Bonanza City is a ghost town, located 13miles southwest of Santa Fe in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States.1 The town was founded in 1880 as a mining town, following the discovery of gold and silver in the nearby Cerrillos Hills. The park opened to the public in 1968, complete with a scale replica of the Cartwright ranch house and barn similar to the ones seen on television.3 A replica of Virginia City was later added. The original plan was to open the set to tourists once filming had wrapped. However, shuttling cast and crew up to Incline Village on a weekly basis became cost-prohibitive. A majority of ranch-specific scenes were shot on a sound stage at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Outdoor scenes were filmed on location at nearby Big Bear Lake, Red Rock Canyon, Mojave, or eastern Kern County, California.
Where Bonanza was filmed
- This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season of the series.
- At its busiest, Bonanza City may have had up to 2,000 people.
- Covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, the series lasted 20 episodes and featured less gunfire and brawling than the original.
- These episodes are from the tenth season through the end of the series (1968–73).
- Estimates are that more than three million of these were sold during the park’s existence.
- There were activities such as a haunted house, panning for gold, amusements based on old-time Wild West shows, as well as concessions and souvenirs.
- The amusement park operated in Incline Village, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, from 1968 until 2004.
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Bonanza, Georgia
At that time most of the shows broadcast in syndication featured the Adam Cartwright character. His picture was in the group painting on the sign promoting the park at the entrance. When the park folded in autumn 2004 Pernell Roberts was still alive, so no Adam grave marker was added. The ranch where the best-known opening sequence was shot was located near Lake Tahoe, Nevada—just as the Ponderosa was.
Recurring cast
The Cerrillos Hills region became part of Mexico in 1821. In 1879, the U.S. government began selling land in New Mexico. Bonanza City Casino, launched in 2025 by Hollycorn N.V., delivers a thrilling and secure gaming experience for online players.
Covering the time when the Cartwrights first arrived at the Ponderosa, when Adam and Hoss were teenagers and Joe a little boy, the series lasted 20 episodes and featured less gunfire and brawling than the original. Bonanza creator David Dortort approved PAX TV (now Ion TV)’s decision to hire Beth Sullivan, formerly of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, which some believe gave the series more depth as well as a softer edge. The Hop Sing character is depicted not only as a cook but also a family counselor and herbal healer. The series takes place in Nevada Territory in 1849, which is actually an anachronism. The opening scene for the first season was shot at Lake Hemet, a reservoir in the San Jacinto Mountains, Riverside County, California, and later moved to Lake Tahoe. After moving to Lake Tahoe, the opening sequence with theme music was filmed on the east side of Lake Tahoe in Bourne’s meadow near Round Hill, Nevada.
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In 2002, David Canary appeared at the ranch in Candy’s wardrobe for a special produced by PAX TV. Bonanza’s first opening scene, in season 1, was shot on location at Lake Hemet in Mountain Center, California. It featured original cast Pernell Roberts, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon on horseback in front of the San Jacinto Mountains. VE AG released the first seven seasons on DVD in Germany between 2008 and 2010. In 2011, StudioCanal acquired the rights to the series and have begun re-releasing it on DVD, and all seasons have now been released but have not been remastered. On October 21, 2021, the movie Rust was being filmed at Bonanza.
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The scheduling change, as well as Dan Blocker’s death in May 1972, resulted in plunging ratings for the show. David Bonanza City Canary returned to his former role of Candy (to offset Hoss’ absence), and a new character named Griff King (played by Tim Matheson) was added in an attempt to lure younger viewers. Griff, in prison for nearly killing his abusive stepfather, was paroled into Ben’s custody and given a job as a ranch hand.
These episodes are from the tenth season through the end of the series (1968–73). Bonanza City is a ghost town in New Mexico, United States. It is located about 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Santa Fe. The town was started in 1880 because gold and silver were found nearby. Later, a movie set called The Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch was built near the old town. This set looks like a mining town from the late 1800s.
TV origins of the fictional Ponderosa Ranch
This allowed for a switch to the less-expensive Warner Studios from September 1970 through January 1973. Very few of the original Bonanza episodes were shot at the theme park’s Virginia City site, although the town was prominently featured in three Bonanza television movies. Because the movies showcased the next generation of Cartwrights, they began circa 1905. The Ponderosa park expanded beyond the buggy era to include an exhibit featuring antique cars. It was a fledgling endeavor as tourists wanted to see horses flanked by Cartwright saddles. In 2001, there was an attempt to revive the Bonanza concept with a prequel, Ponderosa—not to be confused with the 1972 summer reruns under the same title6—with a pilot directed by Simon Wincer and filmed in Australia.
- Bonanza City is a ghost town, located 13 miles southwest of Santa Fe in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States.
- For 14 years, Bonanza was the premier Western on American television.
- This happened because Bonanza did not produce enough ore.
- Location shots from around Nevada were included, however, to add realism and style to the colour TV Western.
- Near the main house were sculptures of the horses ridden by Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon that visitors could have their pictures taken either on or alongside of.
- A movie set (Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch) was built near the remains and has been used for several films.
Nothing remained of the town but remnants of foundations. A movie set (Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch) was built near the remains and has been used for several films. Starting in September 2009, CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount) has to date released the first eleven seasons on DVD in Region 1. All episodes have been digitally remastered from original 35 mm film elements to yield the best picture and sound quality possible with current technology. CBSHE has released each season in two-volume sets (available together and separately). On May 23, 2023, the remaining seasons 12, 13 and 14 were released on DVD, as well as a box set of the complete series containing all 431 episodes on 112 DVDs.