Ever dreamed of living like Gatsby?

Well, pack your flapper dress and bow tie, because we’re about to embark on a jazzy journey through Michigan’s most opulent mansions of the 1920s!

1. Meadow Brook Hall (Rochester)

Holy moly, talk about a house that screams “I’ve got more money than I know what to do with!”

Meadow Brook Hall is the kind of place that makes you wonder if you accidentally stumbled onto a movie set.

This Tudor-revival style mansion, built in the 1920s by Matilda Dodge Wilson (widow of auto pioneer John Dodge), is basically what happens when you win the lottery and decide to play real-life Monopoly.

With 110 rooms spread across 88,000 square feet, it’s less of a home and more of a small country.

The aerial view shows off its impressive size and the meticulously manicured grounds that surround it.

I mean, who needs a backyard when you can have your own personal park, complete with a fountain that probably cost more than my entire life savings?

But here’s the kicker – this place isn’t just for gawking at from afar.

It’s open for tours, which means you can actually walk through and pretend you’re a oil baron or a bootlegger (your choice) for a day.

Just don’t get too comfortable and try to move in – trust me, they notice that sort of thing.

2. Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (Grosse Pointe Shores)

If Meadow Brook Hall is the flashy nouveau riche cousin, the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is the sophisticated aunt who’s been quietly rich for generations.

This lakeside estate, designed to resemble a cluster of Cotswold village cottages, is what happens when you have both money and taste – a rare combination, if we’re being honest.

The house, completed in 1929, sits on 87 acres of prime real estate overlooking Lake St. Clair.

It’s the kind of place where you’d expect to see people playing croquet on the lawn while sipping gin rickeys.

The interior is a masterclass in understated elegance, with rooms that make you want to speak in a posh accent and discuss the stock market (even if you don’t understand it).

But the real showstopper here is the garden.

With its perfectly trimmed hedges, colorful flower beds, and that inviting pool, it’s like stepping into a living, breathing Monet painting.

Just resist the urge to cannonball into the pool – again, they frown upon that sort of behavior.

3. W.K. Kellogg Manor House (Hickory Corners)

Ah, the W.K. Kellogg Manor House – because nothing says “I invented breakfast” quite like a lakeside Tudor Revival mansion.

This cereal mogul’s summer home is proof that cornflakes can indeed buy happiness, or at least a really, really nice house.

Perched on the shores of Gull Lake, this 1925-built beauty is like the love child of an English country manor and a Midwestern lake house.

It’s got all the Tudor charm you’d expect – half-timbering, leaded glass windows, the works – but with a distinctly American twist.

I mean, can you imagine a British lord waterskiing?

Because I bet ol’ W.K. did.

The interior is a feast for the eyes (much like a bowl of Froot Loops, I suppose), with period furnishings that’ll make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

Just don’t expect to find any cereal boxes lying around – this place is far too classy for that.

Although, I can’t help but wonder if there’s a secret vault filled with vintage Corn Flakes somewhere in the basement.

4. Cranbrook House & Gardens (Bloomfield Hills)

Cranbrook House is what happens when you give an Arts and Crafts enthusiast unlimited funds and tell them to go nuts.

Built in 1908 for newspaper tycoon George Booth and his wife Ellen, this place is like the Hogwarts of architecture – magical, slightly intimidating, and filled with more details than you can shake a wand at.

The house itself is impressive enough, with its intricate stonework and those chimneys that look like they’re trying to poke holes in the sky.

But the real star of the show here is the garden.

We’re talking 40 acres of horticultural heaven that would make even the most seasoned gardener weep with joy (or possibly envy).

From formal gardens to woodland trails, it’s like someone took all the best bits of nature and arranged them in the world’s fanciest backyard.

Just don’t get any ideas about sneaking a cutting for your own garden – I hear they have very strict security.

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And possibly guard peacocks.

You never know with these fancy estates.

5. Felt Mansion (Holland)

The Felt Mansion is like that quiet kid in school who turns out to be surprisingly cool once you get to know them.

Built in the late 1920s by inventor and hat-making mogul Dorr Felt, this place has more lives than a cat with an extremely good insurance policy.

At first glance, it’s a classic example of 1920s opulence – all stately and proper with its symmetrical facade and manicured grounds.

But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find this mansion has a wild side.

It’s been a seminary, a police post, and even part of a state prison over the years.

Talk about a midlife crisis!

Today, it’s been restored to its former glory and is open for tours.

You can wander through rooms that have seen everything from high society soirees to, well, whatever goes on in a state prison (on second thought, maybe don’t think too hard about that).

Just remember, if you hear any ghostly whispers, it’s probably just the house reminiscing about its colorful past.

Or maybe it’s wondering why you’re wearing those shoes with that outfit.

Old mansions can be judgey like that.

6. Castle Farms (Charlevoix)

Castle Farms is what happens when a Midwestern farmer watches one too many episodes of “Downton Abbey” and decides, “You know what? I can do that.”

Built in 1918 by the acting president of Sears, Roebuck and Co., this place is living proof that you can indeed order anything from a catalog – even your own personal castle.

With its stone towers, courtyards, and honest-to-goodness drawbridge, Castle Farms looks like it was plucked straight out of medieval Europe and plonked down in northern Michigan.

It’s the kind of place where you half expect to see knights jousting on the lawn or a dragon circling overhead (spoiler alert: there are no dragons, but the gift shop probably sells plush ones).

Over the years, it’s been everything from a working dairy farm to a rock concert venue.

Yes, you read that right – this castle has hosted the likes of Aerosmith and The Doobie Brothers.

I like to imagine the ghosts of medieval nobles shaking their translucent heads in confusion at the sight of Steven Tyler prancing around their courtyard.

Today, it’s a popular wedding venue and tourist attraction.

So whether you’re looking to get hitched in royal style or just want to pretend you’re a time-traveling aristocrat for a day, Castle Farms has got you covered.

Just leave your catapult at home – they’re very particular about that sort of thing.

7. Hackley & Hume Historic Site (Muskegon)

The Hackley & Hume Historic Site is like the architectural equivalent of those best friend necklaces – two mansions, side by side, connected by history and probably a fair bit of 19th-century gossip.

Built in the 1880s by lumber barons Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume, these Queen Anne-style homes are a testament to the fact that when it comes to houses, sometimes more really is more.

These mansions are decked out in all the Victorian finery you could imagine – intricate woodwork, stained glass windows, and more turrets than you can shake a stick at.

It’s like someone took every fancy architectural feature of the time and said, “Yes, please, we’ll take two of everything.”

The interiors are a riot of color and pattern that would make even the most daring interior designer of today break out in a cold sweat.

But somehow, it all works.

It’s like stepping into a time machine set to “fabulous.”

Just resist the urge to take a nap on one of the antique fainting couches – apparently, they frown upon that sort of thing.

8. The Whitney (Detroit)

Last but certainly not least, we have The Whitney – the grande dame of Detroit’s mansion scene.

Built in the 1890s by lumber baron David Whitney Jr., this Romanesque Revival mansion is what happens when you have more money than you know what to do with and decide, “You know what? I’m going to build a house that makes Versailles look like a starter home.”

With 52 rooms, 20 fireplaces, and enough stained glass to make a cathedral jealous, The Whitney is the kind of place that makes you wonder if maybe, just maybe, you chose the wrong career path.

I mean, who wouldn’t want a house with its own elevator? (Granted, in the 1890s, it was probably more of a death trap than a convenience, but still – fancy!)

But here’s the best part – this mansion isn’t just for looking at.

It’s now a restaurant, which means you can actually eat dinner in a room that probably cost more to decorate than your entire house.

Just try not to spill your soup – I hear the ghosts of lumber barons past get very upset about that sort of thing.

So there you have it, folks – eight slices of 1920s opulence right here in the Mitten State.

Who needs a time machine when you’ve got Michigan?