Leo Carrillo Ranch is a 27-acre historic park in Carlsbad's eastern hills that preserves the hacienda built by actor and conservationist Leo Carrillo in the early 20th century. The adobe buildings, the tiled fountains, and the peacocks that wander the grounds give the place a languorous California-Spanish atmosphere that feels genuine rather than manufactured, because most of it is original. The ranch was Carrillo's private retreat, and it retains the feel of somewhere people actually lived.
The park is free and open to the public during daylight hours. Docent tours are available at weekends and go into considerable detail about both the ranchero lifestyle and Carrillo's Hollywood years. The peacocks are very much a feature — they roost in the oak trees above the main casa and make themselves known.