<P> The park opened to the public in 1967, complete with a scale replica of the Cartwright ranch house and barn similar to the ones seen on television . 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 . Thus, only 15 episodes of Bonanza were shot there . 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 . However, Michael Landon, Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker, and David Canary often made appearances at the ranch in costume to mingle with fans and sign autographs . Blocker died in 1972, and NBC canceled the series the following year . Canary, dressed in character as Candy, made his last visit there in 2002 for a PAX - TV special . Mitch Vogel (Jamie Cartwright) appeared at the ranch for the Travel Channel's "TV Road Trip" in 2002, in which he pitched a behind - the - scenes look at the Ponderosa Ranch and Incline Village . Copies of the "Ponderosa Map", autographed by three of the Cartwrights, became souvenirs at the ranch for decades afterward, along with tin cups bearing their likenesses . Episodes that were filmed entirely or in part at the ranch bear a title plate at the end of the credits . These episodes are from the tenth season through the end of the series (1968--73). </P> <P> Parking for visitors was at the highway level; only official vehicles, such as the park's Conestoga wagons, were allowed at the top of the ridge, where the park was located . Depending on the time of day, a park visit could include breakfast . Lunch, including a "Hoss Burger", could also be purchased . Estimates are that more than three million of these were sold during the park's existence . </P> <P> A visit to the park consisted of visitors riding up on the wagon, being "robbed" by "outlaws", and then disembarking at the main house . Adjacent to the house were the "graves" of Ben Cartwright's three wives, each of whom had given birth to one of the three (half) brothers . Graves of the Cartwrights and cook Hop Sing were later added, following the deaths of Dan Blocker (1972), Victor Sen Yung (1980), Lorne Greene (1987), and Michael Landon (1991). The house contained a less - than - realistic carved figure of Ben Cartwright sitting at his desk, and of Hop Sing working in the kitchen . The only parts of the house that actually existed were the living room, dining room, kitchen, and office . The stairs led nowhere, as the "bedrooms" were actually located on a sound stage in Hollywood . Thus, the tour of the house took very little time . </P> <P> The main attraction was the ranch's version of Virginia City, which was miles from the real Virginia City but immediately adjacent to the rear of the house set (on the show, the ranch was about a two - hour ride on horseback from Virginia City). 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 . </P>

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