I am so sad to inform you that as of 11/9/2018 Paramount Ranch has been burned down due to the recent wildfire. However, the church is still standing and you can hike in the area. You just won’t be able to see the old western town.
Back in 2017 my friend Bruno and I took a drive up to see the Paramount Ranch filming location for Westworld. The ranch has been used for other movies and tv shows as well, but Westworld is what is currently filming at this location. Where is the Paramount Studio Ranch? It is located at 2903 Cornell Rd in Agoura Hills. The western set is a National Park that is free to visit and includes free parking. You can visit anytime from 8 am to sunset.
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You’re probably wondering if I said that correctly. Yes, you visit this place for free. It is a great place to come for a photoshoot or on a date. The Paramount Ranch hiking trails are popular among the visitors. There are several different hiking trails to choose from. It was extremely hot the day that I visited so I did not go hiking but in the future, I’d love to go on the trail that takes you to a small waterfall. If you’d like to explore the trails without hiking you can pay to go on a horseback riding tour. The guide who passed Bruno and me explained a lot of the filming history. From what I saw on the sign it looked like a ride would cost around $30.
Besides Westworld what else has been filmed here? The Lakehouse, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, American Sniper, and Scream are a few movies and tv shows that have used Paramount Ranch for filming. When you walk around you are walking in the footsteps of famous stars like The Duke himself, John Wayne, and Bob Hope.
The western set that you see in my pictures was built in the 1950s. Most of the buildings are empty on the inside but you are not able to go inside and walk around. However, a very kind security guard offered to let Bruno and me go into the jail and take pictures.
There are around 10 buildings in the western town and a church with a graveyard. Bruno and I spent around 90 minutes taking photos, walking around, and eating a picnic. If you include hiking you’ll want to allow for more time but you could easily explore the town in less than twenty minutes if you’re in a rush. The ranch is sort of in the middle of nowhere though so unless it is on the way to where you’re going I would only recommend coming if you think you’d really enjoy it since it is a bit of a drive to get here.
If you are interested in visiting movie studios there are three that offer tours. You can take the Warner Bros Studio Tour, The Sony Tour, or the Paramount Tour.
A fellow blogger wrote about a visit to Paramount Ranch in 2020. You can find that post here.
