The Guest House

The master bedroom contains two leather bound Bibles on a wooden side table; the quilt on the bed bears the initials NRR (Nancy and Ronald Reagan). Right next to the bed are two phones: one is a rotary dial and the other is a white phone without any dial or buttons, connected directly to the Secret Service command post near the house. The closet still holds Reagan's cowboy boots, several hats, and a dozen or so shirts and jackets that Reagan frequently wore on the premises. Nancy's "western" wardrobe, complete with jeans and straw hats, hangs on the opposite rack.

A few yards from the main building is a small two-bedroom guest house where the Reagans entertained Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev, Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth, Margaret Thatcher, and other occasional guests. None of the Reagans' more high-profile visitors stayed the night (that was reserved for family only), however—all spent their daylight hours at the ranch but retreated to the comforts of Santa Barbara at night.

The Reagan children and grandchildren stayed there when they came to visit. The decor is similar to that of the main house—very western, with boldly colored upholstery and curtains. The Reagans offered their guests one small amenity not available in the main house, however—the guest house has central air and heating.