Deep in the woods of Cortlandt Manor, New York, there is a building that looks like it didn’t so much get built as it did land. Most people call it the Jackie Gleason UFO house. If you’ve ever seen a photo of it, you know why. It’s a series of massive, copper-topped saucers nestled into the Hudson Valley greenery. Honestly, it’s one of the most bizarre pieces of mid-century architecture in America. It wasn't just a quirky home for a famous comedian; it was a physical manifestation of a man’s absolute obsession with the paranormal.
Jackie Gleason was "The Great One." He was the star of The Honeymooners, a guy who could command a room just by walking into it. But behind the "To the moon, Alice!" catchphrases, Gleason was a chronic insomniac who spent his nights devouring books on spirits, telepathy, and unidentified flying objects. He didn't just want to read about them. He wanted to live in one.
The Architecture of an Obsession
Gleason commissioned the house in the mid-1950s. He hired an architect named Robert Cika, who was actually a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. You can see the influence of Wright's organic architecture, but Cika took it to a cosmic level.
The project was an absolute nightmare of engineering. Think about it: Gleason wanted a house with no right angles. Zero. He was reportedly told by a spiritualist that ghosts like to hide in corners, so he simply decided to eliminate them.
To get the curves right, Gleason didn't hire a standard house framer. He hired a Scandinavian shipbuilder. This craftsman spent years steaming and bending wood to create the "Mothership" and the smaller guest house, which Gleason called the "Scout Ship." The ceilings look like the inverted hull of a boat, with bentwood ribs that radiate from a central point.
The project took five years to finish. By the time it was done in 1959, Gleason had sunk roughly $650,000 into it. In today's money, that’s well over $6 million.
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Inside the Mothership
Step inside, and it feels like a fever dream from 1960. The main house is about 7,000 square feet of marble, glass, and stainless steel.
- The Marble: Gleason supposedly bought an entire marble quarry in Italy to ensure the stone matched throughout the house. Two-hundred and forty tons of it went into a single three-sided fireplace that stretches 40 feet high.
- The Kitchen: The kitchen is entirely circular. All the stainless steel appliances and glass cabinetry were custom-forged to follow the curve of the walls. It’s a masterpiece of industrial design that would be nearly impossible to replicate today.
- The Bars: There are three of them. The main bar is a 14-person curved behemoth. At the touch of a button, a baby grand piano and a microphone would rise out of the floor. This was Gleason’s "Studio in the Woods."
He used the place as a weekend retreat and a legendary party pad. Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and Joe DiMaggio all reportedly spent nights here, navigating the circular hallways and drinking at that massive bar.
That Richard Nixon Story
You can’t talk about the Jackie Gleason UFO house without mentioning the most famous legend attached to it. It’s the story that keeps the UFO community talking decades later.
Supposedly, in 1973, Gleason was golfing with his buddy, President Richard Nixon. They were in Florida at the time, but the connection to Gleason's UFO fascination is central here. According to Gleason’s second wife, Beverly McKittrick, Nixon showed up at their door late at night—without his Secret Service detail, which is where the story starts to sound like a tall tale.
The story goes that Nixon drove Gleason to Homestead Air Force Base. Once there, he allegedly showed the comedian the remains of several small, grey extraterrestrials recovered from a crash.
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Gleason didn't talk about it publicly for years. But those who knew him said he was "shaken to his core." Whether you believe it or not, that story is the "ghost" that haunts the hallways of the Mothership. It’s why people still flock to the property line today, hoping to get a glimpse of the house that housed the man who (maybe) saw the truth.
The Reality of the "Mothership" Today
Gleason didn't stay forever. In the mid-1960s, he moved his production to Florida and sold the property to CBS. It eventually landed in the hands of a retired orthodontist in the 1970s, who bought the 8.5-acre estate for a mere $150,000.
For years, the house sat in a sort of time-capsule state. The original shuffleboard table remained in the game room. The circular bed with the ceiling-mounted TV stayed put.
Recently, the property has been popping up on the market. In 2018, it was listed for a staggering $12 million. By 2025, that price was slashed significantly, landing closer to $5.5 million. It’s a "trophy property," but it’s also a difficult one. Living in a house with no corners and 240 tons of marble is a lifestyle choice that most modern buyers find daunting.
Why It Still Matters
The Jackie Gleason UFO house isn't just a celebrity home. It’s a rare example of "Mid-Century Galactic" design. It represents a time when America was looking at the stars with equal parts wonder and fear.
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Most people see it as a curiosity. For Gleason, it was a sanctuary. He was a man who felt like an outsider in many ways, despite his fame. Building a home that looked like it belonged to another world was his way of finally fitting in.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Researchers
If you are interested in the Jackie Gleason UFO house, here is how you can actually engage with its history:
- Virtual Tours: Since the house is a private residence (and currently on the market), you can't just knock on the door. However, real estate listings from 2024 and 2025 provide high-resolution photography of the interiors, including the "Scout Ship" and the bentwood ceilings.
- The University of Miami: After Gleason died in 1987, his massive library of over 1,700 books on the paranormal and UFOs was donated to the University of Miami. You can actually view the catalog of his collection online to see exactly what he was reading while he designed the Mothership.
- Cortlandt Manor Lore: If you're in Westchester, the house is located on Furnace Dock Road. While you should respect the privacy of the current owners, the structure is visible through the trees during the winter months when the leaves are gone.
The house remains a monument to a specific brand of 1950s eccentricity. It's built of marble and copper, but it's held together by one man's belief that we aren't alone.
Next Steps:
To dig deeper into this, you should check out the Jackie Gleason Collection at the University of Miami Libraries. It contains the actual source material Gleason used to justify the circular, corner-less design of his home. You might also want to look into the Robert Cika blueprints if you're interested in how ship-building techniques were applied to residential architecture in the 1950s.