Westchester County is no stranger to fantastic mansions, but this one is right out of fantasy: An "X-Men" mansion based on the Marvel comics/entertainment franchise is now listed on Airbnb.
The house, which resembles the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning as seen in the new Disney+ series, "X-Men 97," is one of several "Icons" homes and experiences worldwide that Airbnb promotes as "a new category of extraordinary experiences hosted by the greatest names in music, film, television, art, sports, and more," according to a company news release.
The property is privately owned and operated by an independent host.
Read on to learn about how Westchester became home base for the beloved mutant superheroes, and how to book your stay.
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The X-Men have ties to Westchester
So, how did Westchester become the setting for such an iconic comic book franchise?
ThankChris ClaremontandStan Lee.
Lee, a comic book writer, editor, publisher and producer who rose through the Marvel Comics ranks, and X-Men co-creator, set the group’s locale as Westchester County. Claremont, an X-Men comics writer for 16 years, refined that further.
“The location of Xavier’s School in Westchester County is something originally established by Stan [Lee] in the opening issues of the series. My contribution to that rubric was to take his general placement and give it more specificity, creating a street address and a real sense of place,” Claremont said in an interview with Almanac Weekly, asreported by HV1.
He continued, in the HV1 article: “Its proximity to New York was a matter of convenience and publishing policy: Everyoneat Marvel was located in or close to New York – unlike DC, where the JLA [Justice League of America] characters were placed in fictional analogues for the real world (Metropolis, Gotham, Star City and the like). This way, writers and pencilers could frame the story’s events within a common physical reality familiar to both creators and readers. Everyone’s writing and drawing and reading what they all know, which (for me, anyway) makes the adventures that much more plausible and a whole lot more fun.”
Over the years, the fictional Xavier mansion/school has made it into real-estate listings — sort of.
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Coldwell Banker listed in 2016 a property for sale with an asking price of $75,850,000, described as "great for a large family or school for gifted children". (Coldwell Banker was a sponsor for the “X-Men: Apocalypse” movie.)
The Avail real estate website currently lists a 24-bedroom, 24-bathroom mansion “with great amenities” (which includes a private jet, the house being wheelchair accessible, and having "superhero roommates") as renting for $3,500/month, but is also noted that it is not available. Contact for the listing is Charles Xavier.
In the "X-Men" universe, the "X-Mansion," also known by variations including "Xavier Institute for Higher Learning," was home to Professor Charles Francis Xavier — Professor X. It served as a school and a training ground for mutants – the X-Men who each possessed signature superpowers.
The original Xavier Institute had a 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, address. While that Salem Center doesn’t exist in real life, there’s a namesake hamlet in northern Westchester’s North Salem. Note to urban explorers: North Salem also has a Graymalkin Lane, and whileGoogle Mapsdoes drop a pin where the school is located, there is nothing there. Missing also is Breakstone Lake, which in the “X-Men” universe is supposed to be on the grounds. At another point, an “X-Men” comic book gave a Scarsdale Graymalkin address.
The Xavier Institute was passed on to Professor X from his father. It was damaged or destroyed many times, rebuilt, upgraded, and expanded with dorms after Professor X publicly disclosed he was a mutant. The X-Men haven’t lived in the Westchester mansion for years. The group has had its own sovereign nation, Krakoa, a sentient, living Pacific Ocean island.
Can you still book a stay at the X-Mansion?
Airbnb's online description said people used the app to request to book it. Those selected were to get a digital golden ticket, the description says.
Twenty five one-night stays at Westchester's "X-Mansion" were set to start June 4, said a spokesperson. Each stay accommodates up to eight guests — four bedrooms that can house up to two guests each. Guests need the Airbnb mobile app and an active Airbnb account, a finished profile, and be a legal resident of an eligible country or region.
At the X-Mansion, guests can choose from "X-Men" characters Jubilee’s '90s-style bedroom, Wolverine’s "rugged digs," Beast’s lab, or the new-recruits dorm room.
As of June 5, bookings were officially closed.
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What guests can expect at the X-Mansion in Westchester
Guests will learn "movie-style poses and cool sequences" from professional stunt coordinators, the spokesperson said. "No experience is required, and guests will not partake in real fights. Guests in the War Room will try on Cerebro, where they’ll be able to find out their mutant abilities with a special quiz."
"You’ll discover your mutant abilities and even train in the Danger Room," the Airbnb release said of the X-Mansion.
A Hollywood Reporter article about Airbnb's "Icons" said people staying overnight at the "X-Mansion" will get a tour spanning hours by actors playing various X-Men who are undergoing training.
The Hollywood Reporter noted the home was recently a residence, and that Airbnb would use it for some months to recreate the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, from Marvel's "X-Men '97."
The Airbnb release said the Westchester house's "X-Men" features include:
Beast’s "totally gnarly lab" that is "like a science playground where you’ll be able to power-up with mutant energy elixirs."
In the "Danger Room," "some of our combat professors will teach you how to improve your fighting skills—you never know when you’ll have to fend off The Hellfire Club!"
In the "War Room," a person will be able to learn "your mutant superpower," and "maybe you’ll be an Omega level mutant like Storm!"
"The X-Mansion is the best place for you and other mutants to learn about and control your awesome mutant gifts," the online description of the X-Mansion said, written from the character Jubilee's (who is also listed as the host) perspective. "Your stay will be packed with training, cool experiments, secret mission briefings, a class photo, and more! When you’re wiped out, crash in my room, Wolverine’s, or one of our other dorms."
Other Airbnb "Icons" experiences include a night in the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy, and sleeping inside a house designed to be from animated Disney/Pixar movie "Up." There's also Prince's "Purple Rain" house in Minneapolis.
The Icons "take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination— until now,” Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and chief executive, said in a May 1 news release. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”
Michael P. McKinney covers growth and development in Westchester County and the Lower Hudson Valley for The Journal News/lohud.com and the USA Today Network.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: X-Men Airbnb in Westchester brings franchise to a home base
