The Iconic Mary Tyler Moore House: 5 Surprising Facts About Its Final Sale And Current Status In 2025

The iconic Victorian home at 2104 Kenwood Parkway in Minneapolis, instantly recognizable as the exterior of Mary Richards' apartment on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, remains one of the most famous pieces of television real estate in the world. As of December 2025, the house is not on the market, having concluded a long and dramatic sale process that saw its final price drop significantly from the initial listing, revealing a surprising market reality for even the most historic of celebrity homes. This grand property, which once symbolized the independence of a modern woman in the 1970s, now stands as a private residence, forever a pilgrimage site for fans of Mary Tyler Moore and the groundbreaking sitcom. For decades, the address 2104 Kenwood Parkway has been synonymous with the show's fictional address, 119 North Weatherly Avenue, a piece of television history that continues to "turn the world on with a smile." The house itself is a magnificent example of 19th-century architecture, built long before it became a pop culture landmark, and its recent sale history provides a fascinating look at the value of television nostalgia in the competitive Minneapolis housing market.

Mary Tyler Moore: The Woman Who Made Minneapolis a Star

The enduring fascination with the Kenwood Parkway house is directly tied to the legacy of its namesake, Mary Tyler Moore. A television pioneer, Moore played Mary Richards, a single, 30-year-old woman who moves to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to start a new life as an associate producer at the fictional WJM-TV news station. The show, which ran from 1970 to 1977, was revolutionary for its depiction of an independent, career-focused woman.

Mary Tyler Moore: Biographical Profile

• Full Name: Mary Tyler Moore
• Born: December 29, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York
• Died: January 25, 2017, at age 80
• Spouses: Richard Carleton Meeker (m. 1955; div. 1961), Grant Tinker (m. 1962; div. 1981), Robert Levine (m. 1983)
• Notable Roles: Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show; Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
• Legacy: Seven-time Emmy Award winner, Golden Globe winner, and a major advocate for animal rights and juvenile diabetes research.
• Connection to Minneapolis: Although she was born in Brooklyn, New York, and the show was filmed in Hollywood, Moore's character and the show itself indelibly linked her to the Twin Cities, making her a beloved figure in Minnesota history.

The Shocking Final Sale Price and Current Ownership

The story of the *Mary Tyler Moore Show* house sale is one of high expectations meeting a tough reality for luxury real estate. While the home's cultural value is priceless, its market value proved to be a complex calculation, even with the unparalleled celebrity association. The grand Victorian property is located in the upscale Kenwood neighborhood, near Lake of the Isles. It is a massive Single Family Home originally built in 1892.

The Long Road to the Final Closing

The house was owned by the same family for decades, who endured constant fan attention. When they decided to sell, the process was long and drawn out:

1. Initial Listing: The home was first listed for sale with an ambitious price tag. One listing in 2017 put the price at $1.695 million, while previous owners had paid $2.8 million in 2007.
2. The Long Wait: The property spent a significant amount of time on the market—nearly five years in total—underlining the challenge of selling a large, unique, and highly visible celebrity-associated home in the upper-bracket market.
3. The Final Transaction: The house officially sold and closed on April 9, 2019. The final sale price was $1.45 million. This price was substantially lower than the original asking price, highlighting the difficulty in valuing a property where the intangible "stardom" factor doesn't always translate directly into a higher closing figure.
4. Current Owner: The buyer was listed as the Arrowhead Revocable Land Trust, a private entity, which is common for high-profile property purchases to ensure the privacy of the new occupants. The house remains a private residence today, and the current owners have asked for respect for their privacy.

Behind the Scenes: The Real Estate of Mary Richards

The house at 2104 Kenwood Parkway was only used for the exterior shots during the first five seasons of the show. The production team eventually changed the exterior shots, primarily due to the constant presence of fans disrupting the private lives of the actual residents.

A Closer Look at the Fictional and Real Property

The discrepancy between the real house and Mary's fictional apartment is a major point of interest for fans and real estate enthusiasts alike.

• The Real House: A magnificent, multi-story Victorian mansion. The property boasts a massive interior, with some records listing it as 9,500 square feet, featuring 7 to 9 bedrooms and 6.5 to 9 bathrooms. It is a grand, historic family home.
• Mary's Fictional Apartment: Mary Richards supposedly lived in Unit D of a large apartment house. Her close friend and neighbor, Rhoda Morgenstern, lived in the same building. The interior shots of her cozy, quirky apartment were filmed entirely on a soundstage in Los Angeles. The interior set was designed to look like a much smaller, more manageable apartment for a single working woman, a stark contrast to the sprawling mansion exterior.
• The Address Confusion: The fictional address of Mary's apartment was 119 North Weatherly Avenue. This address does not exist, but it was often confused with the real-life Kenwood Parkway address by fans eager to see the iconic building.

More Minneapolis Locations from the Show

The show was famous for its use of genuine Minneapolis landmarks, lending a sense of authenticity to Mary Richards' life:

In addition to Mary's home, other real-life locations were featured in the opening credits, cementing the city's role as a character in the series:

• WJM-TV Building: The exterior of the fictional television station where Mary worked alongside Lou Grant, Ted Baxter, and Murray Slaughter was actually the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis.
• Riverside Plaza: In later seasons, the exterior shot of Mary's apartment was changed to an apartment complex in the Riverside Plaza area, a move made to alleviate the constant fan traffic at the Kenwood Parkway house.
• The Lake: The famous scene where Mary throws her hat in the air was filmed at the intersection of Nicollet Mall and 7th Street, but the show frequently featured shots of the city's beautiful lakes, including the nearby Lake of the Isles.

The 2104 Kenwood Parkway house, despite being a private residence, remains a powerful symbol of television history and the pioneering spirit of Mary Tyler Moore. Its history, from a late 19th-century construction to a 21st-century real estate saga, ensures its place as a beloved landmark in the Twin Cities.