Joel McCrea Ranch, Historic ranch property in Thousand Oaks, United States

The Joel McCrea Ranch, also known as the August DuMortier Ranch, covers over 220 acres (89 ha) at the foot of the Norwegian Grade in Thousand Oaks. It holds eight contributing buildings and four contributing structures, among them a surviving 1890 DuMortier building, the 1933 main house by architect John Byers, an avocado-shaped pool and a cabana/poolhouse.

The land was August DuMortier's ranch before the McCreas; one surviving building dates from 1890. The main house, avocado-shaped pool and cabana/poolhouse were built in 1933, the house by architect John Byers. The ranch sits at the foot of the Norwegian Grade, a road built by Norwegian settlers around 1900 to haul hay, wheat and barley to the Oxnard Plain. The McCreas gave several hundred acres to the Conejo Valley YMCA, and the Conejo Recreation and Park District took ownership in 2004.

The ranch takes its alternate name, August DuMortier Ranch, from the 1890s owner whose building still stands on the site. The Norwegian Grade at its edge was cut around 1900 by Norwegian settlers hauling hay, wheat and barley down to the Hueneme Wharf. The McCreas later gave several hundred acres to the Conejo Valley YMCA.

The visitor center is located on North Moorpark Road and offers organized tours plus educational programs through the local recreation authority. It is helpful to check ahead about tour availability since these activities may have limited time slots.

The avocado-shaped pool and adjacent cabana/poolhouse went up in 1933, the same year as the main house, as part of the McCreas' building campaign. The pool's outline is the detail most visitors photograph; the maid's residence and later outbuildings show how the working ranch grew around it.