What a great place!!! :) I come here for three reasons... 1.... I'm a photographer and its a wonderful place to photograph and my clients love it! 2- They have some neat trails all around this area to hike and depending on the season you can find a field of flowers!!! 3- My daughter loves western town. I mean how fun is it to have an old movie set RIGHT in your backyard? The trees and fields are just amazing! read more

See all

I went and did the "Ghosts of Paramount's Past" tour here. It's an evening/night group tour that's only about a mile or so walking distance through the park around the old western set with a park ranger. The tour itself is really easy and fun. I don't know if I would have ever thought about heading out here after the sun goes down, but the night sky is gorgeous. The terrain is a little rocky with loose pebbles while going uphill for one half of the tour, so wear sneakers with some good grip and totally bring a flashlight to help you see. Some thing that I want all fellow dog owners to be clear on- this place is dog friendly!!! :D I called ahead and asked if I could bring my dog on the tour (she loves getting out on the trails!) and they told me, "Of course! Just keep the dog on a leash." So YAY. FYI- the state park land within the Santa Monica Mountains only allows dogs in some designated places. *have to get this off my chest* Something I want everyone who doesn't like dogs to be clear on (like say the total JERK on our tour)- you are in a National Park/Recreation Area. I've seen people with their dogs in Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Yosemite. Well behaved dogs on a leash should not get yelled or snapped at ("Get back!" as I walked past him with my golden retriever who was not even looking at him or his group). You should not then loudly explain to the rest of your group while waiting for the ranger to show up that "dogs are illegal here and only an idiot would try to bring one to a National Park." Then when the ranger shows up and you ask in front of everyone (Including the now several other groups of people with dogs who have shown up) if he can clarify that dogs aren't allowed only to get told they actually are, maybe you should just be quiet and go home if you are so unnerved by animals and pets. Maybe areas of wilderness are not for you if you are concerned about animals in general. This jerk did not do that and instead spent the rest of the evening glaring at my dog and I and grumbling about how dogs shouldn't be allowed. He also then complained to his companions about several small children on our tour. So YEAH- dogs are welcome here, they are welcomed on the Ghosts of Paramount's Past tour. As are families with children. And if you don't like it, go hang out in your backyard. The rest of us are here to enjoy the great outdoors that are for everyone to enjoy. read more

This place was so fun! I surprised my husband with a visit here. We walked around the western set and then went on a hike through the hills. We found fallen trees from what looked like all the rain, streams still flowing and everything was so green. We packed some snacks and found a spot down by the stream to enjoy them. Highly recommend going!!! read more

See all

The Western Town is really neat; there's a saloon, bank, farmers market, hotel, jail, post office and a few other buildings. However, you cant enter any of them, but the outside offers great photo opps anyway. You can go on the second floor of the hotel if you jump the short fence of the stairs on the side of the 'hotel'. It's neat to be walking around what was the set for over hundred movies and shows (most notably Dr.Quinn Medicine Women). Easy Parking Clean restrooms Short walk from parking to site read more

Used to be a great place but there's literally nothing left to go see don't drive all the way there if you're a tourist cause there's nothing to see except dirt read more

Really fun place to roam around, though don't let the photos fool you - it is not a huge lot. Expect to spend maybe 20-30 minutes. Pro Tip: Bring a picnic! There are grassy areas and tables to grab a nice relaxing bite. read more

We stopped by here briefly to take some quick shots of us together for our Christmas cards this year. It was jumping with many others doing the same! We went to the closest section near the parking lot, the Western Village, and enjoyed all of the lovely backgrounds... from lovely trees to old buildings as well as an old railway station type area. It is truly lovely. Note that you can take photos here yourself but if you bring a photographer, I hear there is a fee to use the premises. read more

Nice area to check out and walk around. Cool western street and hikes around. Spent a good 1/2 hours Checking out the area.

Lovely, simple hikes with wonderful history. Great place to spend time outdoors! read more

We came here to visit this place and it was nonexistent anymore it look like as if the whole place was either tore down our burnt down so yeah it is no longer active read more

There are times when you want to only hear horses whinny, see gophers pop out of holes and smell clean air. This place has all of that and more. The old west town was used for countless films and tv shows including my favorite. The Rifleman. Knowing Chuck Conners walked these "streets" thrilled me to no end. One downside: nothing was posted indicating what was shot there. Aside from that - perfect. read more

The best ever event at Paramount Ranch besides Mother Nature here yesterday on Sunday. - The Topanga Banjo Fiddle Festival and Folk Festival! Thanks to the National Park Service for hosting this event. Awesome music, dance and craft vendors. They are here every year on the 3rd Sunday of May. We had a great time yesterday. Go early as the parking gets a bit tight after lunch. The history of film here is also of note as it's still a working set at times. HBO just completed a series here on a new "West World". read more

Paramount Ranch - Main Stage at the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Agoura Hills, California

See all

Great hidden gem.... and the park rangers are really friendly. special thanks to ranger Ryan. read more

Paramount Ranch - Had fun at the Car Corral and Picnic - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Agoura Hills, California

Free lot parking, free entry. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes, lots of water, sunscreen and a hat. I haven't tried the trails yet (the summer day we stopped by the heat was sweltering), but the cutesy Western Town parkland area is fun to check out. Too bad the buildings are all locked and the interiors are not even periodically open to the public. A great place to visit and see if you are in the area, but not necessarily a must-do-before-you-die kind of attraction. read more

Awesome place to bring your guests. They will love it. It is surrounded by Nature. You can breathe and just enjoy a nice movie trip. You will love it. read more

Great place, We went on a Sunday afternoon as a place we could go and let our two and half year old run around and burn some energy. It was nice. We walked around and enjoyed checking out all the old buildings. It was peaceful. There are picnic tables so this would be a great place to bring a lunch. We did not make it on any trails but hopefully will have the chance soon. read more

I came here for the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle contest to see a friends band play....I had been told prior to coming that it was in a old western town used for many western films back in the day, so I was excited hoping it was like my most loved place Pioneer Town...it was & quite a bit closer to me.. thirty five minutes from Hollywood. I swear everyone there was smiling...great vibe..it might of been all the fiddlers fiddling...What a lovely park. read more

Good place to hike because of the old western town they have here which makes it different. They let you bring animals, in my case my dogs and I had seen horses riding around too. Some of the hiking areas could be boring because you happen to go through random trails looping around the same type of landscape but its still fun to go exploring. The story is also that part of the area use to be a race track. Not sure if it was for horses or for cars but you can sort of see that. There is a river stream that cuts through here which is nice and still flowing during the hottest moments of the summer. Awesome place for a picnic which I have done. Can be very romantic with its meadows and fields. Last note I have also seen people jogging through here as well so there is another option. Try this place out. read more

Brought my family here for a fun day out exploring and we LOVED it!!! It was a very hot day, but the location is awesome and I can't wait to go back! read more

Pretty cool area to wander around and it's free to visit/park. Cute Western town to explore and take pictures at. There are hiking trails but we didn't get very far because it was 85 degrees and I started feeling like I was going to pass out. It gets very hot out here in the warmer months. The good thing is that they have picnic areas and very clean restrooms with flush toilets. I'll definitely return, perhaps on a cooler day. read more

The 90th anniversary tour and video presentation yesterday, Saturday November 11, 2017, was a great time. Film historian and ranger Marc Wannaker gave an excellent tour around the Ranch, it's sets and up into the hills. He explained the history of the Ranch, how it came to be and how it was used in dozens of movies and TV shows since it was constructed in 1927. Fun stuff. read more

I go to the Ranch to hike or run. It is always such a treat to get away from the city so easily. The old movie sets are fun to see, but its the surrounding beauty that makes this place so special. From here it is fun to go to The Old Place in Cornel or Saddlepeak lodge for a drink or meal afterward. read more

There's a reason why so much filming happens here. Ancient California oaks and eucalyptus trees look pastoral and western. Westworld scenes were shot here. MASH, too. read more

What more can I say? I had my dream wedding at Paramount Ranch! My husband and I got married at Paramount Ranch on May 4th, 2013. It was the week of the springs fires. I had planned my entire wedding around this unique, and beautiful venue. I spent that week praying that everything would go as planned. The events coordinator, Catherine is absolutely wonderful in these times of crisis. She called me, or emailed me every day before the wedding to reassure me. It was exactly what I needed! Not to mention, the park ranger George was so helpful and reassuring as well. I know that most brides (and grooms!) don't remember their wedding day, because it truly does go by so fast. However, I will forever have fond memories of our wedding day there. Our family, and friends will also never forget that rustic, shabby chic wedding at Paramount Ranch, with BBQ (shameless plug) from Stonefire Grill in Thousand Oaks :-) To see our wedding pics, check out my pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tiffco87/our-paramount-ranch-wedding/ read more

Neat place. There are quite a few trails to explore. We took our dog here and took some nice photos. Very cool to walk down the road and check out the movie sets. read more

Amazing to get to step onto the locations of some of the most famous current and historic western films and television shows--for free! Lovely drive from LA. Minimal facilities for tourists. read more

What a great, easy way to get away. Peace and quiet (except for the obnoxious woman with her cell on SPEAKER for no reason), cool scenery and easy to find. We spread a blanket under the most beautiful, huge tree and felt like we were a courtin' old west-style. read more

I'm with a re-enactment group based out of Southern California. I called Paramount Ranch (PR) two weeks ago asking if we'd need a permit for photos and if there was issues with us coming up in costume. I was informed that since we were amateur photographers and volunteer re-enactors there would be no issues or permits needed; just that we should check in with the Ranger Station (RS) when we got there. Our group trekked over 80 miles to travel to PR. A member of our group went to check in and make sure we did not need permits to enter the property in costume. The PR got very rude with us, handed us a card and stated that we would need a permit for photos (after we were told no permit was needed) and that no photo sessions were done on weekends. We were then told if we went into the town in costume each person in our group would be fined $500 and be removed from the park. There is nothing on their website stating that we cannot walk around in the town in costume and it says professional photographers need permits. We are not professionals! One of our group members is a fire fighter, another is a county worker and we have city workers amongst our group. The photos were for non-commercial purposes and we drove such a far distance to hear that after we were told it'd be ok over the phone that now we couldn't do anything. The 'fireman on duty' was quite rude to members of our group that went in and tried to talk with him a second time. I was very disappointed in how they treated us, especially knowing that our group volunteers their time to do charity events, none of us get paid to do our shows and we are doing what we can to keep the Old West history alive in California. Thank goodness we were able to fix the day by going to the Gene Autrey Museum in Los Angeles. They had an event called Day of the Cowboy and Cowgirl and we were welcomed with open and loving arms by the museum and it's security staff. I will never again recommend this Paramount Ranch as a place for people to go to if they want a piece of Old West history. In my opinion, head to Calico Ghost Town. Although you may have to pay a small entrance fee, it is better worth the time and there is never a hassle if you want to go up in costume and walk around to take photos. They welcome it wholeheartedly. They want the business and the photos to circulate because it draws people in. As a member of NRA and many historical societies I'm am deeply saddened to say that even though this little Western TV town has a lot of memories for me, I will probably never again venture to this part of Agoura Hills. read more

*** BEWARE OF VICIOUS DOG *** My partner and I visited on Memorial Day. We looked forward to exploring this film history and enjoying the hike. Around 10:15 a.m. a German Shepherd appeared in front of the "owner's house" (whatever in the hell that is) in the old west town and proceeded to terrorize a dozen of us including children. One young woman was trapped in the middle of the square as the dog viciously barked and charged her and retreated. Her male companion told her to stand still and to try to back away, but the dog kept up this routine. I couldn't find anything remotely close to a weapon, so we found a way to go around a building to look for a ranger. We saw the station near the entrance, and a man let us know that he and his family had been attacked and a ranger was on the way. THE DOG BIT HIS SON'S BUTT. He didn't break the skin, but he bruised it. The ranger was like "Oh it's the owner's dog. Must've gotten out" blah blah. He dealt with the situation and filed a report. THIS IS TOTAL BS. So, while the town and its history is cool, take a weapon and/or pepper spray if you go. read more

The Holiday Trail Half Marathon every year in December. Georgeous run and cool photo ops afterward in the barn and the old town used for western movies. Cool stuff. Don't forget your chaps and cap guns. read more

My husband took me here as a surprise day trip cute old western town in a beautiful park. They have hiking trails and best of all no fee and they allow pets. True the buildings are sadly in need of a little TLC but over all I really enjoyed walking through the little town its quiet pretty and relaxing and you feel like any minute Billy the kid could come rushing around a corner Loved it read more

I went strictly to take photos of the buildings and thoroughly enjoyed it! It was pretty much deserted which made shots easy to set up and take. read more

On a sunny yet windy day in Jan, I came here with my husband and 2 dogs. The terrain was pretty easy, the trails had a mix of shade and full sun....good thing it was only in the 70s, if it was summertime I can only imagine how hot it might get. It was pretty interesting to see some evidence of left over movie sets shrewn about the land. The aged and shambled race track that winds it's way around the hills and trees. The amazing backdrop of mountains that lends itself to memorable movie sets and pictures. The charming yet vacant Old West Town that wreaked of history. We didn't do all of the trails but I'm sure we'll come back again. The friendly volunteer ranger that was on duty, was more than helpful and very knowledgeable about the site. Unfortunately I lost my camera somewhere between the Old West Town and the parking lot. All of the pics I took of us while on our hike are lost for now, until we make it back there and take some more pictures. : ( read more

Beautiful. Just back from a little tour an got to meet a few rangers. Nice time. Would go back in a heartbeat. Dnorby. Slo

This is a beautiful and interesting location! The location and everything surrounding it is absolutely stunning! Add that with very interesting historic movie sets from the western movies and even more recent ones, and you've got this great ranch here. And its free!!!! You can't go in any of the building facades but its still very cool to look around it and take pics. The sign says no professional photography (I assume camera or phone pics are OK) but I saw a model getting her photos taken there kind of secretly, lol. It would have been 5 stars, but we were there about 3pm on a Saturday and there was a very large wedding taking place on the "main street" block of the movie set facades, so it is a bummer they took up literally the entire place and we didn't get to go in. I'd recommend this if you are a fan of history and great nature. read more

I hope this place is around forever, such a beautiful location. Not too far from our home!

Excellent free park to visit. Excellent photo taking and way to kick back and enjoy some nature. Fun for a date or for a family day.

Great place to see with the family! Small area to walk around. It gets hot. Neat to see where movies were filmed.

What an amazing Sunday ... every year just gets better and better .This is a magical moment for us and we love hanging out and listening to great Folk music . I feel like I am in Europe ... because you can bring your own food and drinks ( even some Alcohol ) and just have a good old time . Love it Love it LOve IT !!!! Waiting for next year :) read more

I am almost 100% this where they used to have the renaissance festival back in about 1973. The setting was ideal for the fair and one really felt they were part of the real thing back then; it wasn't as commercial. It was before the time of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, so I'm guessing the ghost town set wasn't there yet or hidden. I remember one woman who was dressed so authentically as a witch or death and she moved in slow motion that I was afraid I was seeing the real thing and not just a good actor. read more