Malibu Creek State Park/20th Century Fox Ranch

 park, nature conservation park / area, movie / film / TV location, movie ranch

1925 Las Virgenes Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=614

The land was the homeland of the Chumash-Ventureño people for around 8,000 years. It never became a part of a Spanish or Mexican land grant Rancho. The main portion of the property was originally purchased in 1900 by a group of L.A. 'powerbroker' leaders who formed the historic and elite 'Crag's Country Club', named after the distinctive tall rocky crags.

In 1901, the Club built a dam across Malibu Creek at the top end of the gorge, thus forming the seven acre lake, now known as Century Lake. The members of the club built homes around the property: in 1911, Jim Mott built an adobe home along Malibu Creek; around 1910, William Garland built a 3-story home on a hill near the Country Club clubhouse (it was removed in 1955); the clubhouse was built overlooking Rock Pool and the lower gorge (it was removed in 1955); the visitor's center across the creek from the clubhouse was originally the Hunt-Wesson home.

Filming came to the property as early as 1935 with MGM's Tarzan Escapes when the studio built the treehouse near Crag's Road and Brent Mountain, while still the rustic Country Club.

When 20th Century Fox filmed the 1941 How Green Was My Valley, the studio took an active interest in the property. While they did have an extensive and large backlot at their main studio location, they were interested in the Crag's property because they envisioned moving their entire studio operation to the Malibu Creek property. The property was purchased by the studio in 1946, but they never moved their studios, probably due to the cost of the move.

The studio later purchased part of the Ronald Reagan Ranch and the Hunter Homestead. It was on the latter property that the house used in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House was built--a fully functional house, still standing and in use.

The property was the home to the movie and television versions of M*A*S*H as well as Planet of the Apes.

While some sets were built and removed, long standing sets included a ranch set, a Mexican Village, and a Fort, now all gone.

In 1974, the State of California purchased the ranch and opened it to the public in 1976.