The backyard circus is long gone, but heartfelt notes placed by saddened fans at the property's entrance remain intact five years after Jackson's death. And visitors are still making the pilgrimage.
"I figured it would just be a closed gate, but I still wanted to see it for myself," said James Chen of Seattle, a fan who stopped outside Neverland during a recent road trip with his father.
While many Jackson ventures are thriving after his death, including a new album and Cirque du Soleil shows, there's not been similar movement at Neverland, despite rumors the property could be transformed into a Graceland-like homage or sold to the highest bidder.
The estate was built in 1981 by real estate developer William Bone, who called it Sycamore Valley Ranch. Jackson paid USD 19.5 million for the hilly, oak- and sycamore-studded property in 1988 and rechristened it Neverland after Peter Pan's island dwelling.
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He soon added such over-the-top amenities as a zoo and small amusement park. For nearly 20 years, Neverland was both Jackson's home and a pop culture landmark.
Jackson later turned his back on Neverland after his 2005 acquittal on charges he molested children at the ranch, opting to live elsewhere in the world until his death in 2009. "I guess they ruined it for my dad," Jackson's eldest son, Prince, told a civil court jury last year.