The iconic actress died in her Los Angeles home in 1962

NEED TO KNOW

• Marilyn Monroe’s Brentwood, Calif., home was the only house she ever purchased
• It featured personal touches like a citrus grove and an inscription above the front door
• Months after purchasing the house, Monroe died in her bedroom of acute barbiturate poisoning

It’s been over six decades since Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles — and today, her beloved house still stands as a reminder of an icon gone too soon.

In 1962, the actress died in her bedroom following a drug overdose, less than a year after she moved into the Spanish-style home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive. The Brentwood, Calif., abode was the first property she had ever purchased on her own, becoming a homeowner shortly after her marriage to her third husband Arthur Miller ended.

In the years that have followed Monroe’s untimely death, her home has changed hands several times. While certain renovations have taken place — like the updated kitchen — much of the property has remained the same.

In 2023, the house was sold once again, with the new owners, Roy Bank and Brinah Milstein, intending to demolish the structure. Their demolition and grading permits stirred up controversy, and the L.A. City Council subsequently approved a “Historic Cultural Monument” designation for the property. In January 2026, Bank and Milstein sued the city and Mayor Karen Bass, stating that the designation was an “unconstitutional taking” of their private residence.

Here’s everything to know about Marilyn Monroe’s house.

Where did Marilyn Monroe live?

Before her death, Monroe lived in a Spanish-style four-bedroom, three-bathroom house at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Brentwood, Calif. It was the first and only home she ever purchased, buying the residence for $77,500 in early 1962.

The 2,624-square-foot stucco home was built in 1929 and boasted beamed ceilings, terra cotta tile floors, a tiled fireplace and casement windows. It also featured a yard with a swimming pool, citrus grove and an apartment attached to the garage where she had hoped to host guests and help friends in need.

“[It’s] a place for any friends of mine who are in some kind of trouble, you know, and maybe they’ll want to live here where they won’t be bothered till things are okay for them,” Monroe told a reporter for Life magazine shortly before her death.

Monroe personally traveled to Mexico to select furnishings for her home, searching through roadside stands and factories for the perfect items. “Anybody who likes my house, I’m sure I’ll get along with,” she told the publication.

What happened during Marilyn Monroe’s final night in her home?

Just months after purchasing the home, Monroe died in her bedroom. She was found unresponsive by her housekeeper Eunice Murray in the early hours of Aug. 5, 1962.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Murray became concerned when she noticed the light on in Monroe’s room in the middle of the night and attempted to call her. When she did not respond, she contacted Monroe’s psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, who broke into the room through a window. They found her nude and face down on her bed. Her telephone was in one hand and empty pill bottles were scattered around the room.

Following a toxicology report, Monroe’s official cause of death was listed as acute barbiturate poisoning. Monroe reportedly ingested a lethal dose of Nembutal, an anxiety medication, as well as a large dose of chloral hydrate, a drug used as a sedative.

Her death was ultimately ruled an overdose and “probable suicide,” although there continues to be conspiracy theories around her death.

What happened to Marilyn Monroe’s home after her death?

Since Monroe’s death, the property has been sold on multiple occasions. However, the subsequent owners have mostly preserved the integrity of the original design.

In fact, one of Monroe’s most personal touches remains above the front door: a coat of arms with a Latin inscription that reads “Cursum Perficio,” which translates to, “My Journey Ends Here.”

“There have been owners in the past who have made changes to the property, but the overall feeling and aesthetic and vibe of what attracted Marilyn to it is still there and you can feel it,” real estate agent Lisa Optican told Vanity Fair in April 2017. “It is really warm, romantic, intimate. The same courtyard, entry, and backyard with the pool and the expansive grassy yard and garden are all there.”

Optican, who sold the home in 2017, added, “You feel it and get why she was attracted to it — she wanted a home rather than just a big house in Beverly Hills.”

The property was most recently sold in 2023 for $8.35 million to Milstein and Bank.

Was Marilyn Monroe’s home demolished?

In 2023, the new owners of Monroe’s home filed a demolition permit to tear down the property. At the time, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety approved a “plan check” but did not give the official go-ahead to get started.

Just days later, the L.A. City Council unanimously voted to temporarily suspend the permit from moving forward.

In January 2024, the L.A. Cultural Heritage Commission voted to declare the property a historic cultural monument. While its designation did not “guarantee that the property cannot be demolished,” it delayed any potential teardown work for 180 days while other opportunities for preservation were determined.

However, in May of that year, Milstein and Bank filed a lawsuit against the city to prevent it from being declared a historic and cultural monument. In their lawsuit, they claimed “illegal and unconstitutional conduct and abuse of power by the City of Los Angeles.”

That June, the City Council ultimately approved the designation as a historic landmark.

In January 2026, Milstein and Bank filed a lawsuit to sue the city and Bass after the “unconstitutional taking” of their private residence. In the complaint, they said that the city took their home “without any public purpose or just compensation” through the use of the city’s “Historic Cultural Monument” ordinance.

The couple went on to claim that there should not have been any historical interest in the property as Monroe hadn’t lived in the home for decades and “not a trace” of her time there still remained. They also noted that the designation as a historical landmark had turned their home “into a tourist attraction” with frequent traffic and trespassers.

In May 2026, a federal judge dismissed the homeowners’ lawsuit. Milstein and Bank later amended their complaint, per court documents.

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