Empire Ranch Foundation, Sonoita

About Empire Ranch Foundation

The Empire Ranch Foundation preserves a historic working ranch in the high Sonoran Desert near Sonoita, where visitors explore ten buildings constructed between 1870 and the mid-twentieth century. The centerpiece is the 29-room Empire Ranch House, an adobe and wood frame structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The headquarters and outdoor areas are open daily from sunrise to sunset, with general admission free. Visitors can walk the Heritage Discovery Trail beneath cottonwood trees along Empire Gulch, take self-guided tours using interpretive signs throughout the ranch house, or download the Agents of Discovery mobile game to unlock location-based challenges while exploring. Free docent-led tours of the ranch house are held on select Saturdays, and a walking tour brochure guides guests through the buildings. Throughout the year the foundation hosts special events including trail rides, a cowboy festival, western movie nights, and educational programs for youth. The ranch sits in the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area approximately ten miles north of Sonoita.