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Can you visit Bonanza Creek Ranch?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 07, 2026

[Tours of the sets are currently closed to the general public for the winter, but will reopen this spring by appointment only.] Film locations are closed to the general public unless a guided tour has been scheduled in advance.

Can you visit the set of Bonanza?

The only way to see the ranch is by scheduling a tour. The film sets are not viewable from a public road.

Who owns Bonanza Creek Ranch?

The Bonanza Creek Ranch, just south of Santa Fe, has belonged to the Hughes family since the 1940s. In the 1950s, with just a pond and thousands of acres of land, it began appearing in movies. Thirty years later, it would become a full-service filming location.

What movies were filmed at the Bonanza Ranch?

Movies Filmed at Bonanza Creek Ranch

  • The Missing. Source: IMDb.
  • 3:10 to Yuma. Source: IMDb.
  • All the Pretty Horses. Source: IMDb.
  • Lonesome Dove. Source: IMDb.
  • Silverado. Source: IMDb.
  • Appaloosa. Source: IMDb.
  • The Lazarus Man. Source: IMDb.
  • The Staircase. Source: IMDb.

How many movies have been filmed at Bonanza Creek Ranch?

According to the LA Times, it's been in over 130 movies and television shows over half a century of use. Settlers established nearby Bonanza City in 1880, a gold rush town with a rapidly dwindling population. It's now a ghost town. However, that made it perfect for filming Western movies.

16 related questions found

Was the harder they fall filmed at Bonanza ranch?

Welcome to our comprehensive spoiler-free guide to the filming locations of The Harder They Fall. What is this? The church in Salinas, Texas, from the scene where Nat finds the bandit with a scorpion tattoo, was filmed at the legendary Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe.

Where is the Bonanza Creek Ranch?

Movie set Bonanza Creek Ranch is just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico. As per the set website, the ranch is spread out over 'several thousands of acres and features over 2 ponds, one movie town and 2 home sets'.

How many acres is Bonanza Creek Ranch?

According to the ranch's website, there are five sets on the several thousand acre site, including a 24-building town and sweeping views for movies, music videos, commercials and more. The Western-themed venue can also be rented for weddings, private parties, corporate retreats and classroom visits.

Where is Ponderosa Ranch Bonanza?

The Ponderosa was the fictional setting for Bonanza. According to the 9th episode ("Mr. Henry Comstock") in the first season, it was a thousand-square mile (640,000 acre or 2,600 km2) ranch on the shores of Lake Tahoe, nestled high in the Sierra Nevada, with a large ranch house in the center of it.

Where was Westworld filmed?

According to a report in InNews.co.uk, the majority of the initial two seasons was filmed on a movie ranch in Santa Clarita in California. Reportedly, the location was chosen to reflect the wild west feel of the park. Reportedly, the scenes that were shot indoors filmed at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank.

Is Bonanza City still there?

Bonanza City is a ghost town, located 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Santa Fe in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. The town was founded in 1880 as a mining town, following the discovery of gold and silver in the nearby Cerrillos Hills. It was abandoned sometime in the early 1900s.

Where was movie Rust being filmed?

Tourists Flocking to 'Rust' Filming Location Bonanza Creek Ranch Following Tragedy. The gates at the popular New Mexico filming location have been seeing a lot of action from selfie-taking tourists following the Oct. 21 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

Where is Rust filming in New Mexico?

The movie was being filmed at Bonanza Creek Ranch, which describes itself as a "all-inclusive film location nestled in the foothills of northern New Mexico."

Where was the opening of Bonanza filmed?

The Lake Tahoe, Nevada ranch where the opening sequence of the long running television show Bonanza was filmed has sold for $38 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. The property was used to portray the Ponderosa Ranch, where the Cartwright family lived and worked for 14 seasons.

Can you still visit the Ponderosa ranch?

The Ponderosa Saloon & Guided Underground Mine Tours are open year round, seven days a week. Guided tours run every day from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and the Saloon is open from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM.

Where did the show Bonanza take place?

The show is set in the 1860s and centers on the wealthy Cartwright family, who live in the vicinity of Virginia City, Nevada, bordering Lake Tahoe.

Are any of the Bonanza cast still alive?

Two members of the main cast are the only ones alive today. They are: Mitch Vogel: Vogel played the adopted orphan on the show, Jamie “Hunter” Cartwright appearing in the last three seasons. Vogel started his career as an actor at age ten, and he's currently 65 years old.

Was Bonanza based on a true story?

Bonanza, the first western broadcast in colour, recounted the story of the Cartwrights, a fictional family of ranchers living in the mid-1800s, near Virginia City, Nevada, an actual mining boomtown.

What is Mitch Vogel doing?

Nowadays, Vogel's back in Southern California. When he's not directing church plays and singing in a band, he takes part in Bonanza conventions. This story previously ran on May 13, 2021.

Were any John Wayne movies filmed in New Mexico?

Rise of the Western

Its star, John Wayne, would go on to film several movies in New Mexico, including “Chisum” (1970) and “The Cowboys” (1972) .

Where was the harder they fall filmed?

The Netflix film — featuring an ensemble cast that includes Jonathan Majors, LaKeith Stanfield, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Regina King and Idris Elba — was lensed at locations in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Is New Mexico an American state?

The United States invaded New Mexico in 1846. The empire's independence lasted until 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War. New Mexico achieved statehood on Jan. 6, 1912, as the 47th state.

How much did the harder they fall cost to make?

Netflix gave the production a $90 million budget, which is not unheard of, but is large considering it was Samuel's first feature film. This movie features an all-star cast including Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and more.

Did Jay-Z produce the harder they fall?

The Harder They Fall: How Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel Created Film's Music – The Hollywood Reporter.