Big Sky Ranch is a movie ranch in Simi Valley, California, that is used for the filming of Western television series and motion pictures, among other projects. The Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board designated several of these buildings County Landmark #71 in July 1981.Cultural Heritage Board. "Ventura County Landmark Map" County of Ventura Planning Division Accessed 2 May 2014 The ranch is within the Los Angeles Studio Zone.
History The site is part of the (19.5 sq.mi.) ranch purchased by the Patterson Ranch Co. in 1903 to raise grain, cattle, hogs and sheep. J. Paul Getty bought the ranch in the 1930s. After purchasing the ranch in 1981, Watt Enterprises named it Big Sky Ranch. Many of the sets were destroyed by a wildfire in 2003.
Productions Television episodes and productions filmed at Big Sky Ranch include: Rawhide, Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie, Highway to Heaven, Father Murphy, Carnivàle, The Thorn Birds, The Yellow Rose, Tales from the Crypt, The Rookie and Westworld.Smith, Leo (April 30, 1992)"FLICKS / FILM AND VIDEO FILE: Big Sky Ranch open house is due." Los Angeles Times
Films shot at the location include Coming to America (1988), Sidekicks (1974), The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991), Siringo (1996) and Annabelle: Creation (2017), Babylon (2022).
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