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There are unusual homes and then there are - unusual homes.

When Jim and Linda Onan built the house as a private residence for themselves and their four children, it was never intended to be a tourist attraction. Onan was long interested in pyramids and whatever power they might emit. Over the years he progressed from building small pyramids that sat atop the dining room table to a13 footer in his backyard to building his pyramid shaped house.

A scaled down replica at 1/9^th the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Onan pyramid is six stories tall and is surrounded by a moat – something you definitely won’t see in the sands of Egypt. When digging the foundation, they hit a spring that won’t stop flowing. Hence the moat. Some people (not the Onans) claim the water has special healing powers due to it coming from beneath a pyramid. It is pure and it is drinkable and bottling some of it is definitely in the plans. So is beer. Technically a barley wine, their beer is made from a recipe gleaned from analysis of the contents of a 4,000 year old bottle found in Egypt.

A slide show takes visitors through the origins of the house and it’s metamorphosis over the years. At one time the outside was completely gold plated, earning it a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest 24-karat gold-plated object in North America.  Following the introduction, guests are led into an adjoining room filled with Egyptian artifacts, replicas and memorabilia. The family has made numerous trips to Egypt, at times as guests of the Egyptian government.     

Another building houses a gift shop. Even the gift shop is worth stepping inside with a range of Egyptian souvenirs from t-shirts, bookmarks, and mini pyramids to ornate boxes, statuettes, jewelry and unique chess sets. If you are interested in being Cleopatra or another ancient Egyptian for Halloween, this is the place to find your complete outfit.
 

Three chariot garage (above)

The visit to the Pyramid House was like a mini trip to the Land of the Pharaohs. I am sorry though that I didn’t ask for a sip of that ‘magical’ water. Couldn’t hurt.
If you go: http://goldpyramid.com/   The pyramid is located in Wadsworth, IL. Check their website or facebook page for public tour dates and times. You can also book private tours for groups.  https://www.facebook.com/thegoldpyramid