Fountain of Youth for Sale? St. Petersburg, FL, Mansion From the Movie ‘Cocoon’ Is Listed for $11.5M

by Tiffani Sherman

A storied, waterfront estate with an Oscar-winning pedigree is on the market for the first time in more than 40 years.

The palatial, pink property known as Casa de Muchas Flores in Saint Petersburg, FL, is listed for $11.5 million.

“There have been so many dignitaries and famous folks that have dined in that dining room and have been in that home, so it has so much history that comes with it that it’s hard to really put into words,” says listing agent Dania Perry, with Century 21 Jim White & Associates.

Pool house from ‘Cocoon’
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The 9,932-square-foot, Mediterranean Revival manor was built in 1924 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Architect Henry H. Dupont designed the home around the same time he designed the historic (and also pink) Don CeSar Hotel on nearby St. Pete Beach.

‘Cocoon’ movie film locale

But what makes this place really famous is its detached pool house.

“The movie ‘Cocoon‘ was filmed there,” Perry says. “It’s beautiful and very impressive. I’ve never seen one like it, and I have represented a lot of luxury homes.”

The Academy Award-winning, 1985 sci-fi flick was directed by Ron Howard. It centers on aliens who “cocoon” in this very pool, which essentially becomes a fountain of youth to a bunch of seniors who swim in it.

Of course, that was just movie magic, but Perry jokes that there might be something to it.

“The homeowners look very young, and they’ve been married for a long time and are very happy,” she notes with a laugh.

The pool house is a spacious 2,800-square-feet and fully encloses a very large pool. It’s part of the 2.6-acre, tree-filled estate with a long, winding driveway leading from the cobblestone street.

‘Historical uniqueness’

The main house has six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, a bonus room, and a great room with historic features and views of the intracoastal waterway.

Apartment-sized staff quarters have a separate entrance.

“It has a lot of the original charm of the home when it was built,” Perry says, adding that the chandelier; high, cypress ceilings; tiles; and wrought-iron railings are historic. “I feel like I’m in another world in a castle-like feeling. I sometimes have to pinch myself. There’s so much that comes with it.”

She says the owners have taken great care of the place, so nothing really needs to be done to it. The property last sold in 1982 for $500,000, according to Realtor.com®.

The buyer “will be somebody that really appreciates all of the charm of the home and the grounds and the privacy and all of the trees,” Perry predicts. “You just don’t get that historical uniqueness today.”