Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Paramount Movie Ranch

In 1927, Paramount Studios purchased a 2,700 acre property in the hills between Malibu, California and the San Fernando Valley. The studio built numerous large-scale sets on the ranch, including a huge replica of early San Francisco and a Old West town.

Since then, the older sets have been removed, but there is a western town at the location for visitors to view. This remaining set of buildings continues to be used in filming, notably for the Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman television series and the short lived HBO series Carnivàle.

It also was the home of the original Renaissance Faire from 1966 to 1989, and continues to be the home of the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest, held each May.

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