This episode of California’s Gold from 2003 features two very special old barns. The Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo has been given a brand new life; while the restoration efforts were well underway at the time of Huell’s visit, the work continued on the barn and surrounding buildings for the next 16 years and finally opened to the public in mid September 2019.

… after hearing there are only three barns like it left standing in California, Huell visits the historic Octagon Barn in San Luis Obispo. Locals estimate that it is more than 100 years old and was built as a livery stable and later used as a dairy barn. Although it is showing its age, the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County is spearheading an effort to refurbish the Octagon Barn as a roadside vegetable stand for use by local farmers.

Before Disneyland, Walt Disney’s enthusiasm for realistic model trains had evolved into an elaborate backyard live steam railroad. At the heart of his railroad was a quaint red barn, which was his center of operations. Now at home in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, the barn is a gem in the collection of the Los Angeles Live Steamers, an organization of train enthusiasts dedicated to educating people in railroad history and lore, and to further the avocation of live steam, gas-mechanical and electronic railroad technology. Huell tours the barn and hears stories of Disney’s passion for trains which many people say fueled his vision for his theme parks.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)