Watch CBS News

Minneapolis Man Dedicates Home As 1960s Party Palace

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Live music, Bruce Wayne, gold-plated bathrooms and a theater made out of an airplane door and airline seats.

It can all be found in a Twin Cities man's home.

In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen takes us to Minneapolis, where an apartment complex is now one man's palace -- and hidden doors lead to hidden treasures.

"It looks like a nursing home or a school from the outside. You walk in and you are blown away," said Scott Weber.

Looks are often deceiving, and that's exactly what Scott Weber wants. His home is an apartment complex turned party palace.

"For me it came on gradually, but it's a shock for people that have never seen it before," said Weber.

What you are seeing is 13 years of work -- visions that Weber had when he bought the building. As a man who shamelessly celebrates the 60s, he's gutted six apartment units and turned them into 35 rooms and seven bathrooms.

"I kept adding rooms and new ideas. I'd get an idea and, okay, let's do this," said Weber.

A psychedelic setting if ever there was one. The theater room where Weber and his band play old time rock and roll was a labor of love.

"I took out the four bedrooms and made this and it's turned out fantastic," said Weber.

There are catwalks and hidden doorways. There's a Bruce Wayne room inspired by the 1960's Batman television series.

"This is where you would have gotten the bat call in this room. There's a bat phone in here somewhere. A red bat phone," Weber said.

From Batman to Elvis, Weber remade the King's Graceland living room. He even bought the door of an old DC-7 airplane, and seats from an old DC-10, to create a vintage movie theater with plenty of leg room of course.

"When you watch a movie in here you have to buckle up. This is where the party takes off, right? It's a good place to start," Weber said.

"Some people call it the Weber Experience. I've heard it called that. I kind of call it Scott's Asylum. His 'sane" asylum,' said friend Natalie Hale.

For friends like Hale, it's like walking into a time warp.

"There's dancing, there's music, there's culture, there are enriches. It's almost like an art museum but a party at the same time," said Hale.

Even the bathrooms are a party. One is full of mirrors. Another is full of gold.

"This is what we call the Liberace bathroom. It doesn't need any explanation," said Weber.

Many things don't need an explanation, like the "I Dream of Genie" room, the Bourbon Street room with an 11-foot long guitar and the jazz room where Weber spends most of his winters.

But Weber does find himself having to explain a hidden door that leads to a remake of a famous 1960 Twilight Zone episode. "Eye of the beholder" featured pig doctors and nurses.

"This is about as creepy as it gets right here Scott. Did you ever get them to move or anything? Can they move or not? John Lauritsen asked Weber.

"I hope not. If they do I'm going to be running out of here," Weber said.

If you stay, rules are posted in the 50s diner. Alcohol is fine, but not drugs. However, you do have permission to have a groovy, good time.

"Do you ever get tired of it? Lauritsen asked.

"No. If I did I wouldn't do it. To me it's being on LSD without having to be on LSD. It makes people let their hair down and get a little crazy, but it's a natural crazy. I like that," Weber said.

Weber buys a lot of his vintage artifacts on Ebay and at various stores. He has concerts inside his home at least once a month. And he rents out the other half of his apartment complex to tenants.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.