Skywalker Ranch, Recording studio and ranch in Nicasio, California
Skywalker Ranch is a recording studio and estate in Nicasio, Marin County, California, that spans rolling hills with vineyards, olive groves, and gardens. The complex includes several Victorian-style buildings, among them a technical center for audio work, a library, and a cinema that seats several hundred guests.
George Lucas purchased the former Bulltail Ranch site in the late 1970s and began building sound facilities for film productions. The complex expanded over the following decades and became a major center for audio work in the movie industry.
The buildings on the property were designed to look like 19th-century structures, with wooden cladding and porches that recall California ranches from before the Gold Rush era. Visitors see structures that resemble historic farms, even though they house modern sound stages and editing suites inside.
The property is private and generally not open to the public, except during rare events or business appointments. Those traveling in the area can see the access road and surrounding hills, but the buildings themselves sit behind gates and security fencing.
The library in the main building has a glass dome with stained panels that let daylight into the reading room. Some rooms in the complex carry the names of filmmakers and artists whom George Lucas respects, including directors and composers from different countries.
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