What To Do With Neverland Ranch?

As the escalating family battle over who will get the various bits and pieces of Michael Jackson’s worldly goods continues, there is a huge piece of property that remains in hot contention: Neverland Ranch.

Named after the famous locale in the novel “Peter Pan” where boys never grow up, the 2,800 acre plot of land in Santa Barbara County, California had lain in disuse after Jackson abandoned it in 2005. Shortly thereafter the park was closed, and in 2008 the title was transferred to the Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, who have as yet done no construction on the property.

It was briefly thought that the ranch would be the setting of Jackson’s funeral, but that now appears not to be the case. Instead, there is much speculation over what the location could turn into. It’s easy to imagine it being transformed into a Graceland-style tourist attraction, which would bring in some revenue that could help defray the costs of Jackson’s supposed huge debts. And though they’ve been removed, a case could be made for the return of the thrill rides, turning the place back into an amusement park.

However, I’m of two minds about that idea. First, Jackson loved to entertain, and frequently hosted families at Neverland Ranch, so it seems a natural result. Second, given the controversy surrounding the allegations of molestation levied against Jackson, it might seem that an amusement park would be the height of poor taste. Yet those allegations were never conclusively proven, and Jackson was still beloved by millions of people all over the world. Something should be done with the ranch; what do you think?