Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch - Front Gates and a bit of History

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Neverland Ranch or Neverland Valley Ranch, is a developed property in Santa Barbara County, California, on the edge of Los Padres National Forest. From 1988 to 2005, it was the home and private amusement park of the American singer Michael Jackson. The ranch is about 5 miles (8 km) north of unincorporated Los Olivos, and about eight miles (13 km) north of the town of Santa Ynez.

Originally named Zaca Laderas Ranch, the estate was renamed Sycamore Valley Ranch shortly after it was purchased by the property developer William Bone in 1981.In 1988, the ranch was sold to Jackson, who renamed it after Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, a boy who never ages.Jackson first visited the ranch when he visited Paul McCartney, who was staying there during their filming of the 'Say Say Say' music video in 1983. According to Jackson's sister La Toya, he expressed interest in someday owning the property.

Jackson left Neverland Ranch in 2005, shortly after his acquittal of child sexual abuse charges, and never returned; he owned it until his death in 2009. After the property had depreciated for several years, the American billionaire businessman Ronald Burkle, a friend of the Jackson family, purchased it in 2020 for US$22 million.

The estate was originally known as the Zaca Laderas Ranch at the time of its purchase by the property developer William Bone in 1981. 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-foot (1,200 m2) main house was completed in 1982, based on a design by Altevers, with formal gardens, a stone bridge, and a four-acre (1.5 ha) lake with a five-foot (1.5 m) 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.

Prior to taking up residence at the ranch, Jackson lived with his family at Hayvenhurst. He purchased the estate from Bone in March 1988 for an unknown amount. Some sources indicate $19.5 million while others suggest it was closer to $30 million.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, with numerous artistic garden statues, amusement rides, and a petting zoo.

The property included three 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-in 1973), and two coaches. The other was a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge, with a C. P. Huntington replica locomotive made by Chance Rides. There was also a custom-made private electric train that was purchased by Jackson for his own children, Michael Jr., Paris, and Prince II. The train was manufactured in 2001 by a German company Elektro-Mobiltechnik. The train was set up in the yard at Neverland behind the main house and had 100 feet (30 m) of track.

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.

Some of the events that took place at the Ranch included the wedding of Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky in 1991 and the live Oprah Winfrey interview of Jackson in 1993. In 1995, Jackson and his then-wife Lisa Marie Presley hosted children from around the world for a three-day World Children's Congress, a series of seminars and workshops on issues facing kids around the globe, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the United Nations.