Texas is known for having some of the largest and most extravagant houses in the United States. With sprawling ranches, lavish mansions, and over-the-top palaces, Texas offers no shortage of massive, opulent homes. But what is the second largest house in the Lone Star State? Let’s take a look at some of the contenders and examine what makes them stand out.
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What constitutes a large house in Texas?
When determining the size of a Texas mansion, we’re looking at the total livable square footage. This includes the main house plus any detached buildings like guest houses or pool houses. In Texas, a large single family home is generally 5,000 square feet or more. A mega mansion is over 10,000 square feet and approaching 20-30,000 square feet. The state’s largest homes can be over 40,000 square feet with additional acreage.
Some key features of a Texas mega mansion include:
- Sprawling layout on multiple acres of land
- Ten or more bedrooms
- Twenty or more bathrooms
- Multiple living spaces like formal sitting rooms, theater rooms, libraries, and studies
- Lavish amenities like wine cellars, game rooms, spas, gyms, and beauty salons
- Outdoor features like pools, pool houses, tennis courts, stables, and gardens
- Custom details like ornate moldings, chandeliers, fountains, and finishes
The largest homes require full-time staff for maintenance and upkeep. Prime locations include Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and other major Texas metro areas.
Some of the Largest Houses in Texas
Here are some of the top contenders for the second largest house in Texas:
Falcon Nest Ranch – 50,000 square feet
Located in Dublin, Texas, Falcon Nest Ranch is often cited as the largest private residence in Texas. It sits on 95 acres and includes a 6,700 square foot master suite along with 9 additional bedrooms and 17 bathrooms. Features include a bowling alley, indoor shooting range, and 230 person home theater. There is also a 15,000 square foot garage with room for over 100 cars. The current owner is baseball team owner Nolan Ryan.
Payne Mansion – 38,000 square feet
Situated in Cherry Hills Village near Denver, Colorado, this massive Tuscan-style manor has 38,000 square feet of living space. It was originally built and owned by Texas oil tycoon Roy Payne. After Payne’s death, it was sold and relocated from Amarillo, Texas to Colorado where it stands today. Key features include a wine cellar, ballroom, tennis court, and one of the nation’s largest residential elevators.
Hearst Castle – 34,000 square feet
While technically located in California, Hearst Castle was built by Texan William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was born in San Francisco but spent most of his life in Texas where he inherited a fortune from his parents. He commissioned the Mediterranean style castle which contains 34,000 square feet including 56 bedrooms and 61 bathrooms. The estate sits on 250,000 acres and includes lavish features like pools, gardens, and a private zoo.
Morell-Boone House – 32,000 square feet
Situated in Austin, Texas, this grand French-style chateau contains 32,000 square feet of space. It was built in the 1930s by Texas cattle barons J.J. and Georgia Morell. It was later sold to tech entrepreneur Michael Dell before being passed to its current owners. Highlights include imported antique decor, ornate ceilings, limestone construction, and terraced gardens.
Bradbury Mansion – over 30,000 square feet
Located in Southlake, Texas, the Bradbury mansion is an enormous French-style chateau spanning over 30,000 square feet. It was built in 2002 by Texas billionaire David Bradbury. Features include seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, five fireplaces, an indoor pool, ballroom, wine cellar, and separate guest house. The home showcases quality materials like limestone floors and exotic wood accents.
The Second Largest House in Texas
Based on the largest homes profiled, the current titleholder for the second largest house in Texas is:
Falcon Nest Ranch
With 50,000 total square feet located just outside of Dublin, Texas, Falcon Nest Ranch is considered the second largest home in Texas. The sprawling mansion and grounds are owned by retired baseball icon Nolan Ryan.
While massive homes like Hearst Castle have connections to Texas, they are located out-of-state so cannot claim the title. Within Texas, Falcon Nest is surpassed in size only by the Omni Barton Creek Resort which includes over 200,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Some key facts about Falcon Nest Ranch:
- Built in 2013
- Located in Dublin, Texas (85 miles west of Fort Worth)
- Owned by baseball legend Nolan Ryan
- 50,000 total square feet
- 95 acre estate
- 9 bedrooms, 17 bathrooms
- Bowling alley, indoor shooting range
- 230 seat home theater
- 15,000 square foot garage with room for over 100 cars
- Sports fields, game areas, stables
With its expansive scale and over-the-top amenities, Falcon Nest Ranch firmly claims the runner-up spot for the largest home in Texas. It offers a peek into the lavish lifestyle that only oil money can buy.
While 50,000 square feet is clearly extravagant by any measure, it is dwarfed by the current record holder, the Omni Barton Creek Resort. This enormous Texas venue includes 4 million total square feet with over 200,000 square feet dedicated to meetings and events. The main resort building spans 517,000 square feet alone.
The ranking for the top three largest houses in Texas is:
- Omni Barton Creek Resort – Over 200,000 square feet of event space
- Falcon Nest Ranch – 50,000 square feet
- Hearst Castle – 34,000 square feet
So while Hearst Castle has the name recognition, Falcon Nest Ranch takes second place when only considering homes within the state of Texas.
Other Notable Mega Mansions in Texas
In addition to the top three largest homes, Texas has many other sprawling mansions that capture the state’s oversized personality:
Bill & Melinda Gates Family Mansion – 18,000 square feet
Built along Lake Austin, this modern mansion owned by Bill Gates’ daughter Jennifer spans 18,000 square feet. It includes 7 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, and 3 kitchens. There is also a gym, yoga studio, and separate 1,500 square foot pool house.
James Cash Estate – Over 25,000 square feet
This Mediterranean estate located in Dallas was built by Texas billionaire James Cash. It includes 25,00 square feet with 8 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms across three stories. The 2.5 acre property also features a tennis court, pool, and six car garages.
Camp Cooley Ranch – 23,000 square feet
Nestled on a sprawling Texas ranch, this lodge-style mansion includes 23,000 square feet of space. Owned by the billionaire Bass family, it has multiple guest lodges connected by covered walkways. Outdoor amenities include stables, a shooting range, and helicopter pad.
Playa Vista Isle – Over 40,000 square feet
This ultra-contemporary home is owned by billionaire banker Andy Beal. It sits on a private peninsula with over 40,000 square feet of living space. Features include a 16-car garage, pool, boat dock, game room, and two-story library. Materials like steel, stone, and glass give it a sleek, modern look.
These examples demonstrate the immense scale of luxury living made possible in Texas. Oil fortunes and savvy entrepreneurship have fueled the rise of palatial homes that could almost be considered small towns unto themselves.
The Appeal of Mega Mansions in Texas
What is driving the phenomenon of these sprawling, lavish estates cropping up across Texas?
Some key factors include:
- Oil wealth – Texas oil barons have accumulated massive fortunes over decades, providing the funds for opulent estates.
- Land availability – Texas has wide open spaces perfect for constructing palatial compounds.
- No income tax – Texas’s lack of personal income tax helps wealth go further.
- Hot economy – Major Texas cities like Austin and Dallas have seen rapid economic growth, creating more big spenders.
- Business magnet – Relocation of major corporations to Texas has delivered more high net worth individuals.
- Ego – Competitive businesspeople want the most lavish trophies to display their financial success.
Texas has a long tradition of bigger-than-life swagger, which carries over into its massive, elaborate estates. The multi-acre compounds provide plenty of space for huge houses loaded with over-the-top amenities to pamper and entertain.
Building these colossal homes also creates jobs by employing construction crews for years at a time. For services like groundskeeping, maintenance, household staffing and more, many permanent positions are required to keep the estates running smoothly.
While opposites on the political spectrum, both oil tycoons and tech billionaires find common ground when it comes to indulging in Texas-sized mansions. The economic heritage from the former has passed the baton to the latter’s contemporary fortune building.
For the wealthy elite, bigger continues to mean better in the Lone Star State.
Criticism of Mega Mansion Culture
However, these massive estates have also drawn some criticism:
- Seen as environmentally wasteful due to their enormous energy and resource demands.
- Risk pricing regular home buyers out of local markets as land values rise.
- Contribute to issues like congestion and oversized infrastructure demands.
- Symbolic of widening income inequality.
- Question if anyone truly needs a house so large.
- Focus on individual luxury versus broader social good.
There are reasonable arguments on both sides. Those who favor them point to economic stimulus, job creation, and the right to spend money as one chooses. Critics call them an environmentally harmful excess of runaway capitalism. The debate rages on.
The Future of Mega Mansions
Looking ahead, what is the future of these sprawling Texas estates? Some projections include:
- Costs will rise further as land value and construction expenses increase.
- New technologies like smart home automation will become more integrated.
- Sustainability features like solar panels and geothermal HVAC will be added.
- They may face higher taxes or regulations on emissions, water, and land use.
- International wealth will continue to seek them out as a luxury symbol.
- New wealthy industries like tech could fuel demand beyond oil and gas money.
- Competing locations outside Texas may start attracting more mega mansion construction.
- Public backlash about inequality, environment concerns or other issues may curb their proliferation.
Mega mansions appear firmly entrenched as the top end of luxury living in Texas for now. But forces like public policy and economic trends outside anyone’s control could have big impacts going forward.
It will be interesting to see if the phenomenon starts to shift in the years ahead. For now, everything in Texas continues to be bigger, including its lavish estates for the rich and famous.
Conclusion
In the arms race for the largest residential space in Texas, Falcon Nest Ranch firmly claims the title as runner-up with 50,000 square feet of luxurious living area. While famous names like Hearst Castle top it in total size, within Texas itself only the Omni Barton Creek Resort exceeds it.
The huge homes of Texas provide a window into the state’s cadre of oil tycoons, self-made billionaires, sports legends, and celebrities who want to live large. For those with the means, the Lone Star State offers plenty of wide open spaces to erect monumental estates loaded with over-the-top details and amenities.
Yet even the sprawling Falcon Nest Ranch seems almost quaint compared to the 200,000 square foot plus facilities found at Omni Barton Creek. Everything is bigger in Texas, including its lavish mansions which rank among the grandest in the world.