Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site
America's only Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Eugene O'Neill, chose Northern California as his sanctuary at the pinnacle of his writing career. Secluded from the outside world within the serene walls of his Tao House, O'Neill crafted his final and most memorable masterpieces: The Iceman Cometh, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and A Moon for the Misbegotten.
About under an hour from San Francisco, 1.5 hours from San Jose and 2 hours from Sacramento by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site | Varies by day ▾
|
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center is part of the Eugene O'Neill NHS. Due to the location and nature of the park, the visitor center is accessible as part of a reservations only tour. There is a small park store on site.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Earn Your Junior Ranger Badge at Eugene O'Neill NHS1-1 Hours
Opportunities for kids to earn their Junior Ranger badge.
Opens on the Park Service site - Guided Tour of Tao House2-2 Hours
*Please note: The Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site must be accessed through a private, gated road owned by a community of neighboring residents.
Opens on the Park Service site
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for California's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthEastern Fox Squirrel 82× · American White Pelican 47× · Brown Pelican 28× · Great Horned Owl 24× · Coyote 15× · Belted Kingfisher 11× · North American River Otter 10× · Greater Yellowlegs 7×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 45 birds, 18 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Hen Harrier · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Gamebirds & dovesCalifornia Quail · Mourning Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersAcorn Woodpecker · Downy Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Nuttall's Woodpecker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAllen's Hummingbird · Anna's Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Bushtit · American Goldfinch · American Robin · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black-headed Grosbeak · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's oriole · Cliff swallow · Common Starling · Dark-eyed Junco · Golden-crowned Kinglet · House Finch · Hutton's Vireo · Lesser Goldfinch · Northern Mockingbird · Oak Titmouse · Pacific-slope Flycatcher · Spotted towheed · Steller's Jay · Swainson's Thrush · Tree Swallow · Violet-green Swallow · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Tanager · Western scrub jay · White-breasted Nuthatch · chestnut backed chickadee
Small mammalsAmargosa Vole · Brush Deermouse · Western Harvest Mouse · eastern fox squirrel
PredatorsCommon Gray Fox · Cross Fox · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsMule Deer
BatsBrazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Fringed Myotis · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Red Bat · Yuma Myotis
Also on the checklistFeral cat · Feral cat
Weather & climate
The Mediterranean climate of Danville features hot, dry summers with lower temperatures near 60º F and upper temperatures near 100º F. The heat gives way to cool, rainy winters with lows near 45º F and highs near 75º F. Fall and spring can bring rain and temperatures from 55-80º F.
Questions people ask
Does Eugene O'Neill charge an entrance fee?
No. Eugene O'Neill is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Eugene O'Neill?
Standard hours are 10:00AM - 4:30PM on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Eugene O'Neill?
14,881 recreation visits in 2025, number 341 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Eugene O'Neill?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Eugene O'Neill?
The Mediterranean climate of Danville features hot, dry summers with lower temperatures near 60º F and upper temperatures near 100º F. The heat gives way to cool, rainy winters with lows near 45º F and highs near 75º F.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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