The title compound 1 is shown to give, both upon direct irradiation at 254 nm and upon acetophenone-sensitized photolysis at 300 nm, the syn-vinyl-pentamethylhousene 5, which spontaneously rearranges in a [3,3]0sigmatropic process to give the bicyclo[3.2.0]heptadiene skeleton 2. Based on the photochemical behaviour of selectively deuterated starting material, the suggestion is made that the direct photolysis produces the vinylhousene skeleton by a classic electrocyclization, whereas the sensitized reaction reaches the same target via a di-π-methane rearrangement. The bicyclo[3.2.0]heptadiene derivative 2 give pentamethylhomoprismane 3 upon prolonged irradiation at 254 nm.