Will Rogers State Historic Park is the former estate of American humorist

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahom ...

. It lies in the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, in the Pacific Palisades area.

Geography

In what is now the Los Angeles neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, Rogers built his ranch, where he lived with his wife Betty and their three children, Will Jr., Mary and James. The 31-room ranch house, which includes 11 baths and seven fireplaces, is surrounded by a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, golf course, polo field—and riding and hiking trails that give visitors views of the ranch and the surrounding countryside—186 acres (757,000 m²). The ranch became a State Park in 1944 after the death of Mrs. Rogers, and the house was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1971.

California State Parks The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...

completed a major renovation of the ranch house in 2002–2006. The project included reconstruction of

flagstone Flagstone (flag) is a generic flat stone, sometimes cut in regular rectangular or square shape and usually used for paving slabs or walkways, patios, flooring, fences and roofing. It may be used for memorials, headstones, facades and other c ...

areas that surround the house, seismic safety work, replacement of electrical systems and installation of a new heating and air conditioning system. The house reopened to the public in March 2006. Polo field Will Rogers Historic Park Los Angeles 20160522 094403847

Polo field Will Rogers Historic Park Los Angeles 20160522 094403847

Beyond the ranch and the stables are the trails that lead to views of the countryside around the park. Since Will Rogers State Historic Park is on the tip of the

, the trails have vistas of both the sea and the mountains. Visitors can hike to Inspiration Point, take the Rogers trail around the perimeter of the park or continue on into

Topanga State Park Topanga State Park () is a California state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains, within Los Angeles County, California. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The park is located adjacent to the community of ...

via the

Backbone Trail System The Backbone Trail is a long-distance trail extending 67.79 miles (109.10 km) across the length of the Santa Monica Mountains in the U.S. state of California. Its western terminus is Point Mugu State Park, and its eastern terminus is Wil ...

History

Beyond the Rogers' home, the ranch reflects Will Rogers' roots in horsemanship, starting with the polo field, which is the first thing the visitor sees when looking south from the parking area. The field is the only outdoor polo field in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the List of the most populous counties in the United States, most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, ...

, and the only field that is regulation size. The ranch has been in many movies and television shows, including '' Star Trek IV'', in which it stood in for Golden Gate Park. The polo field features a gentle slope that forms an area for viewing the polo action. Up from the parking area are the ranch buildings, including the visitor center, which once was the Rogers' garage and ranch guest house. The visitor center features a film on the life of Will Rogers, photo mural displays, literature and an audio tour of the grounds. The ranch buildings and grounds are maintained as they were when the Rogers family lived there in the late 1920s and 1930s. The living room of the main ranch house includes a collection of Native American rugs and baskets, and several original Western art works by Charles M. Russell and Ed Borein. It also features a porch swing in the center of the room and a mounted calf, which was given to Will Rogers to encourage him to rope the calf instead of his friends. The north wing of the house, also furnished in period, original family furnishings, contains the family bedrooms, Rogers' study, and the family parlor/sunroom.

Proposed closure

Will Rogers State Historic Park was one of the 48

California state parks The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...

proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's Governor

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

as part of a deficit reduction program.CBS5.com: List Of Calif. Parks To Close In Budget Proposal

Gallery

File:Will Rogers SW01.jpg, Interior of ranch home File:Will Rogers SW02.jpg, Horse stable File:Will Rogers SW03.jpg, Historical photo of stable

References

External links