Skywalker Ranch
Skywalker Ranch is the name film director and producer George Lucas named his Marin operations. It is located in very secluded but beautiful country near Nicasio, California.
Curiously it is located just off Lucas Valley Road; there is no known relation between Lucas and the road’s name. The Ranch and production facilities are not open to the public. Die-hard fans present occasional problems to perimeter security. When President Ronald Reagan requested a tour of Skywalker Ranch, shortly after Lucasfilm lost a court battle to have the US government refrain from calling the Strategic Defense Initiative, “Star Wars,” a visit just couldn’t be arranged.
Assembled parcel by parcel, Skywalker Ranch consisted of over 4,700 acres (19 km) and has cost Lucas up to 100 million dollars, according to a Wall Street Journal feature. Over the objections of neighboring ranchers, that Skywalker Ranch was polluting the environment, Lucasfilm has acquired four neighboring ranches adding more than 3,000 acres (12 km) to the Skywalker Ranch, all but 15 acres (60,000 m) remaining undeveloped open land.
The Ranch not only contains a rambling filming operations and a ranch and winery with parking concealed underground not to clutter the views.
A majority of the props used in the Star Wars movies are housed at the ranch as well.
Skywalker Ranch is not open to the public, permission must be obtained before entering.
