Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz is selling her “dream” ranch estate in California, just five years after purchasing the historic rural estate.
Annie, 74, who is known for her high-profile celebrity photos, bought the sprawling property in 2019 for $7.5 million.
Located in Bolinas, a coastal community about an hour from San Francisco, the 65-acre, $9 million listed estate offers views of the Bolinas Lagoon, Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpais, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco.
The property is listed by Alexander Lurie and Nick Svensonand has four buildings on the estate: a four-bedroom house, a guest house, a caretaker’s house and a converted garage.
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz is selling her ‘dream’ ranch estate in California, five years after purchasing the historic rural estate
Annie originally purchased the sprawling 65-acre estate in Bolinas, California, for $7.5 million in 2019
Annie said that when Rolling Stone moved to New York in 1977, she didn’t expect she would move too — let alone stay
There are also two barns, one of which dates from the 1930s, and a party room with a stage.
“Tucked away in the tranquility of Bolinas, California, where the Pacific Ocean meets Mount Tamalpais, The Hideaway is an extraordinary 65-acre coastal retreat,” the online listing says.
“With breathtaking views of the Bolinas Lagoon, Stinson Beach and San Francisco, this iconic property features a rare combination of history, agricultural opportunities and an equestrian paradise. The Hideaway was the site of photographic interest for Ansel Adams in the 1930s and later became hallowed ground for famed investor and founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, Warren Hellman.
‘Abundant fields and terraces for sustainable agriculture, cattle stables and extensive meadows adorn the extensive estate. An equestrian center offers a picturesque riding school next to a barn with seven stables and offices.
‘The renovated residential complex features a 1920s SFH with four beds, a guesthouse, a workshop and a caretaker’s house with two beds. The adjacent hay and milk barns have been transformed into a banquet hall with a stage and Hellman’s famous recording studio.
‘Surrounded by world-class coastal beauty, The Hideaway is steps away from great surfing, kayaking, hiking and nature reserves. Full of lush rolling hills, sensational sunrises and sunsets and expansive vistas, this is a rare opportunity to own a piece of history.’
New York-based Annie, who is originally from California, admitted she always thought she would move back to the West Coast.
“I always saw myself as a Californian,” she reflected, adding that she always “dreamed” of moving back.
“I went to school there, at the San Francisco Art Institute. I learned photography there.’
There are four buildings on the estate: a four-bedroom house, a guesthouse, a caretaker’s house and a converted garage
In addition, there are two barns, one built in the 1930s, and a banquet hall with a stage.
New York-based Annie, who is originally from California, admitted she always thought she would move back to the West Coast
Annie put approximately $2 million into the property, installing infrastructure improvements and renovating the 1920s home, including adding a new kitchen
Annie ensured that the character and history of the house was preserved, while retaining many original details
Annie said that when Rolling Stone moved to New York in 1977, she didn’t expect her to move too — let alone stay.
‘I thought I lived in California. But the work was in New York. Or Europe,” the photographer noted.
But even after years of living and working in New York and raising my children on the East Coast, Annie said she always “dreamed of returning to California.”
Her dream of owning a piece of California came true after she bought an estate in Bolinas, California, in 2019 for $7.5 million.
‘We were told about this extraordinary property which had stunning views of the lagoon, bay and coast from the top of the hill. It has its own special climate,” Annie recalled.
“Anything can grow all year round,” she continued. “There was 65 acres with an old milking parlor that Ansel Adams had photographed.
“It was used at that time as a gathering place for country and folk music concerts.”
Annie put approximately $2 million into the property, making infrastructure improvements and renovating the 1920s home, including the addition of a new kitchen.
However, she ensured that the character and history of the house was retained, with a rotary telephone still hanging on the wall as an ode to the estate’s history.
The previous owner converted an unused farm building on the property into a music studio and another building into a music venue for private concerts
According to the mother of three, she bought the house when her oldest daughter was looking at colleges on the West Coast, but her daughters ended up in the Northeast.
Before Annie’s purchase in 2019, the Bolinas ranch was owned by Warren Hellman, a San Francisco financier and founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival.
In February, Annie sold her Manhattan apartment for $10.62 million, taking a nearly $1 million loss on the account, which she bought in 2014 for $11.24 million.
As an ode to the history of the estate, she had a rotary telephone hanging on the wall
“We planned to work with a legendary farmer over the hill to return the place to its former form as a working and teaching farm,” she added.
According to the mother of three, she bought the house when her oldest daughter was looking at colleges on the West Coast. However, when all three of her daughters ended up in the Northeast, she decided to sell it.
Before Annie’s purchase in 2019, the Bolinas ranch was owned by Warren Hellman, a San Francisco financier and founder of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass music festival.
He converted an unused farm building on the property into a music studio and another into a music venue for private concerts.
Annie, who worked for Rolling Stone for thirteen years and whose credits include Vanity Fair and Vogue, is known for her portraits of celebrities, including the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
In addition to her West Coast residence, Annie has owned several properties in Manhattan, including an Upper West Side apartment that she sold earlier this year for $10.6 million and a complex in Manhattan’s West Village consisting of three brick townhouses that sold in 2013 for $28 .5 million were sold.
However, it is New York’s Hudson Valley that her family calls home in a ‘beautiful property’ [along] the river.’