09/29/2025
In our previous post, you asked about the BONANZA TV show’s Cartwright Ranch House — here are some answers:
1. The Ponderosa Ranch (1967–2004) in Incline Village (Lake Tahoe), Nevada, was a theme park inspired by NBC’s BONANZA (1959–1973). One website suggests over 200 million people still watch an episode of the show annually.
2. Aside from exterior scenes in about 15 later episodes, the original series wasn't filmed at the Nevada ranch. However, three BONANZA sequels/made-for-TV movies (1988, 1993, 1995) were partially filmed there. B-roll was shot at various Nevada and California locations, including one of the opening scenes at Bourne Meadow at South Lake Tahoe.
3. Using plans provided by NBC, the Lake Tahoe Ranch House was constructed based on studio sets, and not a functional home. The series was filmed on sound stages at Paramount Studios (1959–70) and Warner Bros. (1971–73). For example, the famous "staircase to nowhere" to the right of the living room fireplace led to a wall — actors stopped at the top, and scenes continued on separate bedroom sets.
4. The theme park closed in 2004 after the property was sold. The new owners periodically hosted charity events, BONANZA conventions, and private gatherings.
5. By 2017, many structures — originally built as temporary sets — had deteriorated and insurance costs were prohibitive. The owners chose to demolish most but donated key buildings and artifacts to the Thunderbird Lodge and Yacht - Lake Tahoe, a Nevada non-profit historic preservation organization.
6. The Thunderbird team hoped to relocate the buildings to their Lake Tahoe Thunderbird Lodge estate, but regulatory issues prevented it. The buildings were instead moved (2018–2020) to Red's Ranch at the base of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains, in the town of Lamoille.
7. To the extent feasible, BONANZA’s Virginia City church, Cartwright Ranch House, and a livery stable will be reinstalled at Red's Ranch.
8. The church — originally built 1871 and moved from Janesville (California) to the Ponderosa Ranch in 1967 — was fully restored at Red's Ranch in 2022.
9. Reconstructing the Ranch House to meet modern codes (including ADA compliance) is a significant challenge. Site prep alone could cost several hundred thousand dollars. Professional estimates place total costs between $1–2 million, though volunteer labor and contractor donated materials and services could reduce that.
10. At this time, no formal funding or construction plans are in place. We're gauging interest from the BONANZA community to assess whether this is a worthwhile project to pursue.
11. We do have the entire Ranch House contents — furniture, props, guns, costumes, Hop Sing's kitchen equipment, and more — currently stored in warehouses in Reno and Carson City.
For those asking us to "leave the Ranch House alone" — that decision had already been made. The buildings were coming down. A Nevada non-profit stepped in simply because it believed something was worth saving.
We hope this answers a few of your questions.
