Leonis Adobe Museum

Miguel Leonis was known as the King of Calabasas. Wheeling and dealing with some of early Los Angeles' biggest names, he amassed a real estate empire consisting of thousands of acres across Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. But where were his landholdings? Find out on this episode of Leonis Legacies. "Somewhere Sunny" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This hand-colored photograph (date unknown) shows Pedro and Maria Orsua. Maria, a relative of Espiritu, came to live at the adobe as a child and regarded Espiritu as a grandmother. Her recollections helped us recreate the interior of the house as the Leonis family would have known it.

How about a #MuseumMomentofZen this drizzly Saturday? We're looking forward to a little rain!

Our older chickens are a little uncertain about the new residents in the coop. The chicks, however, are more than happy to make themselves at home!

It's a good day for laying in the shade, or so say our goats. Worn out from lunchtime, Hawthorne's ready to nod off.

Did you participate in today's California ShakeOut drill? Earthquakes have always been a part of life in our corner of the world; this old house knows it as well as any! The 1994 Northridge Quake necessitated extensive retrofitting after the adobe sustained structural damage. This #ThrowbackThursday photograph from January 1995 shows some of that retrofitting being carried out. Remember to have a plan for your home and family in the event of an earthquake, and if shaking starts, Drop, Cover, and Hold On!

Our chicks are teenagers now The elegant plumage around their necks is starting to come in, making for some very fashionable fowl.

Our Polish chickens are the rockstars of the rancho. Why? Two reasons: rockin’ vocals, for one, and two, the rockin’ ‘do. This substantial plumage however does tend to limit their vision, so they can be a little shy around humans.

Can you imagine driving dirt roads through the San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica Mountains in a car like this? It might be a bumpy ride, but the families who lived here didn't let that stop them! This photograph from c. 1920 features a convertible car driven by Librado Verdugo, parked near the Leonis Adobe. Passengers include an unidentified woman, two children, and Juana Menendez in the far back seat. Juan Menendez leans against the passenger side of the car. This was likely taken not too long before the Menendezes sold the Leonis Adobe property.

It's the chicks' museum monthiversary! It's amazing how tiny puffs of fluff can turn into real chickens in so little time, but these babies are hard at work growing and getting to know ranch life.

We're in the final days of production for our virtual school tour program, funded by a grant from California Humanities. Our museum guides have been the absolute best at adapting with us as our team turns our award-winning field trip experience digital!

Leon caught a toasty morning nap at the tortilla station today. He misses hamming it up for our daily school tours!

The chicks are starting to look like chickens! Look close and you can see their combs, or the red fringe at the tops of their heads, starting to come in. Many are beginning to get the distinct plumage they'll wear into adulthood.

This old barn has a surprising history. The original barn stood across what's today Calabasas Road and burned down in 1908. The current barn was built by Juan Menendez and Pedro Orsua in 1912. It's since been moved twice to accommodate the widening of the 101 Freeway.

The percherons had their hooves trimmed today! Goliath was being a big goof and showed off his new... um... trick?