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| - WOW this place is one of the coolest time warps around! I can't believe I never knew about it!
As Norm R. said, this is part of William Bartlett's ranch dating back to 1886 with many original restored structures, some are brick and wood and one is stucco, and they all have that wonderful weathered old look to them that just makes you wonder "if these walls could speak, what stories would they tell?"
You can peek inside the buildings and see the furniture, tools and stuff they used during the pioneer days and get a sense of what life was like in Old West Arizona.
You can also wander around the property and look at and even touch (but no climbing please!) lots of cool rusty old farm machinery, wagons and equipment, and wonder about what it was used for.
I also saw: a blacksmith shop, a reproduction of a well building that would have been used in the 1920's, something that looked like a locomotive engine, a dairy barn, a cornfield, a citrus orchard, grapevines, a rose garden, peacocks, rooster chasing a hen, the cutest white bunny I've ever seen in my life, and 7 beautiful princesses in ball gowns and tiaras posing for quincenera pictures.
All around the property are educational signs with info and photos about the original ranch and what life was like from the 1890's thru the 1930's (when the ranch was at the peak of production).
I didn't get a chance to take a tour, but I think that would be an excellent idea! The website says that tours are held Thursdays thru Saturdays, 10 AM - 2 PM, and Sundays 1 - 4 PM.
I saw a sign that says you can even rent parts of the property for special events. (I gotta save up for a major shindig now!)
It's the perfect spot for an afternoon stroll when it isn't unbearably hot, and there are tons of park benches where you can just rest and relax. If you have kids they will be super happy to see all the cool stuff and run around after the peacocks. Just don't let them climb all over everything or lose them in the cornfield, and you'll be good.
So, so glad this wonderful slice of Glendale's history has been preserved.
And admission is FREE!
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