to the "kneewall" areas where the ceiling meets the floor. Onan didn't care. He poured concrete, laid the foundations, and then did something truly insane: he applied 24-karat gold plating to the exterior.
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The neighbors? They were less than thrilled. But Onan was a man who saw a 64-foot-tall statue of Ramses II and decided it belonged in his driveway. And that’s exactly what he did. He installed a massive replica of the Pharaoh to guard the entrance, because if you're going to commit to a bit, you commit all the way.
The Mystery of the Magic Water
One of the most persistent legends surrounding the Gold Pyramid House involves a spring that allegedly appeared after the house was built. According to the family, once the structure was completed, water began bubbling up from the ground inside the pyramid.
Onan claimed the pyramid’s shape concentrated "earth energy" or "bio-cosmic force," which caused the water to flow. Skeptics, of course, point to the high water table in that part of Illinois. But the family leaned into the myth. They started drinking the "pyramid water" and even invited others to try it.
It’s easy to laugh at this now. However, in the 1980s and 90s, this house was a legitimate pilgrimage site for New Age believers. People flocked there. They wanted to see if their headaches would vanish or if they’d feel a "vibration." Jim Onan wasn't just a builder; he became a sort of accidental guru for the pyramid-obsessed.
Living Inside a Gilded Monument
What was it actually like to live there? Imagine trying to find a place for a bookshelf when every exterior wall is at a 51-degree angle. The interior was lavish, filled with Egyptian motifs, gold-painted furniture, and artifacts that looked like they were plucked from a movie set.
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The house has five bedrooms, a kitchen with a massive island, and a circular staircase that climbs through the center of the structure. It’s not a cozy cottage. It’s a cavernous, echoing space. Living there meant living in the public eye. People would pull over on the shoulder of the road at all hours just to stare.
The 2018 Fire and the Struggle to Rebuild
Disaster struck in 2018. A massive fire broke out, started by an accidental ignition during some maintenance work. It was devastating. Because the house is so uniquely constructed—and because of the materials used—firefighters had a hell of a time putting it out.
The gold-plated tiles were damaged. The interior, filled with decades of collected treasures, suffered heavy smoke and water damage. For a while, it looked like the Gold Pyramid House might finally be gone for good. The elder Onan was devastated. This wasn't just a house; it was his life's work and his legacy.
But the family didn't give up. They’ve spent years trying to restore it. It’s a slow process. You can’t exactly go to Home Depot and buy "Egyptian Pyramid Restoration Kits." Everything has to be custom-made.
Is it Still Open to the Public?
This is where things get tricky. For years, the family ran tours. You could pay a fee, walk through the house, see the replica of King Tut’s tomb, and buy some pyramid-shaped souvenirs. Since the fire and various legal battles with the local municipality over zoning and safety, the "museum" status has been in flux.
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If you’re planning a trip, you need to check their official social media pages or website before you drive out there. Usually, you can see the exterior and the giant Ramses statue from the road, but getting inside is a different story these days. The town of Wadsworth has been pretty strict about the number of visitors allowed on the property, citing traffic and safety concerns.
The Legacy of Illinois' Most Famous Oddity
The Gold Pyramid House represents a specific era of American eccentricity. It’s a monument to the idea that if you have enough money and enough willpower, you can turn a cornfield into a slice of the Giza Plateau.
It’s also a lesson in the durability of myth. Even after the fire, people still talk about the "energy" of the site. They still talk about the gold. They still talk about Jim Onan as a visionary or a madman, depending on who you ask.
The sheer audacity of the project is what keeps it relevant. In a world of cookie-cutter suburbs and gray minimalist architecture, a giant gold pyramid is a middle finger to the mundane. It’s weird. It’s tacky. It’s beautiful in its own ridiculous way.
Practical Next Steps for Your Visit
If you're actually going to drive out to see the Gold Pyramid House, here is how to do it without getting a trespassing ticket or wasting a trip:
- Check the Status: Visit the official "Gold Pyramid House" Facebook page. They are surprisingly active there and will post if they are doing public tours or special events.
- Respect the Neighbors: Wadsworth is a quiet, residential area. If you’re stopping to take photos of the Ramses statue, don't block the road and don't park on people's lawns.
- Drive-By Viewing: You can see the peak of the pyramid and the statue quite clearly from the public road (Casper Circle/Dillys Road). You don't actually have to enter the driveway to get the "full effect."
- Local Context: Combine the trip with a visit to the nearby Tempel Lipizzans or Six Flags Great America to make the drive worth it.
- Look for the Details: If you get close enough (legally), look at the individual gold-plated panels. The sheer labor involved in hand-applying those to a six-story structure is mind-boggling once you see the scale up close.