Rancho del Cielo

Rancho del Cielo is a ranch located atop the Santa Ynez Mountain range northwest of Santa Barbara, California. For more than 20 years, it was the vacation home of actor-turned-politician Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy. Purchased by the family in 1974, President Reagan notably frequented the ranch throughout his presidency. During this period, it was referred to as “The Western White House”.[1]

For Reagan's ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains, see Malibu Creek State Park.

Rancho del Cielo
“The Reagan Ranch”
”The Western White House”
LocationSanta Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara County, California
Coordinates34.530478°N 120.075932°W / 34.530478; -120.075932
Area688 acres (278 ha)
Elevation2,240 feet (680 m)
Built1872
Original useVacation home of President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy
Architectural style(s)California Ranch & Adobe style
OwnerYoung America's Foundation
Websitereaganranch.yaf.org
Rancho del Cielo is located in California
Rancho del Cielo
Location of Rancho del Cielo in California

The ranch's Spanish name translates to Sky's Ranch or Heaven's Ranch in English. Because of its connection to Ronald Reagan, Rancho del Cielo has also been called “The Reagan Ranch”.[2] The 688-acre (278 ha) ranch is currently owned and operated by the Young America's Foundation, a conservative youth organization.

History

The ranch was originally named Rancho de los Picos after José Jesús Pico, a descendant of Santiago de la Cruz Pico who arrived with the Anza Expedition in 1776, who homesteaded it and built the original adobe house in 1871. The Pico family owned the ranch until 1941, when Joe, one of Jose Pico's sons, sold it to Santa Barbara County surveyor Frank Flournoy for $6,000 (equal to $110,500 today[3]). In turn, he sold the ranch to Ray and Rosalie Cornelius, who then purchased additional land for the property.

Ronald Reagan's family owned a ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains that was much closer to their home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. The Reagans sold that ranch to a movie company and it is now part of Malibu Creek State Park.[4][5] The Reagans then bought the ranch from the Corneliuses for about $527,000 in 1974 (equal to approximately $2,896,000 today[3]) when his second term as governor of California was nearing an end. The estate contains a pond called Lake Lucky, stables and a barn for horses, and a 1,500 ft² (139 m²) house furnished with 1970s-style furniture. The ranch is located in a remote area on the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains overlooking the Gaviota Coast. The nearest highway on the ocean side of the mountains is U.S. Route 101, with Solvang, California being the nearest community on the inland side of the mountains.

Reagan spent vacations during his presidency at the ranch, which became known as the Western White House. He signed the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 at the ranch and at various times hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth II and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.[6] After leaving the presidency in 1989, the Reagans moved to a home in Bel Air but kept the ranch as a retreat.

Because of his Alzheimer's disease, Reagan last visited the ranch in 1995. Nancy last visited in 1998, before selling the property to the Young America's Foundation, a conservative group which preserves it today as "a living monument to Reagan's ideas, values, and lasting accomplishments."[6] Although the ranch is closed to the public, the foundation offers students and supporters the opportunity to visit the property.[7][6]

The ranch appears in the 127th episode of California's Gold.[8]

  • Portrait of Reagan at the ranch in 1976
    Portrait of Reagan at the ranch in 1976
  • President Reagan signing the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 in front of the press
    President Reagan signing the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 in front of the press
  • The Reagans with Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1983
    The Reagans with Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, 1983
  • Reagan at the ranch in 1985
    Reagan at the ranch in 1985
  • Reagan riding his Arabian horse "El Alamein", 1986
    Reagan riding his Arabian horse "El Alamein", 1986
  • Ronald and Nancy in the dining room, 1988
    Ronald and Nancy in the dining room, 1988
  • Gorbachev visiting Reagan, both in western wear, 1992
    Gorbachev visiting Reagan, both in western wear, 1992
  • Aerial view of the ranch with Lake Lucky on the bottom right side, 2009
    Aerial view of the ranch with Lake Lucky on the bottom right side, 2009

See also

References
  1. "A Visit to Ronald Reagan's "Ranch in the Sky"". The Institute of World Politics. July 21, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  2. "Home". Reagan Ranch. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  3. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  4. McKINNEY, JOHN (January 14, 1989). "On What Was Once Reagan's Ranch, a Trail to the Chief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  5. FISCHETTI, B PETER (November 23, 2010). "Book describes years working on Reagans ranch". Press-Enterprise. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
  6. WILLON, PHIL (January 18, 2018). "Reagan Ranch has transformed into a spawning ground for young conservatives". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  7. FIORE, FAYE (April 21, 1998). "Conservative Group Buys Reagan Ranch". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  8. "Reagan Ranch – California's Gold (127) – Huell Howser Archives at Chapman University".
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