Skywalker Ranch

The drive from ILM into the countryside of Marin County must have taken 15 to 20 minutes. The meandering road circumnavigated ancient property lines, crossed small rivers, and veered to avoid the largest ancient redwoods and deepest ravines. According to a Wall Street Journal article published just before my visit, Skywalker Ranch consisted of over 4,700 acres and cost Lucas up to 100 million dollars. Lucas' estimates at the time were reported to be closer to 50 million. Either way, the investment represents a significant portion of George Lucas' income from the first three Star Wars films. The reasons for such a large investment will become more clear before the end of my day at Lucasfilm. Ronald Reagan, then President of the United States requested a tour of Skywalker Ranch but was denied. When entering the gate we were politely reminded that no photographs could be taken. At the time of our visit in 1986, no members of the press had been admitted. Our tour guide for the drive related that Ronald Reagan, then President of the United States requested a tour of Skywalker Ranch but was denied. Lucasfilm lost a court battle to have the U.S. government refrain from calling the Strategic Defense Initiative, "Star Wars." I suspect this ruling didn't help President Reagan's chances for a visit... Framed by a lake and two lush green hills, the ranch house is a strikingly beautiful building of Victorian design. It has a gray roof interrupted periodically by chimneys and the peaks of dormers surrounding windows on the third floor. As you approach the house, ribbons of color burst from the etched glass windows which dance like a dozen prisms in sunlight. The entrance hall features a grand staircase on the right which gracefully curves left as it rises to the second floor, and Mr. Lucas' private office. A staff member confided that George had the hand assembled redwood staircase re-done three times before he was satisfied. Much like the storyboards back at ILM preceded films, George felt that the ranch he was constructing should have good story. He decided that the estate would have started as a monastery, but was later converted into a mansion and vineyard for wine-making. As the vineyard's family grew, new homes and cottages were built. Last, as the story goes, Lucas purchased the estate and adapted it to become his creative headquarters for artists and technicians alike. In reality, George had a wood shop and a glass shop set up on site during the construction of the ranch house. He salvaged a large amount of sizable and rare redwood supports from trestles and bridges that were being modernized in the western United States. These shops produced the beautiful redwood lumber and etched glass used in much of the construction of the main ranch house. The breakfast room, located to the left of the entrance hall was our first stop. Decorated in Colonial Williamsburg style (hey I know this when I see it, Williamsburg is a 30 minute drive from my home), the room was tastefully furnished with antiques and featured a very large table in the center. Our guide informed us to expect many different themes throughout our tour. We again passed through the entrance hall and entered a large and lofty reception room. This room was approximately 30' wide by 60' long. It was furnished with ample furniture for sitting and lounging and a large fireplace. The room was paneled in rich redwood, and numerous windows prevented the room from seeming too dark. Tall, open cathedral ceilings were framed with beams milled on the ranch. Several minutes later we were joined by several of the LucasArts computer specialists we met earlier at the apartment-like complex. We exited the reception room through a doorway at the opposite end of the room and passed into a very long hallway that wouldn't be out of place in a old Victorian mansion. The hallway must have spanned much of the center length of the ranch house and provided access to numerous rooms and more stair