The existing barn is located at the northwest corner of the site, and is well situated to become the ranch’s primary visitor center. The existing barn would serve as the public “gateway” to the ranch. The barn would be structurally stabilized and upgraded to accommodate most of the public support facilities, such as:

The barn is currently in poor condition and would require significant upgrades and reconstruction. Upgrades to the barn would include the installation of a fire sprinkler system and weatherproofing. Reconstruction would be completed by matching the historic materials in their original rather than current, deteriorated state. The building would be seismically stabilized, including a new foundation. A concrete floor slab would be installed to provide a safe, level, and ADA accessible walking surface.

In order to retain the character of the interior, the barn would remain uninsulated and would not be air-conditioned. Passive and low-tech insulation and ventilation methods, such as ceiling fans (for summer cooling) and stacked straw bales (for winter insulation), would be used to mitigate the extreme desert temperatures. The large barn doors on the east and west sides of the building would ideally be open during visitor hours. New glazed folding doors would be installed behind the large barn doors, and could be closed or opened entirely depending on weather conditions.

The barn would house interpretive exhibits, a retail area and information desk, and related storage and equipment space. Because of the ‘natural’ conditioning of the barn, activities that require the public to remain indoors, such as a video presentation or special interactive exhibit, would occur elsewhere. There would be supplemental heat and cooling for staff working in the information/retail area.