Leonardo DiCaprio Built Computer Lab Where His Bedroom Stood

Leonardo DiCaprio's childhood bedroom is now helping LA kids with their homework, and he's been keeping it that way for nearly three decades.

When the Los Angeles Library demolished DiCaprio's childhood home in Los Feliz to build a new branch in 1999, the freshly minted Titanic star didn't protest. Instead, he donated $35,000 to fund a computer center right where his bedroom once stood.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Computer Center opened with seven terminals loaded with educational software for math, language, and study skills. Movie posters from his biggest films line the walls alongside personal mementos and a photo of young Leo standing outside the original house.

But DiCaprio didn't just cut a check and disappear. Senior librarian Pearl Yonezawa says his foundation regularly reaches out to ask what the library needs.

During the 2008 recession, residents started coming in to read The New York Times because they couldn't afford subscriptions. When Yonezawa mentioned this to DiCaprio's team and requested a one-year trial subscription, he bought them five years instead.

The actor still makes secret visits to the library, though Yonezawa first spotted him in the early 2000s trying to stay low-key under a baseball cap. He may not live in the neighborhood anymore, but his impact remains visible every day.

The Ripple Effect

The computer lab has become an international destination. Yonezawa welcomes visitors from Lithuania, Japan, and Germany who travel just to see where DiCaprio's bedroom once stood.

One superfan flew from Wisconsin before the library even opened, asking if she could collect dirt from the construction site. Yonezawa obliged with "a reasonable amount" so the fan could share "the sacred, sacred dirt" with friends back home.

The library also benefits from Friends of Los Feliz Library, a nonprofit formed in 1993 that provides supplemental funding through memberships and donations. Together with DiCaprio's ongoing support, they've kept the branch a vibrant community hub offering free access to technology, programming, and education.

From childhood bedroom to community resource center, DiCaprio transformed what could have been a sad demolition story into decades of opportunity for LA kids.