Design

This Doll House Costs $24,425 Per Square Foot

There's an affordability crisis in playland, too.
Emily Anne Epstein / The Atlantic

In a squeaky voice, a little girl with a mousy bob asks, “Where are all the people?”

It’s a good question. She’s looking at an enormous doll house, clocking in at 29 rooms, including a wine cellar, armory, ballroom, and library. The opulent Astolat Dollhouse Castle—appraised at $8.5 million—is artfully appointed, but nearly abandoned.