Michael Jackson filled his legendary Neverland Ranch with amusement park rides, animals and a movie theater — but according to his daughter Paris Jackson, those attractions came with a surprising warning for his own children.

Paris, 28, revealed that her famous father made it clear to her and brothers Prince, 29, and Bigi, 24, that Neverland’s carnival-like playground was not actually meant for them.

Instead, she said Jackson told his children the rides and other attractions were primarily there for underprivileged and terminally ill kids who might never get the chance to visit places like Disneyland.

The revelation has once again put a spotlight on the sprawling California estate, which became one of the most controversial properties in entertainment history because of the child sexual abuse allegations surrounding Jackson.

Jackson repeatedly denied those allegations. He was acquitted of all charges in his highly publicized 2005 criminal trial.

Now Paris is offering a rare glimpse into what life was actually like for Jackson’s own children behind Neverland’s gates.

Appearing on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Paris pushed back against the idea that she spent her entire childhood running wild through her father’s private amusement park.

“I didn’t grow up there,” she explained, saying she only lived at Neverland during the first few years of her life.

Instead, her days reportedly included homeschooling, chores and strict rules.

Paris said she and her siblings had to earn the right to enjoy the animals, rides and movies.

“If you’re good and you do your chores and you do homework and you do the things that you’re supposed to do, then on the weekends you can go see some animals and you can go ride some rides and you can go to movies,” she recalled.

But the most surprising part came when Paris described what her father told them about the attractions themselves.

“It was made very, very clear that all of the attractions there were not for us,” she said. “That did not belong to us.”

According to Paris, Jackson told the children that Neverland’s attractions were intended for disadvantaged and seriously ill youngsters who otherwise might never experience a major theme park.

The unusual rule has drawn renewed attention because of the dark controversy that would eventually become inseparable from Neverland.

A source told RadarOnline that some people may find the distinction unsettling when viewed through the lens of the accusations that followed Jackson for years.

But Paris described the rule much differently — as part of her father’s effort to keep his children disciplined despite their extraordinary wealth and celebrity.

And those rules apparently followed the Jackson children wherever they went.

Paris recalled that when the family stayed in Las Vegas, a weekend trip to Circus Circus could be used as a reward. If they were somewhere else, even a visit to Chuck E. Cheese might depend on whether the kids had behaved and finished their responsibilities.

Jackson also reportedly kept a surprisingly tight grip on screen time.

Paris said she and her brothers were generally not allowed to watch television or movies unless they were studying them for filmmaking purposes or had earned the privilege on the weekend.

The comments offer a strikingly different picture of childhood at Neverland than outsiders may have imagined.

Behind the roller-coaster rides, zoo animals and Hollywood-level luxury, Paris says her father maintained a rigid system of chores, schooling and rewards — while repeatedly reminding his children that Neverland’s biggest attractions were meant for other kids.

Paris also opened up about her relationship with her mother, Debbie Rowe, Jackson’s second wife and the mother of Paris and Prince.

Rowe was largely absent during Paris’ early childhood, but Paris said the two reconnected when she was around 15 years old and gradually grew closer during her late teens.

Michael Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 from acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication.

More than 17 years later, stories from inside Neverland continue to fascinate fans — and fuel debate over one of the most complicated legacies in pop music history.