Will Rogers State Historic Park, State historic park in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, United States
Will Rogers State Historic Park is a 186-acre California State Historic Park in the Santa Monica Mountains, in Pacific Palisades. Its centerpiece was a 31-room ranch house with 11 baths and seven fireplaces, surrounded by stables, corrals, a riding ring, roping arena, golf course and polo field. The house and main stables were destroyed in the January 2025 Palisades Wildfire; the original garage, now the visitor center, and smaller outbuildings survived.
Will Rogers built the ranch in Pacific Palisades, where he lived with his wife Betty and their three children. After Betty Rogers died, the estate became a California State Historic Park in 1944, and the ranch house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. A major renovation ran from 2002 to 2006, and the house reopened in March 2006. On January 8, 2025, the Palisades Wildfire destroyed the ranch house and main stables; the park partially reopened in November 2025.
The living room held a porch swing in its centre and a mounted calf given to Rogers so he would rope it instead of his friends. Native American rugs and baskets hung alongside Western paintings by Charles M. Russell and Ed Borein. The north wing kept the family bedrooms, Rogers' study and the parlor/sunroom with original furnishings.
The park partially reopened in November 2025, with recreational facilities and half of the trails accessible; the ranch house area remains closed while rebuilding is planned. Trails lead from the ranch buildings to Inspiration Point, and hikers can continue into Topanga State Park via the Backbone Trail. The polo field lies just south of the parking area.
The polo field, the first thing seen looking south from the parking area, has a gentle slope that forms a natural viewing area for spectators. The ranch has appeared in many films and television shows, including Star Trek IV, where it stood in for Golden Gate Park.
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