Is Neverland Ranch Still Open to the Public? What the Famous Estate Looks Like Now

Neverland Ranch is not nearly as magical today as it once was, but fans are still curious about the property. Neverland Ranch became Michael Jackson's private wonderland in 1988, when he bought the Los Olivos, California, home.

Before Michael owned it, the land was known as Sycamore Valley Ranch. According to Architectural Digest, real estate developer William Bone built the 2,700-acre estate in the Santa Ynez Valley after finding the property in the late 1970s.

Michael later renamed it Neverland after the magical island in Peter Pan, where children never grow up. Years later, fans are still wondering what the ranch looks like today.

During a 2003 60 Minutes interview, Michael said he created Neverland because he wanted to relive parts of his childhood.

"I wanted to have a place that I could create everything that I never had as a child,” he said. “So you see rides, you see animals, there's a movie theater. I was always on tour traveling, you know, and I never got a chance to do those things. So I compensated for the loss by — I have a good time — I mean, I can't go into a park, I can't go to Disneyland as myself. I can't go out and walk down the street.”

Today, the property remains private. It has returned to its original name, Sycamore Valley Ranch, and billionaire investor Ron Burkle owns it, according to CBS News.

Ron bought the estate in 2020 for $22 million, a major drop from its previous asking price of $100 million.

The estate no longer looks like the Neverland fans remember. The amusement rides and zoo animals were removed after Michael’s death. However, most people still call the property Neverland because of its deep connection to his legacy.

Neverland Ranch is private property, so fans cannot legally tour the grounds, walk through the house, or visit the former attractions. Some visitors still drive near the gates in Los Olivos, but the estate does not operate as a museum, theme park, or public attraction.

Neverland played a major role in multiple child sexual abuse allegations against Michael.

The first major case surfaced in 1993, when 13-year-old Jordan Chandler accused Michael of sexual abuse, according to Yahoo. Michael denied wrongdoing.

He later settled the civil case, and prosecutors did not file criminal charges after the boy declined to testify.

The ranch became part of the story again in 2003 after the documentary Living with Michael Jackson showed Michael with Gavin Arvizo, a 13-year-old cancer survivor.

According to SFGate, authorities raided Neverland that November as part of a criminal investigation. Prosecutors later charged Michael with child molestation, giving a minor alcohol to commit molestation, attempted molestation, and conspiracy involving Arvizo’s family.

Michael pleaded not guilty. In June 2005, a Santa Barbara County jury acquitted him on all counts.

The allegations did not end there.

In the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, Wade Robson and James Safechuck accused Michael of sexually abusing them when they were children. Both men alleged that some of the abuse happened at Neverland Ranch.