History & Culture

Stone walls and foundation of the historic Keller House
Stone walls and foundation of the historic Keller House at Solstice Canyon

The landscape of the Santa Monica Mountains was not just created by geological forces, altered by weather, or covered by vegetation, but shaped by the people who lived and worked here.

People came to this area for many reasons. Initially, the Chumash and Tongva called the Santa Monica Mountains home. Then Spanish Explorers passed through these lands, followed by Rancheros and Homesteaders who worked the land they lived on. Still today, people work, travel, and recreate in the Santa Monica Mountains and call this place their home.

There are places that still remain from our past. Places we can touch and feel. Paramount Ranch, Solstice Canyon, and Rancho Sierra Vista / Satwiwa. All places that you can visit. Places that most importantly, create an emotional and intellectual connection to our past.

As a park, we look deep into the past through archeology and historical research. Investigating what people left behind. Into their past and the collections that tell the day to day story of their lives. From photographs to letters to even the things they threw away; everything tells a part of the story we share.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area strives to ensure the preservation of these collections, places, and stories of the people who impacted the landscape forever.

What story? What memory? What connection will you make to the past?

Last updated: July 5, 2016

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26876 Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302


(805) 370-2301

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