King Gillette Ranch
A 1929 Spanish Colonial estate in the Santa Monica Mountains with a genuinely strange history — a razor magnate, a seminary, and a New Age group all called it home before it became public parkland.
One estate, five very different owners
Built in 1929 for razor magnate King C. Gillette and designed by architect Wallace Neff, this 588-acre estate in the Santa Monica Mountains has had an unusually eventful history: MGM director Clarence Brown added a pool and private airstrip in the 1930s-50s, a Catholic seminary ran it through the ’70s, and the New Age group Church Universal and Triumphant renamed it “Camelot” before Soka University took it over. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority purchased the property in 2005 and now runs it as public parkland, with the original Spanish-style mansion, a fountain courtyard, a pond with bridges, and an oak-shaded lawn all available for weddings.
Because it’s public land rather than a private venue, couples aren’t locked into a preferred-vendor list and can bring their own catering and vendor team — though the MRCA permit process is more involved than a typical venue booking and can take up to six months.
Weddings across two planning teams
We’ve photographed weddings at King Gillette Ranch coordinated by both 3 Little Birds Event Planning (with catering by Liquid Alchemy, entertainment by Bouquet Sound, and florals by Unique Floral Designs) and Zuniga Events (with catering by Border Grill and cake by Erin McKenna’s Bakery). Both weddings ran through the MRCA’s own permit process, with the park’s events office managing vendor sign-off — a step we now build directly into our own planning timeline for this venue.
Good to know before you book
- Public parkland — couples can bring their own vendors rather than choosing from a preferred list
- MRCA permit process can take up to 6 months and requires signed vendor acknowledgment forms
- Operating hours run 7am-midnight with an 11pm music curfew
- Rental fee runs roughly $8,500-$12,500 per event depending on guest count
Where we like to shoot
- The Spanish-style mansion and its fountain courtyard
- The pond with bridges for reflective, natural-light portraits
- The oak-shaded lawn for the ceremony itself
- Wide mountain-view shots taking in the Santa Monica Mountains backdrop
What couples and guests notice about King Gillette Ranch
Historic architecture and well-kept landscaping are consistently praised, alongside genuine mountain scenery and nearby hiking trails.
Because it's public land, couples aren't locked into a single vendor list — a real point of appeal versus a typical private venue.
Gravel surfaces and mountain-road traffic can be a pain point for larger events, and the permit process takes real lead time.