Young America’s Foundation – Reagan Ranch Center

Great! Very inspirational. The docent was very knowledgable. Excellent interactive displays that would be great for teenagers and older. Parking is easy and after visiting you are within walking distance of Stearn’s Wharf.

If you’re interested in a little Reagan history, go check it out. It’s free and you can start off with a short tour with a guide, but rest is self-​paced with videos. Not too big so you can go through it pretty quickly.

Very well done, enjoyed this more than I did the Reagan Library. Don’t miss this.

Was able to find parking across the street. We walked in and was greeted by one of the friendly volunteers who showed us around the center. Pretty neat if you’re super into Reagan.

At the bottom of State Street is this museum? Monument? Room? to honor the Reagan Ranch.
It’s like a lite version of his library but with some political overtones, after all it is sponsored by a prep of young Republicans.
When you enter you are greeted by a group of fervent Reaganites who are happy to docent in his memory. It’s pleasantly laid out, with a couple of sofas and a large desk resplendent with jelly beans.
There’s a large chunk of the Berlin Wall at which you can have your photo taken. And then you ascend the stairs to the chapel.
Seriously.
A new docent (ours looked like Kirk Douglas or Michael Douglas, if you haven’t Spartacussed) takes over and gives you a further history with info about the previous owners and history of the Reagan’s purchase and subsequent sale of the ranch. The amazing thing about the ranch was its initial size. It was small. Nancy must’ve loved Ronnie a lot to live there. But it gave him space to roam. And of course once he became president they added security blocks and the like.
The docent will stay with you as long as you like but we were only able to give the place a short visit. Unfortunate, as there were some great interactive moments throughout, including videos and interviews. My favourite was a book selection of 10 books from his library which helped shape him. Pull the book out and a film starts. Clever.
Unfortunately, you can’t visit the ranch, unless you’re a young Republican member or someone associated with the foundation; a shame as it would make an interesting visit.
Whatever people thought of the great communicator, I will always remember him as being one of the gang of 4 who helped bring down the wall and create modern Europe.
And the best thing about this place? The ferocious ac on a hot day.

Great place to learn about the 80’s time period in American history. You can either get a conservative tour or a non-​political one, but in either case you really do get a very good history lesson.
There are also classes that are offered here in conservative economic thought. I took a class on Milton Freidman, which was an amazing perspective that is often overlooking in more university classrooms.
They also offer tours of Reagan’s Ranch which is, obviously, all about Reagan. It is the best preserved and most complete presidential residence opened to the public. Definitely worth a visit!

Today more than ever, the Reagan legacy deserves careful reflection and perpetuation. The Reagan Library may preserve history, but the Young Americas Foundation’s Reagan Ranch Center maintains the palpable spirit of one of those rare Americans who came to power not out of egotistical ambition, but out of a deep and profound love for the people of his country. Although his words and actions resonate with millions (even among those of us who were not fortunate enough to have experienced America’s Decade for ourselves), the man’s humble, confident nature is most clearly manifested in his Western White House — a ranch resting, quite literally, on the doorstep of heaven itself.
Close to a month ago I had the opportunity to visit President Reagan’s ranch — a most memorable experience akin to touring Independence Hall, gazing upon the Constitution, or standing in the bedroom in which President Washington drew his final breath with one notable exception: there is no bullet-​proof glass, no barrier — nothing separating you from President Reagan’s most favored earthly abode. Everything — from the simple adobe to the hand-​sunk fence posts — bears the fingerprints of a modern-​day Lincoln. Resting peacefully on the tranquil, unspoiled ramparts of California’s Coast Range, Rancho del Cielo is truly removed from the bustling world below with a single, haphazardly maintained ribbon of asphalt leading from the beach to its unassuming gateway. It’s inaccessibility has left the surrounding landscape undisturbed and pastoral — a glowing remnant of the unspoiled American frontier.
Although its an American treasure, Rancho del Cielo (due to lack of infrastructure, the harrowing one-​lane road, and concerns related to its preservation) remains closed to the general public. To help fill the void, the Young Americas Foundation, which owns the ranch itself, maintains a lovely museum in old Santa Barbara. Each exhibit is interactive and contains priceless memorabilia related to the Reagan Presidency — most of them instantly recognizable to Reagan scholars. The Berlin Wall, the tax table, riding boots — they’re all here. Visitors can peer more deeply both into Reagan’s ideals and personal life in a way that the Reagan Library’s vast exhibit hall does not facilitate. Indeed, one becomes more keenly aware of the nature of the man himself and the power of his philosophy when visiting this impressive, if small, museum. Our tour guide, Caroline, was invaluable in bringing the souvenirs preserved both in the museum and on the ranch itself to life through her enthusiastic, engaging stories. I believe visitors should not hesitate to bring children — especially of middle school age — to experience this museum during crucial, formative years when their faith in their country is either won or irreparably lost.
The Young Americas Foundation routinely hosts speakers and seminars for college students in the classrooms and conference rooms scattered in the various corners of the Reagan Ranch Center. Participants are presumably given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the exhibit spaces. Though not quite a perfect substitute for setting foot on the ranch itself, the Reagan Ranch Center is a suitable proxy; keeping the Reagan legacy alive for a new generation so that they may know what must be done to restore America’s confidence in herself. It is a glowing tribute to the sole twentieth-​century American fully deserving the title of The American President.

Let me start by saying I an not a fan of President Reagan’s policies, but this museum is not like his Presidential Library in that this one focuses on his ranch life. It’s not (overly) political and has some cool artifacts from Reagan’s private collections. If you get the right docent, they can give you a non political tour which is worth it. Don’t bring the young ones, they will be bored. Some interesting points: piece of the Berlin Wall, riding boots, political pins, letters to a fan.