Best Ways to See Michael Jackson’s Neverland Now

Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch is closed but you can still see a glimpse of it if you want. Here is how to find it.

On our Christmas in trip California we decided to spend couple days in Solvang before heading back home. Solvang is a picturesque town with Danish heritage located in the the Santa Ynez Valley.

Before driving home though, we still had one stop to make. We had gotten a tip that Michael Jackson’s Neverland was close by, and some of the fans still go there to morn their idol. The only thing you can really see there, is the main gate, but we still wanted to go see if we could find it.

The ranch is located in Santa Barbara county, in a little town called Los Olivos. We found it by using Google maps. We drove about 20 minutes north from Solvang; passed downtown Los Olivos, many horse ranches and a lot of fields, and there it was.

Remembering Michael Jackson

I grew up listening Michael Jackson and I still remember when the news broke about his death in 2009. At the time I was living in Finland but I was vacationing in California.

I saw the news when I woke up and I think I even woke up my friend because of it. On that same trip we drove down to Los Angeles and to Hollywood. It was touching to see all the flowers and notes the fans had left on the Walk of Fame.

I am not one of those super fans, but Michael Jackson does have a special place in my heart. My first ever concert that I went to was the Dangerous tour in 1992 in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Neverland Ranch

Michael Jackson bought the Neverland Ranch, which was then called Sycamore Valley Ranch, in 1988. He wanted to be away from people, and Neverland really is in the middle of nowhere. He made the ranch his home and his private amusement park.

Neverland was named after the imaginary island in Peter Pan. The name symbolised eternal childhood as Michael Jackson felt like he never truly got to be a normal child. Peter Pan was boy who never aged, and Neverland was ment to be a fun place where everyone could feel like a child again.

Among the rides, there were many gardens on the ranch, a flower clock, zoo and a train station. The six bedroom mansion was built in Normandy-style, and it also had a movie theatre.

In 1991 Elizabeth Taylor got married at the Neverland Ranch. She was close friends with Jackson who even walked her down the aisle and covered much of the wedding costs. This was Taylor’s eight marriage.

Michael Jackson moved away from the ranch and closed it in 2006, after the police searched it due to the molestation charges. He felt that his privacy had been violated and he didn’t want to live there anymore. He was later acquitted of all charges.

For while the ranch is owned by an investment company that was trying to sell it for $67 millions. While they searched for a new owner for the place, they also got rid of things like the amusement rides and all the animals.

The ranch was purchased by an American business man and a friend of the Jackson family, Ronald Burkle in 2020. It is unclear what he plans to do with it.

Visiting Neverland Ranch

Neverland really is on a small countryside road far away from everything. The gate comes up suddenly, and is not very obvious, so we first passed it without stopping and had to turn back around.

Basically, what you get to see of Neverland is just the gate and guard house located behind it. But every spot on the wall is full of text written by the fans, and pictures and flowers. Many of them have been faded by the sun, but this has for sure been a mecca for so many fans.

Now, the traffic has slowed down and we were the only ones there. Another car drove by but we weren’t sure if they just accidentally missed the gate like we did.

We were reading the texts for a while, took some pictures and left. 

🎤🎤🎤

It was interesting to see how Michael Jackson has affected so many peoples’ lives. Even after so long of his passing, the fans still drive over to Neverland to remember him. And I’m sure there are also as many fans who wish they could visit there but just can’t.

Like so many other beloved stars, Michael Jackson’s final resting place is Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. He is in the Great Mausoleum in a restricted area. Some fans leave flowers and little notes by the door.

If you are interested in stopping at Neverland, you can easily combine it to a trip to beautiful Solvang. We have been there several times and they literally have the best Danishes in the world. Even better than what we got in Copenhagen while we were in Europe.