Rare And Unseen Images Of Charles Manson’s Ranch

1. The long arm of the law

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The Manson family is notorious for the Tate-LaBianca murders, that took place on the night of August 8th 1969. But even before that, law enforcement were interested in them due to lower level criminal activities including stealing cars and burglaries.

2. The writing was on the wall

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The 'Manson Family' was one of the world's most notorious and heinous cults, led by racist maniac Charles Manson. They all lived together on ranches: the Spahn ranch out in the Santa Susana Mountains, and the Barker Ranch near Death Valley. They became a hotbed of illegal activity, and the ideal place for them to plot their gruesome crimes.

3. The police finally raided the ranch in 1969

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The Manson family brutally murdered Sharon Tate, as well as Leno and Rosemary LaBianca in August of 1969, marking the start of a bloody spree of heinous crimes. It wasn't until October of 1969 that police management to gather enough evidence to raid their ranches, arresting multiple members and investigating round their settlement.

4. A birds eye view

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This aerial shot gives us a birds' eye view of a part of the ranch. It was in a desolate, largely abandoned area of the hills- making it ideal as a lair for the evil family. You can also see evidence of the buses that littered the ranch, as well as some of the shacks.

5. You've got mail!

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Here you can see one of the mailboxes at the Barker Ranch- and it's absolutely riddled with bullet holes. The remote location meant the family could fire guns at will, the downside being that it lacked modern amenities like running water and electricity.

6. Kids on the ranch were innocent

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This photo was taken during the raid on Spahn Ranch in October 1969. Although by this point the police suspected the family of committing horrifically violent crimes, you can still see them showing compassion to the children. After all, babies born into a cult didn't choose that life.

7. Spahn ranch used to be a popular film set

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The Spahn Ranch is actually called 'Spahn's movie ranch'. As you can see, it makes an ideal backdrop for Western movies, which were super popular back in the 1950s. It's named after George Spahn, it's owner who decided to rent it out for TV and Movie filming.

8. Chaos unfolded during the raid

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When the Manson's reign of terror came to an end, it meant absolutely chaos on the ranch. Here California State Troopers are rounding up members for a free trip in a police car (by which I mean, arrest, transport to jail and a one way ticket to prison).

9. The cult had finally been caught out

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Whilst I'd hate in any way to make light of the Manson family murders- this chapter of American history is truly horrifying. So is it OK that in this one photo I've been totally distracted by that police officer's rocking beehive?! And the fact that she's still gone all out on the hair whilst attending the raid!

10. The sleeping conditions were disgusting

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With so many influencers' homes looking picture perfect in every post, it's easy to feel insecure about your own home. But just remember, it could be worse! Your room could look like this desolate scene, with mattresses littering the floor, and rubbish strewn around.

 11. Charles Manson being brought to justice

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Charles Manson was arrested from his hidey-hole at Barker Ranch. He'd been in hiding following the Tate-LaBianca murders, but the police tracked them down. And it wasn't just the man himself they found there, discovering crucial evidence that would go on to help endlessly in the murder trial.

12. They had campfires

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On both ranches, there were lots of these little fire pits dotted around the place- with accompanying mattresses to perch on under the stars. It almost sounds like a nice way to spend an evening, until you remember that you would've been hanging out with racist maniacs.

13. The Manson Girls getting herded into custody

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The Manson cult made a pattern of targeting vulnerable young women, using horrific tricks to lure them in. Charles Manson himself was known as incredibly charismatic, and he used that as a tool of manipulation- escalating to sexual exploitation in order to maintain his control.

14. The bedrooms were stark and grim

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Did you know that Manson aspired to become a famous musician? He was unsuccessful in the music industry, and ended up turning his hand to cult leadership. He claimed he believed that the Beatles' White Album contained secret messages that justified his violent actions.

15. The rooms were bare bones

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Another angle here on one of the bedrooms. At it's height, the cult consisted of maybe 20 to 30 people most of whom came to live on the ranches. They weren't organised like some cults are, with layers of management and a clear structure, but rather more of a rag tag group.

16. A haunting stare

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This photo is so haunting, look at her eyes. The 'Manson Girls' often had horrifically traumatic experiences during their time in the cult. They were under the influence of mind altering drugs, many were exploited sexually by Manson, and they were coerced and controlled at every turn.

17. A typical washroom on the ranch

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It's strange to think that, amidst all of the madness - Manson's pseudo-religious preachings, his heinous theories- at the end of the day they would all do the most normal things in the world, like brushing their teeth and their hair, and using the washrooms.

18. They were all gun nuts

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This is one reason they chose to settle in these remote ranches- with no one around to complain, they could fire off their guns at any hour of the day or night. Remember the bullet holes in that mailbox?! Here you can see that the police came prepared when they raided the ranches.

19. Some resisted arrest

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Perhaps it's no surprise that not everyone came quietly. It varied widely, some members of the cult being very compliant with the police, and others putting up a physical fight. You can see someone here throwing their weight around, even once they've been cuffed.

20. Creepy abandoned buses litter the ranch

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You might be getting the idea by now: this is one creepy place! Why not drop a few old loose mattresses inside a burnt out bus- it fits the general vibe of spooky cultish hell scape. Were they sleeping out in there? It gets pretty chilly after dark out in the hills.

21. It was filled with rickety shacks

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Charles Manson's twisted and delusional central belief was that there was an upcoming apocalyptic race war coming, a war that he called "Helter Skelter". He told his followers that committing the murder of Sharon Tate, and the LaBiancas, would set this war in motion.

22. Ranch owner George Spahn

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This character in the cowboy hat is George Spahn, the owner of the Spahn ranch- he was the one who initially established it as a movie-shoot location. By the time the Mansons approached him he was in his eighties, and almost completely blind. The Mansons promised to look after the ranch in exchange for lodging there.

23. A rare colour snap of the raid

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It's strange to see this colour photograph of what otherwise appears to be a black and white world. You can see on their faces that these four cult members are processing the fact that the jig was up, and that the police had uncovered their twisted deeds.

24. They stole and stripped cars

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Before they launched their bloody campaign of murder, the cult was already engaging in lower level criminal acts. One thing they made a habit of was stealing and stripping cars- they could then use them to travel around under the radar, without registrations.

25. A typical kitchen

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Did you know that Manson didn't target Sharon Tate deliberately? They targeted her house because they thought it was occupied by a group of wealthy people, they thought that her household was symbolic of 'the establishment' that they wanted to destroy.

26. They had dune buggies to get around

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These ranches are huge and sprawling- in the olden days everyone would have trotted around on horseback to get from A to B. But by the 1960s, everyones preferred mode of transport on the ranches were dune buggies. They would modify and scavenge parts for them.

27. The area around the ranch was abandoned

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The cult members would often get into mind altering substances, including LSD, which brought some of them even further into Manson's twisted world. As if there weren't enough warning signs, he had a swastica tattooed on his forehead (which is of course the absolute ultimate red flag, to put it lightly).

28. Before the Mansons, many movies were filmed there

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You can see here just why Spahn ranch was so popular as a movie set! This atmospheric setting was the back drop for The Lone Ranger, One More Train to Rob, and a movie called Hell's Bloody Devils (which doesn't sound at all like the relaxing rom-com vibes we're looking for at the end of a long day!)

29. Police investigate after their killing spree

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This photo was taken during the raid. Once the cult members who were arrested had been taken into custody, police did a huge and extensive search. They uncovered numerous weapons that would be crucial during the upcoming trial- the murder charges meant it lasted from June 1970 to January 1971.

30. Spahn Ranch today

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In 1970, there was a huge wildfire that destroyed all of the buildings at Spahn Ranch, and it's grown over and wild nowadays. Barker Ranch is still quite a popular spot to visit in the Death Valley National Park, with off roading a popular pass time.