Ronald and Nancy Reagan bought Rancho del Cielo, which is a 688-acre ranch in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara, in 1974 | Wikimedia Commons
Ronald and Nancy Reagan bought Rancho del Cielo, which is a 688-acre ranch in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara, in 1974, near the end of Reagan’s second term as California governor. The property became their private retreat and later served as Reagan’s Western White House during his presidency.
The property became part of Reagan’s life well before he entered the White House, and after his 1980 election, the ranch took on an additional role as a place where the president could work and receive visitors away from Washington. The ranch remained in the family’s ownership after Reagan left the presidency in 1989, and Reagan’s final visit to the property came before his health made continued trips difficult.
The Reagan Library says the ranch was used frequently during the administration as a vacation home, and its location in the mountains northwest of Santa Barbara provided a setting where Reagan could combine recreation with work. The Reagan Library’s records of presidential trips show repeated visits to Rancho del Cielo throughout the 1980s. During Reagan’s presidency, Rancho del Cielo became known as the Western White House. The ranch hosted foreign leaders and other prominent visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan’s activities there were often less formal than those at the White House. He rode horses, worked on fences and spent time around the ranch’s animals. The property also became associated with some of his most recognizable outdoor photographs.
