McCrea Ranch

Joel and Frances McCrea Ranch

Located at 4500 Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, the McCrea Ranch House was built in 1933 as the private residence of film stars Joel McCrea and Frances Dee. Designed by noted architect John Byer in 1933, a pioneer of the California ranch-style home, the house reflects a simple, functional design that blends with its rural surroundings. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 and encompasses more than 220 acres, making it the only remaining original ranch in the Conejo Valley.

Joel McCrea and Frances Dee embraced a working ranch lifestyle and chose to raise their three sons on the property. In addition to the main house, the site includes a bunkhouse dating to 1890 from August DuMortier’s ranch which is the oldest known surviving building in the Thousand Oaks area. Other features include an avocado-shaped pool, a maid’s residence, a foreman’s house, a milk house, a shop area, and a visitor center.

Much of the ranch has been preserved through the donation of land to the Conejo Valley Recreation and Park District. Today, the McCrea Ranch Foundation works to raise funds for the restoration and maintenance of this historic property, ensuring its legacy as an important cultural and historical resource for the community.

https://www.mccrearanchfoundation.org/

Contact

nelliekerrcusworth@gmail.com