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.
The name “Bonanza” means “prosperity” or “rich ore pocket” in Spanish. It was one of many towns that started after valuable minerals were found. Long ago, the Puebloans mined for turquoise in these hills.
This happened because Bonanza did not produce enough ore. By July 1881, the town had a store, a post office, a hotel, and a smelter. It also had a church and a priest in the early 1880s. However, it lacked some important services like a barbershop or a shoe store.

Where Bonanza was filmed

The TV show Kid Nation was also filmed there in 2007. They tried to rebuild a pretend version of Bonanza City. They aimed to fix the mistakes of the original town’s people.

Main cast

The scheduling change, as well as Dan Blocker’s death in May 1972, resulted in plunging ratings for the show. David 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.

• The script was initially written for the departing David Canary’s Candy, but was rewritten for actors Ray Teal (Sheriff Roy Coffee) and Bing Russell (Deputy Clem Foster), who rarely appeared together on the show.
• A movie set (Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch) was built near the remains and has been used for several films.
• 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.
• The ranch where the best-known opening sequence was shot was located near Lake Tahoe, Nevada—just as the Ponderosa was.
• Bonanza City is a ghost town, located 13 miles southwest of Santa Fe in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States.

Ready to Scout Bonanza Creek Ranch?

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. Bonanza City This set looks like a mining town from the late 1800s.
Located just outside Santa Fe, Bonanza Creek Ranch provides cinematic versatility for directors, producers, and location scouts seeking natural light, open skies, and timeless Western architecture. At the 2020 United States census, there were 4,406 people, 1,220 households, and 885 families residing in the CDP. Bonanza “the official first season” was released in Scandinavia during 2010. The first two volumes were released on October 20, 2010, and the second two volumes on April 27, 2011.

• A majority of ranch-specific scenes were shot on a sound stage at Paramount Studios in Hollywood.
• For 14 years, Bonanza was the premier Western on American television.
• 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.
• Estimates are that more than three million of these were sold during the park’s existence.
• These episodes are from the tenth season through the end of the series (1968–73).
• This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least one season of the series.
• The amusement park operated in Incline Village, Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, from 1968 until 2004.

Bonanza City, New Mexico

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. 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.

Over 150 Productions Filmed on Location

It is scheduled to restart in January 2023, but not in New Mexico. Occasionally, this wasn’t the case, as in the opening sequence or when Bonanza shot two-part 1966 episode “The Pursued” at Anchor Ranch, Lone Pine, California. But for the most part, Bonanza was filmed at Paramount studio backlots in Hollywood, where the “Western street” and interior and exterior settings were created. Location shots from around Nevada were included, however, to add realism and style to the colour TV Western.

The first 30 days are on us!

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.