After the death of General Palmer in 1909, Rock Ledge Ranch’s historic homes passed through private hands for over half a century. In the 1950s, the Vrooman family acquired the property and lived in the Orchard House. The renovations of the buildings around the Ranch included a white coat of paint with green trim, giving the surrounding area the moniker “White House Ranch.”

It wasn’t until 1968, when the historic homes were at risk of demolition and the property was going to be subdivided, that the El Pomar and Bemis Taylor Foundations joined forces to assist the City of Colorado Springs in the purchase of the Ranch. By 1995, the Ranch name was changed back to “Rock Ledge Ranch,” which was the name that the Chambers family had used to describe their land in the 1880s. The Ranch is continually undergoing restoration efforts to honor its mission to steward a diverse outdoor museum by engaging, inspiring, and educating guests with the cultural and agricultural stories of the Pikes Peak Region.

As a living history museum, the Ranch provides a safe, educational, and experiential program that interprets the social, agricultural, and economic development of the Pikes Peak region. Visitors can escape back in time from their modern day lives and make memories for a lifetime.