William S. Hart Museum

The William S. Hart Museum sits on a hilltop above Newhall in Hart's original Spanish Colonial Revival mansion, built in 1927 as his retirement home. Hart was the silent-film era's premier Western actor and a genuine frontier enthusiast — his collection of Native American art, cowboy gear, and film memorabilia fills the rooms in an arrangement he planned himself. The house tour is guided and free of charge, though donations are welcome.

The grounds are open daily and include sweeping views across the Santa Clarita Valley, picnic areas, and a small herd of American bison that graze in a fenced pasture below the mansion. The estate barn has been converted into a museum with exhibits on Hart's life and the early Hollywood Western. This is one of the more unusual free attractions in the greater Los Angeles area.

things to do museum sight
A story
Hart was one of the first major Western film stars, earning millions at a time when cowboys were box-office gold. When he died in 1946, he left his 260-acre ranch and mansion to Los Angeles County specifically so the public could see how a real cowboy lived. The small herd of American bison he kept on the grounds has been maintained ever since.

Other places in Things to Do in Newhall