8 Treehouses to Envy

Treehouses are pretty much the aspiration of every kid, and no wonder; there's something about them that makes them feel like a magic, private clubhouse. Many kids who grew up around trees had at least a few planks up in a tree somewhere to call their own, but what about the advanced players? These treehouses from around the world might just blow your mind -- and inspire you to call a contractor to see about getting one of your own.

Treehouse at the Alnwick Garden, UK. Yes, this is really a treehouse; it's supported almost entirely by the actual trees, with some assistance from piers. The sprawling structure is open to visitors to the garden, which is a lovely site filled with lots of other amazing attractions.

A treehouse in Laos provides accommodation for visitors there to see gibbons in the Bokeo Nature Reserve. The Gibbon Experience offers a combination of tourism and conservation, with pretty unforgettable lodgings. That zipline looks like fun!

A Hawaiian treehouse offers a romantic retreat surrounded by beautiful tropical flowers.

In Memphis, a treehouse with a roof in better shape than my own! Maybe I ought to call my Northern California roofer and see if it's time to think about a replacement.

You might think this log cabin style treehouse is in the American West, but it's actually not! It's in Turkey, and it's just one of the accommodations at Kadir's Treehouses. That view looks fantastic, and so does the quirky design.

Look closely at this Michigan treehouse, because at first, you might not realize it really is a treehouse. There is, however, a solid trunk running straight through the middle, and the elaborate design is structured around it and surrounding trees. Pretty amazing, right?

BeWILDerwood is a treehouse adventure park in the United Kingdom, where people apparently take their treehouse building extremely seriously. Please tell me I'm not the only one reminded of Harry Potter...