A Nazi utopia? Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
A local historian quoted by the Los Angeles Times believed the ranch may have housed a small group of Nazi sympathizers from about 1933 to 1945, though the paper noted that no one can say with certainty who lived there. Source: Los Angeles Times, 2005. Curbed LA later examined how thin the records for parts of the story are. Source: Curbed LA, 2014.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Approximate area. The map shows only a rough area for this place, not an exact location.
Real history
Wikipedia says Murphy Ranch was built in the 1930s by Winona and Norman Stevens; the Los Angeles Times (1990) spells the name Stephens. From 1950 to 1965 the Huntington Hartford Foundation ran it as an artists' retreat, and it is now abandoned and owned by the City of Los Angeles (Wikipedia).
The Los Angeles Times reported in 1990 that the site included a 395,000-gallon water tank, a 20,000-gallon diesel tank and a power station (Los Angeles Times, 1990).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Then and now
Public access
Access unverified The ruins are on City of Los Angeles land (Wikipedia). Last checked: Oct 31, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Pacific Palisades and California
- More haunted & abandoned ruins
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⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change. Verify access with the owner or operator before you go. Spook Atlas does not encourage trespassing. Entering private, closed or condemned property can be illegal and dangerous. Report a correction.
Reader experiences
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