Whatever Happened to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch?

In 1988, when the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was at the height of his fame, he broke ground on a private theme park and home he would call Neverland Ranch. Originally named Zaca Laderas Ranch, the property sat about five miles north of Los Olivos and roughly eight miles north of Santa Ynez. Borrowing its name from the enchanted world of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, Neverland became a whimsical escape that reflected Jackson’s fascination with childhood, fantasy, and imagination.

Late in Jackson’s career and following his death, Neverland Ranch came under scrutiny, and the stigma attached to the plot of land due to allegations against Jackson, along with the massive costs it took to maintain the private theme park and estate, made Neverland difficult to unload.