Did you know that there’s an abandoned Nazi compound right here in Southern California nestled deep inside the Santa Monica mountains? That’s right, folks – a former hideout for Nazi sympathizers called Murphy Ranch is located in SoCal. I bet you didn’t see that one coming! And it’s one heck of a cool hike near Pacific Palisades, filled with ruins from the original buildings dating back to the 1930s. Unfortunately, if you want to see it up close and in person, you must put this hike at the top of your list because the remaining structures are scheduled to be demolished on February 23, 2016. That’s less than a week away, so lace up those hiking boots and go check it out!
Flickr/J Jakobson This is one of the structures still standing that’s leftover from the original compound built in 1930 by husband and wife team Winona and Norman Stephens. Norman made his fortune in silver mines and Winona came from old family money. At some point in the early 30s, the couple joined a pro-Nazi group called The Silver Legion of America AKA The Silver Shirts. The Silver Shirts believed that Germany would win the war and setup a Nazi party headquarters on the West Coast of the US. To prepare for this event, Winona and Norman were convinced to build a self-sustaining community where they could hide out until the war was over. They figured that after the war, they would be at the ready to help with the German takeover.
Flickr/Roy Randall The compound was built with a series of steep steps, 500 to be exact, that made it challenging for any outsider to find the Nazi hideout.
Flickr/J Jakobson The property was purchased on August 28, 1933. Construction commenced almost immediately. An early blueprint featured designs which incorporated the 12 signs of the Zodiac into the property’s main structure.
Flickr/Sean Kirkpatrick Back in its day, the sprawling Murphy Ranch complex included, among other things, a 22-bedroom main house, a 375,000 gallon water tank, raised flower beds, a machine shed, a barn and a meat locker. In total, an estimated $4 million was budgeted for construction. That’s the same as $72 million today! Decades later, all that remains are the rusted remnants of the past as seen in the photos above of the dented water tank and fallen machine shed.
The Stephens’ dream of a Nazi utopia in Los Angeles came to an end on Monday, December 8, 1941… the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Local police, assisted by Naval intelligence officers, stormed the compound and arrested Norman and Winona Stephens as well as the property’s 50+ caretakers (the caretakers were quickly released). For decades, creepy rumors swirled that at least some of the couple’s financing came directly from German government banks.
Flickr/J Jakobson
This is one of the structures still standing that’s leftover from the original compound built in 1930 by husband and wife team Winona and Norman Stephens. Norman made his fortune in silver mines and Winona came from old family money. At some point in the early 30s, the couple joined a pro-Nazi group called The Silver Legion of America AKA The Silver Shirts. The Silver Shirts believed that Germany would win the war and setup a Nazi party headquarters on the West Coast of the US. To prepare for this event, Winona and Norman were convinced to build a self-sustaining community where they could hide out until the war was over. They figured that after the war, they would be at the ready to help with the German takeover.
Flickr/Roy Randall
The compound was built with a series of steep steps, 500 to be exact, that made it challenging for any outsider to find the Nazi hideout.
The property was purchased on August 28, 1933. Construction commenced almost immediately. An early blueprint featured designs which incorporated the 12 signs of the Zodiac into the property’s main structure.
Flickr/Sean Kirkpatrick
Back in its day, the sprawling Murphy Ranch complex included, among other things, a 22-bedroom main house, a 375,000 gallon water tank, raised flower beds, a machine shed, a barn and a meat locker. In total, an estimated $4 million was budgeted for construction. That’s the same as $72 million today! Decades later, all that remains are the rusted remnants of the past as seen in the photos above of the dented water tank and fallen machine shed.
This video, posted by Chris Kang, will show you a glimpse of what you’ll see at Murphy Ranch and gives a bit more history on what eventually happened to this location after the Nazi hideout was abandoned at the end of the war.
How’s that for some twisted Southern California history? Let us know in the comments if you’ve been on this historic hike as we’d love to hear about your experience.
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