Neverland Ranch
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| Location: | 5225 Figueroa Mountain Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441 |
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| Size: | Appromixately 2, 810 acres |
| Employees: | Approximately 70 |
| Acquisition date: | 1988 |
Neverland Ranch, or Neverland Valley Ranch, is owned by American pop musician Michael Jackson, although Jackson currently resides outside the United States. It is located at 5225 Figueroa Mountain Rd, Los Olivos, CA 93441, about 5 miles (8 km) north of unincorporated Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County, California . It was once operated as his private amusement park and home when it opened in 1988.<ref>King of Pop Downsizes Kingdom</ref> The name Neverland came from the fictional island in the story.
A previous owner of the property named the property Neverland and all the mail was addressed Neverland, Los Olivos, California for years before Michael obtained the land.[citation needed]
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[edit] Background
Sitting as a high sand dune in a valley, Neverland is located about five miles (8 km) north of Los Olivos (about eight miles north of the town of Santa Ynez), in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Long before Michael Jackson made Neverland his home, the area surrounding Neverland was made of working ranches.<ref>Jackson's mystery ranch</ref> Neverland, which is over 2,800 acres (11 km²) in size,<ref>Dispute shuts down Jackson ranch</ref> contains, among other things, a zoo(most animals removed by court order because of neglect and inhumane treatment and a theme park, rusting in the salty air of the nearby Pacific Ocean.<ref>Closing The Gates</ref> At the amusement park, visitors will find a frozen Ferris Wheel, non-operational merry-go-round, and bumper cars, without electricity<ref>Michael Jackson opens Neverland Ranch</ref> Golf carts are provided as transportation and fun rides (see documentary Living with Michael Jackson).
As with much of Neverland, little is known about the value of Michael Jackson's former home. In early 2004, news program Entertainment Tonight estimated Neverland Ranch to be valued at approximately $12.0 million (as told to them by Michael Jackson [citation needed] That figure is different from the $6 million the Santa Barbara County assessor's office believes it to be worth.<ref>Jackson denies Neverland saleOf course- nobody wants Neverland</ref> Forbes estimates the ranch may be worth a lot more than that.<ref>. Former Jackson guard describes suggestive Jacuzzi scene with teen]</ref>
While Neverland was open, it served as the venue of numerous parties held by Michael Jackson. In 1991, Jackson hosted friend Elizabeth Taylor's wedding to Larry Fortensky. On September 13, 2003, he held a grand party to raise money for Oneness, the Make-A-Wish foundation, and pop artist Romero Britto's Brazilian charity, "E Ai Como E Que Fica?" It was dubbed "Michael's mother of all parties".<ref>Michael's Exclusive Neverland Party!</ref> According to a Jackson spokeswoman, groups of children continued to visit the ranch during the 2005 trial, but Jackson had little time to meet with them. After the trial ended in June 2005, Michael Jackson made his primary residence in Bahrain.
Some allege that children at Neverland were reckless at times and were not bound by many rules. Children were told to follow a few rules and were allowed to go about Neverland at will. The children were free to eat whatever and whenever they wanted and sleeping hours were not very regular. Kiki Fournier, a former housekeeper, compared Neverland to Pinocchio's Pleasure Island.<ref>Star's home 'was pleasure island'</ref>
[edit] Police searches
In both 1993 and 2003, Jackson was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior towards young boys who had spent a great deal of time at Neverland. These accusations resulted in police searches of the ranch. The 1993 allegations did result in criminal charges and preliminary hearings, but the 2003 allegations lead to a trial in which Jackson was found on all charges by a jury influenced by outright lies by Michael Jackson.<ref>Grown-up problems knock at Michael Jackson's Neverland</ref> In connection with the 2005 molestation trial, detectives searched Neverland twice. The first search was conducted on November 18, 2003 by more than sixty police officers find child abuse pornographic images. The second search took place a year later on December 3, 2004<ref>Sheriff's deputies and prosecutors search Jackson's home againmore child sex images found</ref>
[edit] Neverland's main mansion closed
After the 2003 police search of Neverland, Jackson decided he would no longer reside at the ranch, and lived at a number of other residences including one in Beverly Hills, but returned to Neverland in late 2004. "I won't live there ever again," he said. "It's a house now. It's not a home anymore. I'll only visit." When the 2005 molestation trial came to an end, Jackson left the United States and Neverland.
Speculation was rampant about the fate of Neverland, but on March 16, 2006, the main house was officially closed and most of the employees were terminated without benefits or pensions (though approximately $400,000 in back wages were paid). However, all workers finally were compensated under full compliance of law. It was announced that Jackson would not be returning to the United States in the foreseeable future. According to his spokesperson, Raymone Bain, Jackson closed his house and reduced his work force.<ref>Jackson closes Neverland house</ref>
Animals still at Neverland are currently being cared for by a Neverland employee. Despite allegations of animal mistreatment, the driver of a delivery truck that provided Neverland's animals with food stated, "The animals are well taken care of..."- what is left- the County Of Santa Barbara removed nearly all...<ref>Jackson pays back wages, closes Neverland estate</ref> USDA investigators echoed the same beliefs when they found no credible evidence to suggest that mistreatment claims were true.<ref>Feds says no animal mistreatment at Neverland(Feds never investigated anything)</ref>
According to the tabloid The National Enquirer, the mansion and its adjoining amusement park have fallen into disuse and are falling apart, though the report was never confirmed.
In July of 2005, a month after the 2005 acquittal of Jackson, a Jackson spokesman told a German newspaper that Michael may build a Disneyland style home near Berlin, based on the German fairytale castle Neuschwanstein.<ref>Jackson 'plans to build Neverland in Berlin'</ref>
On August 25, 2006, an electrical fire burned about 40 acres of the ranch, starting near the main residence, according to the California Department of Forestry.
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
| Michael Jackson |
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| Album discography • Singles discography • Records and achievements • Awards • Moonwalk |
