Part 8/11:
The Decline and End of Hefner’s Palaces
In the late 1980s, Hefner’s health concerns and changing priorities prompted a shift. His 1989 marriage to Kimberley Conrad marked a move toward more private, family-oriented life, though he continued to run Playboy into his later years.
The Chicago mansion was donated to the Chicago Institute of Art after Hefner’s death, transitioning from a symbol of opulence to an educational space. It was sold in the early 1990s and converted into luxury apartments—an elegant pivot from party palace to cultural landmark.