Neverland Valley Ranch
| Location | Los Olivos, California, United States of America |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°44′28″N 120°05′30″W / 34.74107°N 120.09158°WCoordinates: 34°44′28″N 120°05′30″W / 34.74107°N 120.09158°W |
| Owner | Estate of Michael Jackson & Colony NorthStar |
| Opened | 1988 |
| Closed | 2006 |
| Area | 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) |
| Rides | |
| Total | 50 |
| Roller coasters | 1 |
| Water rides | 0 |
Neverland Valley Ranch (renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch) is a developed property in Santa Barbara County, California, located at 5225 Figueroa Mountain Road, Los Olivos, California 93441, that was first named Neverland in 2008. It is most famous for being the home of the American entertainer Michael Jackson. Jackson named the property after Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up. Jackson's first encounter with the ranch came when he visited Paul McCartney, who was staying there during their filming of the "Say Say Say" video. According to La Toya Jackson, Michael expressed interest to her in someday owning the property at that time.
Today, the ranch is owned by the Estate of Michael Jackson and Colony NorthStar. The ranch is located about 5 miles (8 km) north of unincorporated Los Olivos, and about eight miles (13 km) north of the town of Santa Ynez. The Chamberlin Ranch is to the west, and the rugged La Laguna Ranch, is to the north. The Santa Barbara County Assessor's office says the ranch is approximately 3,000 acres (1214 hectares).
The estate was originally known as the Zaca Laderas Ranch at the time of its purchase by the property developer William Bone in 1977. Bone renamed the estate the Sycamore Valley Ranch and moved there with his family. Bone commissioned the architect Robert Altevers to design the principal buildings on the ranch, and the pair spent two and a half years researching potential designs and ideas. The 13,000 square feet (1,200 m²) main house was completed in 1982, based on a design by architect Robert Altevers, with formal gardens, a stone bridge, and a four-acre lake with a five-foot waterfall. Bone later said that in building the house he had "...a desire to express everything I had learned in 15 years of home building...I achieved here all the things I wanted to do in my business but could not". He had considered converting the property to a country club but did not do so.
Michael Jackson purchased the estate from Bone in 1988 for an amount that is not certain. Some sources indicate $19.5 million while others suggest it was closer to $30 million US dollars. The property was initially purchased by a trust with Jackson's lawyer, John Branca, and his accountant, Marshall Gelfand, as trustees, for reasons of privacy. The arrangement was later rescinded by Jackson in April 1988 and he became the ultimate owner of the property. It was Jackson's home as well as his private amusement park and it contained a floral clock, numerous artistic garden statues featuring children, and a petting zoo. The amusement park included two railroads: one 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge named "Neverland Valley Railroad" with a steam locomotive named Katherine after his mother (Crown 4-4-0 (2B); built 1973 with two coaches), and the other a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge with a locomotive named C. P. Huntington made by Chance Rides. There was also a Ferris wheel, Carousel, Zipper, Octopus, Pirate Ship, Wave Swinger, Super Slide, roller coaster, bumper cars, and an amusement arcade. The master closet also contained a secret safe room for security. Jackson was also an avid art collector.
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