A wide path along Lake Ewok leads you to the Main House, the heart of Skywalker Sound. It was quiet…really quiet. I felt as if we were in our own world. But, I kept telling myself that magic was happening behind these walls; beautiful sounds and creativity were developed here. The white Victorian-styled home drew me closer, as I noticed what looked like a beekeeper on the top of a hill.
The air was crisp and cool. What a beautiful day to be here a part of the #StrangeMagicEvent blogger group. We wrapped up our tour of the Technical Building and were now steps away from the original building, built in 1978. George Lucas’ office is here! Major decisions are made in the Main House and employees come here for inspiration.
George didn’t want a space in Los Angeles. The whole reason why the ranch is here is for people to have access to all the tech stuff they needed but outside the studio system in Los Angeles. It was really important to surround himself with natural beauty. Every room has artwork that has been collected by George including original Norman Rockwell paintings and a stunning Tiffany stained glass-chandelier.
We entered the foyer of the house and turned down a hallway to the right. Along the hallway were two small display cases with original models from the Star Wars series as well as Luke Skywalker’s ‘Hero’ light saber. Other valuable pieces include the Crystal Skull, Rudolph Valentino’s whip, and Keystone badges. Very few people walk through the building which is why the display is area is small.
I could have spent hours in the media room where interviews are held. This is where old video games, DVDS and records are found. One of the stacks of records had the Return of the Jedi soundtrack sitting on the top of it. You’ll even find some of George Lucas’ favorite Air Supply records in those stacks! By far my favorite room in the house was the round, grand library. I saw pictures of this room on the web. Seeing it in person blew my mind, The staircase design was immense as well as the collection of books. You could see and feel the passion that went into designing this space.
Other indoor areas we viewed were the greenhouse, a dining room and meeting/conference room. There was a lovely fountain behind the house, along with a stream and and a few buildings in the back. At one point, publicity and licensing departments used to be on site until they became too big and had to move to another campus. Now, the buildings are there for film makers equipped with complete editing suites.
We left the house and made our way to the General Store for some shopping! We tore that place apart and walked out with some pretty cool exclusive Skywalker Ranch merchandise. The General Store is also in the same building as the cantina, fitness center, pool and basketball courts. From there we walked to the pier to take in the view. The property sprawled out in front of Lake Ewok for a picturesque snapshot — what a beautiful way to end our journey.
Did you miss part 1 of our Strange Magic Skywalker Ranch visit? Click here to view now!
Strange Magic is in theaters Friday, January 23, 2015!
* I attended an all-expense paid trip hosted by Touchstone Pictures and Lucasfilms. Opinions are my own. Photos belong to Tee Burgess!
