When A 92-Year-Old Man Passed Away, They Found His “Party Palace” He Built In His Home

For most of the year, Ralph Levin lived a secluded life in Sturgis, Michigan. However, once a year, the gigantic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally came to town, and Levin had a ball with all the bikers. Although Levin adored his time with the bikers during that rally, he did have other passions. He dedicated himself to his work and became known as a local iron tycoon after fighting his way to the top with a profitable scrap metal company.

At the height of his business, he built a six-bedroom home with his wife, Renee. The year was 1979, and Ralph wanted to make sure his passion for the transient bikers did not go unnoticed. However, no one ever knew the truth about his massive home until he passed away in 2014 at the age of ninety-two.

Two years after Levin died, his wife passed as well. Their large home sat vacant in Sturgis as biker rally after biker rally came and went. Eventually, someone had the gall to open the front door and peer at what was built behinds the building’s walls. What they found spoke volumes about what the Levins loved to do behind closed doors.

From the outside, the home looks rather average. Although an impressive structure fit for a regional iron tycoon, it does not stand out among the Michigan neighborhood. But once you step through its doors, you’ll understand why its driveway always overflowed with motorcycles every year during the rally.

Although outsiders did not realize the intent of the home’s party place interior, the Levins did love throwing big bashes. Perhaps, that is one of the reasons they settled in Sturgis. Every year, their biker friends would come to visit and spend some time celebrating in the large home. This afforded the partiers privacy from local law enforcement as it was held on private property and never drew complaints.

From an architectural and design perspective, the home has not been renovated or updated from the day it was built back in the 1970s. If you’re looking for a home with a vintage or retro look, then the old Levins home in Sturgis could be just the thing for you to sink your teeth into.

The home includes many things that would be a delight to anyone who likes to party. The home includes a bar made out of glass as well as complementary bar games and even a gumball machine. Statues of lions and tigers line the interior. The staircase has purple velvet carpeting, and shag carpeting covers much of the other living space.

“It’s a house that was built to live life to the fullest,” said Dennis Bamber, the listing agent. “The [family] pictures I’ve seen from the previous owners, looks like the kids had a ball here — growing up here.”

When people build things that make them happy, they are creating something good in the world. If the Levins had denied their love for a good party, then they would never have created this home that remains a time capsule from the 1970s.