The Ranch house at the Stanley Ranch Museum was constructed in 1891 by Edward G. Ware. Mr. Ware was co-developed the Eureka walnut and is credited with introducing the Valencia orange tree to Orange County.
This house was home to Edward, his wife Mary and daughter Lillian who married Arthur C. Stanley in 1905 and lived with her family in the house after the death of her parents. The two-story farmhouse was surrounded by an orange grove that had its last crop picked in 1971.
Agnes Stanley donated the last two acres of her ranch to the Garden Grove Historical Society in 1970. Since then the Garden Grove Historical Society has been saving old historic buildings from destruction and moving them to the ranch.
Buildings at Stanley Ranch include a replica of the first Garden Grove fire station, the Stanley ranch house, water tank, and general store, several Queen Ann style cottages, barbershop and a garage used by Walt Disney. In all, there are 16 historic buildings that have been saved and moved to the Stanley Ranch Museum that now form a historic village.
First Garden Grove Fire Station
The first Garden Grove fire station stood at 10811 Garden Grove Boulevard, where Home Depot is now. As the city’s population continued to grow, new fire stations were added. The City’s first fire engine is now stored in a replica of the original fire station at Stanley Ranch.
Stanley Ranch Tank House
Water for Stanley Ranch was supplied by an open well and a windmill was used to pump the water supply. The tank on top of the tank house, built circa 1910, stored the water supply for the house and barn. Garden Grove’s first Water Department building was added to the Pump House and is used as a “General Store”, housing memorabilia and offering unique items for sale
Walt Disney’s First Los Angeles Studio
While not officially recognized as Walt’s studio by Disneyland this small garage size building houses some Disney artifacts, antique cameras and a projector from the Garden Grove Gem Theater.
Early Garden Grove Post Office
This building was built in the 1880s and was used as a general store and post office for the city of Garden Grove. In its later years, it was used as a beauty shop until it was moved to the Stanley Ranch Museum in 1977.
Stanley Ranch Museum Barber Shop
This small building housed several Garden Grove businesses over the years including a barbershop and shoe-repair shop. Inside you will find old equipment including an antique barber chair and shoe repair tools.
Stanley Ranch Museum is a look into the past of Garden Grove. Even though the ranch is now surrounded by homes it doesn’t take too much imagination to picture what the Garden grove looked like 100 years ago. Allow about one hour to walk around the ranch and its historic 1880s buildings.
Stanley Ranch museum is open to the public for tours at 1:30 p.m. the first and third Sunday of each month. The ranch host weddings in the rose garden behind the main house. Stanley Ranch is located at Stanley Ranch Museum, 12174 Euclid Street, Garden Grove. website. While in town and you have kids along, you might want to check out Atlantis Play Center, an old school playground.
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