Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site
1000 Kuss Rd, Danville, CA 94526
The Eugene O’Neill National Historical Site is a hidden gem. It is low key and is a great place to bring out of town visitors. Make sure to reserve the shuttle and tour. It is free!! Don’t forget to get a junior ranger badge for the kids. O’Neill is famous for fraught family dramas, often set in gritty urban settings, but this home he bought with literary winnings is far, far from any madding crowd, whether actual or merely remembered. He wrote well here, a place on a hilltop at the end of a little traveled road. It is very thrilling to visit. There are limits on the number of visitors, which complicates booking access.
But it is yet another distinctive bit of America sheltered by the National Park Service. Nice hillside home with quiet refreshing ranch style surroundings. You can come in from the backside hiking trail, to roam around and enjoy the grounds and not taken the tour to go inside the home. But it was definitely worth coming by to check it out. Maybe take the tour next time myself. Although a visit to the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Park site requires advanced reservations for guided tours with a mini-bus pick-up from the railroad museum in downtown Danville, it is every bit worth this added challenge.
The Eugene O’Neill house is closed on Monday and Tuesday. There are no guided tours/reservations needed for Saturday. Call the Park for further information. The visit involved a bus driver, tour guide, and a cashier at the onsite bookstore, one very talented individual. He was very passionate and extremely knowledgeable about Eugene O’Neill and the history of the Tao House which made my visit beyond exceptional.
A trip here is well worth a couple hours of time. Be sure to make reservations before you go. Allow time for a hike afterwards. Beautiful setting, wonderful photos and a really informative tour. America’s only Nobel Prize winning playwright Eugene O’Neill, chose to live in Northern California at the height of his writing career. Isolated from the world and within the walls of his home, O’Neill wrote his final and most memorable plays; The Iceman Cometh, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Our guide, Ranger Shay, a thirty year veteran with The Natl. Park Service; provided an informative, interesting and delightful experience at The Eugene O’Neil “Taos” Natl. Historical site. Go to their website to garner the necessary information.
This amazing attraction is located Danville (right next door to San Ramon!) and also only a short distance away from:
- Blackhawk Automotive Museum
- Jules Thin Crust
- The Village Theatre and Art Gallery
- Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site
- The Peasant & The Pear, Danville, California
- Museum of the San Ramon Valley
- Sycamore Valley Park
- Jolie Salon & Spa Wellness Center
- Esin Restaurant & Bar, Danville, California
- Revel Kitchen and Bar, Danville, California
When you’re done visiting this amazing attraction make sure to stop by our offices at Solar Harmonics San Ramon!
