‘Outer space’ galore as California UFO home goes on market for $1.5M

Published: 06:38 EDT, 12 October 2026 | Updated: 06:40 EDT, 12 October 2026

Home buyers with a hankering for the otherworldy take note: a California residence shaped like a UFO could be yours for $1.5million.

The Futuro, as it’s known, was built in the 1960s by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen but had fallen into disrepair by the following decade.

It was rescued by a fellow architect, Milford Wayne Donaldson, who spent years restoring it to its former glory – but now the 83-year-old and his wife want to sell it before it becomes a burden.

Space to roam: The Donaldson Futuro in the San Jacinto Mountains has hit the market for $1,495,000

Saucer style: The UFO-shaped home has a 1960s feel and a great view of the mountains through its bubble windows

Deemed an historic structure in January 2021, the spherical-shaped yellow home with distinctive bubble windows offering views of the California mountains is on sale for $1,495,000.

Donaldson – who served on former president Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation – and his wife, Laurie, have owned the home since the 1970s, when Donaldson heard the Futuro was in disrepair and languishing behind the San Diego Design Center.

When the design center was sold, the building’s new owners had started to demolish the Futuro, he told The Wall Street Journal.

Donaldson had loved the Futuro since childhood and could not bear to see it destroyed, so he bought it and stored it in a San Diego boatyard owned by a friend, he explained. He does not recall what he paid.

But in 2004 he purchased half an acre of land in the San Jacinto Mountains, near Idyllwild, for $70,000 and set about making it the base for his outer space folly, the WSJ reported.

He chose the location because it was similar to the one chosen for the first Futuro in Finland. It is estimated that 100 Futuros were manufactured, with around 50 to 60 surviving today.

Bright new world: The home is 26 feet in diameter and had to be transported to the location via a wide-load truck and be escorted by the California Highway Patrol

At 26 feet in diamater, moving the structure proved no easy feat. It had to be shrink-wrapped and escorted by the California Highway Patrol on a wide-load truck in December 2004.

‘When we finally got up there, it was like we were the Pied Piper. We had about 40 people in cars behind us,’ Donaldson told WSJ.

Once it reached the mountains, a crane had to hoist the flying saucer up above the tree line.

From there, the Donaldsons renovated the inside of the home in a 1960s style, complete with popcorn ceiling and linoleum floors.

The couple, who primarily live eight hours away in Sacramento, enjoyed the retreat for roughly one week a month.

But now that Donaldson is aging, he’s ready to offload the home so his wife, 66, does not get stuck having to sell it once he has died, he told WSJ.

‘It’s best to try to find a buyer now [who] really appreciates it…. And doesn’t just do an Airbnb or something,’ he told the outlet.

Earthy tones: Milford Wayne Donaldson, 83, and his wife, Laurie, bought the home in the late 1970s

Mission possible: In 2004, they moved it to its current location after repairing the exterior

Sleeping with the stars: Donaldson now wants to sell the home so his 66-year-old wife is not stuck selling it after he dies

Visionary: The home was designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen in the late 1960s

Listing agent Tim McTavish thinks the home will attract buyers who love architecture or those from museums or foundations.

There is another Futuro house in California, near Joshua Tree. The home is available on Airbnb and it is thought to be the only Futuro house in the U.S. that can be rented out for the night.

When Suuronen designed the homes in 1968, he originally intended them to be used as portable ski chalets.

They had 520sq ft of inside space and boasted a kitchen, a bathroom and a fireplace, while the front door took the form of an electric hatch.

The ones located in the U.S. were made under contract with a Philadelphia company, WSJ reported.

Only a few Futuros have sold over the years, with most going for $50,000 to $100,000.

However, Donaldson believes his home is worth more, as it is in a livable condition.