history

In 1980, the Brown family acquired Marilyn Monroe's former residence in Van Nuys, California, a home believed to have been where she lived as Norma Jean. During the 1940s, Van Nuys was a pre-Hollywood hotspot where many aspiring actors, including Marilyn, began their journeys. Over the years, the Browns resided there and rented the property to various tenants, including a Marilyn Monroe enthusiast who reportedly contacted Grace Goddard, Norma Jean's godmother, confirming that Marilyn had lived in the house. While the Browns aimed to designate the property as a historical landmark, the process required restoring it to its original state, which proved challenging.

In 2007, Jonathan Brown, son of the family, undertook the home’s restoration and transformed one of its bedrooms into a small recording studio. After 15 years, the house has not only been restored but updated with modern amenities. The recording studio now resides in the guesthouse, originally the home’s chicken coop, which has been expanded.

In 2022, *The Wall Street Journal* recognized the property as one of the top residential recording studios in the country. Through extensive research with the city of Van Nuys, CSUN’s historical archives, and Marilyn Monroe estate experts, the Browns challenged the existing folklore, uncovering evidence that Marilyn Monroe indeed lived in the home with her godmother Grace Goddard from 1940 to 1941, though this differs from the dates on the current plaque.

This discovery was supported by CSUN documents revealing changes in Van Nuys’ street numbering and the fact that Monroe and Goddard were renters rather than homeowners. Further evidence linked Norma Jean to nearby Van Nuys High School, where she was enrolled in 1941, solidifying the property’s unique connection to her early life.

Today, this historical home, fully restored and modernized, offers a one-of-a-kind Airbnb experience and a recording studio space steeped in Hollywood history.