Manistee Ranch, Historic ranch in Glendale, Arizona.

Manistee Ranch is a historic property in Glendale featuring a Queen Anne Victorian style house with a square tower and windows that overlook the grounds. The residence sits on expansive acreage planted with various palm trees over time.

Herbert W. Hamilton, a lumber baron from Wisconsin, assembled 320 acres (129.5 hectares) of farmland in Glendale by 1897 and planted citrus orchards and dates. In 1907 he sold the farm to Louis M. Sands of Manistee, Michigan, who named it after his hometown and raised cattle, sheep, horses, ducks and chickens. The Sands family kept four acres until selling to the Glendale Historical Society in 1996; the ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 9, 1998.

The basement displays items from early Glendale schools, farm tools, and photographs showing how agriculture shaped the local area. These exhibits reflect the farming roots that defined the community.

The property at 5127 W. Northern Ave. is administered by Glendale's Parks and Recreation Department, and the restored buildings — garage, office, barn and main house — stand on the four acres retained by the Sands family until 1996. The grounds hold an outdoor exhibit of old farm equipment, so allow time to walk the site as well as the house.

The property contains more than ten different palm species, including Hayani, Bentkelda, Medjoul, and Deglet Noor varieties, some over 100 years old. This unusual plant collection reveals an interest in exotic cultivation uncommon in early Arizona.