article: Do you want to live like hip hop mogul Lucious Lyon from the hit show 'Empire'? If you have the bank balance of a mogul you could splash out on the house used for location shoots in the Fox show, which is filmed in the Chicago area. The enormous 20,000 square foot mansion in the ritzy suburb of Barrington is opulent and private, sitting by two lakes in eight acres of manicured gardens. Scroll Down for Video . Fit for a mogul - the enormous mansion serves as the backdrop to the hit show Empire . It took five years to build the house, which sits by two lakes in eight acres of manicured gardens . The sophisticated five bedroom, nine bathroom French Country-style estate that serves as a glamorous backdrop to the show is listed at $13 million, having failed to find a buyer at $15.9 million since it first hit the market in 2013. It took five years to build the enormous mansion, with construction finally coming to a halt in 2008. This lengthy building period was partly due to the huge amount of custom woodwork and ornamentation in the house. The show centers on Lucious Lyon, played by Terence Howard, deciding which of his three sons will take over his company, Empire Entertainment . For the show, the interiors are staged often to look more dramatic than the house does in real life . The mansion even has an owner worthy of Empire, in strip club owner Sam Cecola, according to Curbed. Cecola owns the Admiral Theater strip club in Albany Park, Illinois, and previously owned the Club Paradise strip club in Las Vegas. He had to relinquish ownership of the Las Vegas property due to legal problems involving tax fraud and alleged connections to organized crime. As in the show, the stately living room features a grand piano . The house is as opulent in real life as it is in the show and has a lot of room for entertaining . The house includes a wet bar, walnut-paneled library, huge gourmet kitchen and a built-in safe and state-of-the-art security system. Outside there is a dog run, an outdoor pool, outdoor fireplace and a pond, as well as extensive waterfront views. A full bar opens out onto a terrace and the garden on the lower level . A light bright dining room just off the grand hallway . In the show, Luscious Lyon, played by Terence Howard, has been diagnosed with ALS and is trying to determine which of his three sons will succeed him and run his entertainment business. His outspoken ex-wife, Cookie, played by Taraji P. Henson, is fresh out of prison after 17 years for drug dealing and is also demanding her share of the business. The bedrooms are simply and elegantly decorated in a tasteful color palette . In the show, Lucious' daughter Lola has a bedroom fit for a princess . The formal walnut-paneled study is deeply masculine and worthy of an industry mogul . Lucious' study on the show is darker and more dramatic .
highlights: The giant mansion used to film the hit show Empire is on the market for $13 million following a price drop .
  The 20,000 square feet French Country-style estate took five years to build .
  The five bedroom, nine bathroom house features waterfront views, custom woodwork and lots of space for entertaining .
  Fit for a mogul, the house is  owned by strip club owner Sam Cecola .
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