Reagan Ranch Center Santa Barbara Day Trip

The Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara is adjacent to the Amtrak station on State Street. Most folks will never get a chance to go to the Reagan Ranch, so a visit to the ranch center is the next best thing.

The center features original Reagan Ranch artifacts in interactive exhibits highlighting the history of Ronald Reagan’s quarter-century at Rancho del Cielo, along with select pieces from his presidency.

Multimedia exhibits provide speeches, interviews, radio addresses, and original video presentations. The gallery’s centerpiece is a 28-foot-long timeline that allows visitors to explore the Western White House, Ronald Reagan’s Ranch.

The Reagan Ranch Center also features several unique collections, including the Lorraine Wagner Letter Collection, a nearly 300-piece collection of letters written by Ronald Reagan over 50 years, and the Russell D. Sibert Collection, featuring rare Reagan-related memorabilia such as campaign buttons, posters, and commemorative items.

Also on display is a 5,000-pound section of the Berlin Wall reminding visitors of the center of Ronald Reagan’s role in German reunification, which was formally completed in 1990.

President Reagan’s famous blue Jeep Scrambler, complete with a “Gipper” license plate, sits in the Center of the gallery, flanked by a selection of his favorite books, an original saddle, and a chainsaw owned and used by President Reagan.

The Reagan Ranch Center is designed to engage visitors of all ages; younger children can earn their “Junior Secret Service Clearance” by completing a scavenger hunt.

Young America’s Foundation bought the Reagan Ranch in 1985 to preserve it as a living monument to Reagan’s ideas, values, and accomplishments. Young America’s Foundation offers students and supporters ranch visits. However, the famed Western White House is not open to the public.

A visit to the Reagan Ranch Center gives visitors a unique look at President Reagan’s life at Rancho del Cielo.

The center is at 217 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. The Exhibit Galleries are open to the public Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

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Ronal Reagan Library and Museum