Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park

Whenever I visit a new place with my children, I always look for a place to take them hiking or exploring a historic place. While we were on a recent trip to Carlsbad, I added a stop to the Leo Carrillo Ranch Historic Park.

The historic park is somewhere that I had always wanted to visit with my children, but didn’t seem to find the time to make our way down to Carlsbad to explore. We first went the park on a Monday to discover that they were closed, so I made arrangements for us to return the next day before heading back to Orange County.

When we arrived at the ranch, we drove down a long driveway to the parking lot. We parked the car and began exploring the beautiful park. The first thing that my kids spotted were the beautiful peacocks that were walking around the property. One guest had mentioned to us that there is a rare white peacock, but we were not lucky enough to find it.

The ranch is 27 acres and was built by actor and conservationist, Leo Carrillo. At the peak of the actors career he wanted a place where he could re-create an Old California-Style working rancho. In 1937, he purchased his first piece of land in Carlsband, and began construction on the buildings that are still standing today at the historic park.

We were able to take our time exploring the historic park. There were barns, building and even a swimming pool for our children to look at. There was an information packet that we picked-up from the information booth that my children could read while walking around the park that told them about the history behind each of the buildings.

Our time at the Leo Carrillo Ranch was an immersive educational experience that I encourage every parent to share with their children. It brought history to life right before my children’s eyes, and was one of our favorite stops while spending time in Carlsbad.

The Leo Carrillo Ranch is located at 6200 Flying Leo Carrillo Ln, Carlsbad, CA 92009. The cost is free to visit the park. Don’t forget your camera. There are amazing photo opportunities to capture while visiting the ranch.

Hours:
Closed Mondays
Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm
Sunday 11am-5pm

Free Guided Tours:
Saturday 11am and 1pm
Sunday Noon and 2pm