Things To Do

Entrance to the Eugene O'Neill Tao House courtyard. NPS photo.

 

 

Tours and Visiting the Park

The Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site is free to the public and only accessible by our complimentary National Park Service Shuttle that picks up visitors at The Museum of the San Ramon Valley at 205 Railroad Avenue, Danville, California 94526. Visitors are not permitted to drive their vehicles to the main park site, due to its location in a private, gated commmunity.

Advance reservations are required for tours on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday at either 10:00 AM or 2:00 PM, however, on Saturdays, no reservations are necessary. Tours depart at 10 AM and 2 PM. Allow 2 hours for your visit, or tour. We suggest that you contact us at least two weeks in advance to schedule your tour. However, reservations made with shorter notice are sometimes available.

Regular Park Days and Hours:

Monday: Park Closed
Tuesday: Park Closed
Wednesday: Park Open for Reserved Tours at 10 AM and 2 PM
Thursday: Park Open for Reserved Tours at 10 AM and 2 PM
Friday: Park Open for Reserved Tours at 10 AM and 2 PM
Saturday: No reservations are necessary. Tours at 10 AM and 2 PM.
Sunday: Park Open for Reserved Tours at 10 AM and 2 PM
Holidays: Closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.

How to Reserve Your Tour:

Email is our preferred method for reservations.
Please send us an email with:

• Dates and times that you would like to tour the site
• Your phone number
• Number of guests

OR you may call our Reservation Line: [phone] x6422
Please call the above temporary number (John Muir National Historic Site) and dial x6422 to request your reservation.

Important Note: Not all desired tour dates may be available; visitors will need to receive confirmation of their requested dates from the park staff. If you do not hear from us within a few days (we are closed Monday and Tuesday), then please check your Spam folder to make sure your reservation was not filtered.

Getting to the Park

Directions to the pick up site
After confirming your reservations (or on reservation-free Saturdays) Guests will meet at The Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 205 Railroad Avenue, Danville, California 94526, at the listed pick-up times.

Note on Accessibility: Please include in your reservation request if you or any of your party have accessibility needs before visiting the site. This will help park rangers be prepared for your visit.

Outdoor Activities

In addition to Tao House, there are a number of other features on the site that are preserved from Eugene O'Neill's time. Directly adjacent to the home is the courtyard area, with planted gardens and historic pathways. Outside the courtyard, there are historic walking paths, one of which leads to the swimming pool that O'Neill used for his afternoon swims. Historic black walnut and almond orchards are on site also. Across from the house is the 19th century barn, which is the only structure remaining that predates the O'Neill era. This barn has been rehabilitated now and serves as a performance venue where, in collaboration with the Eugene O'Neill Foundation, plays are presented at different times of the year. Information about performances can be found on their website at www.eugeneoneill.org. At the far end of the site is a grave marker for Blemie, the O'Neill family's beloved Dalmatian, for whom he wrote a very touching last will and testament.

Aside from the various structures and features of the site, the location above the San Ramon valley provides a glimpse into the sense of seclusion and serenity that Eugene O'Neill was looking for.

The 13-acre grounds of the site are accessible from hiking and mountain biking trails in the Las Trampas Regional Wilderness. This area and the park itself are excellent for wildlife and bird watching.