Shadow Lawn

Shadow Lawn is a three-story limestone mansion in West Long Branch, New Jersey. The building spans more than 130 rooms, including multiple suites with themed bathrooms and reception halls with high ceilings.

A president chose the original building as a summer residence in 1916 before a fire destroyed it in 1927. The current property was built shortly afterward and later served as a backdrop for film productions.

The name refers to the wide lawns that surround the property and cast shadows on the ground. Today a university uses the rooms for administrative purposes and welcomes visitors at certain times of the year.

Access is through guided tours that take place on certain days of the year and must be booked in advance. The rooms are connected by stairs and long corridors, so comfortable footwear is recommended.

The basement contains a two-lane bowling alley, an indoor swimming pool clad in marble, and a theater with a stage. The main hall conceals an organ whose pipes are invisibly built into the walls and produce sounds that fill the entire space.