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Actor Peter Strauss bought a 64-acre ranch in 1977 and sold it to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy in 1983. In 1987, the National Park Service acquired the property for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It is now an NPS site in Agoura Hills—not a separate national park.
How Peter Strauss Ranch became an NPS site
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Actor Peter Strauss bought the 64-acre property at a tax auction. The National Park Service’s history account puts the price at about $225,000; a 1994 Los Angeles Times feature reported $200,000, so the sources differ. The NPS account says Strauss lived there with his family for seven years and spent more than $250,000 on improvements. (NPS history; Los Angeles Times, 1994) |
| 1983 | Strauss sold the ranch to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. A state-and-federal purchase arrangement was negotiated that year for $1.125 million, according to a 1987 Los Angeles Times report. (PBS SoCal; Los Angeles Times, 1987) |
| 1987 | The National Park Service acquired the property for inclusion in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The 1987 newspaper report said the NPS had not had its $632,000 share of the negotiated purchase funds when the arrangement was made in 1983. (Los Angeles Times, 1987) |
What the ranch was before Strauss bought it
The property had a history as a leisure and recreation destination before it became Strauss’s ranch. PBS SoCal’s 2017 account describes its earlier ties to automotive engineer and race-car builder Harry Miller and its later years as a resort. The National Park Service says the site has welcomed visitors for recreation for nearly a century. (PBS SoCal; National Park Service)
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What visitors can find there today
Peter Strauss Ranch is at 30000 Mulholland Highway, Agoura Hills, California 91301. The NPS describes oak woodlands, a seasonal creek, easy trails, a lawn, an amphitheater, a historic Italian terrazzo concert area, and a remnant of the outdoor swimming pool. It dates the terrazzo area to 1939 and notes that Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson performed there in the 1950s. (National Park Service visitor information)
For current access, hours, closures, programs, and event-reservation details, consult the NPS visitor page before going; these arrangements can change.
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