Sunset’s Menlo Park Campus Earns National Recognition for Historic Significance
The Cliff May-designed building is important to history—and to us.
Thomas J. Story
In a milestone moment for California architecture and publishing history, Sunset magazine’s former headquarters in Menlo Park has been officially deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places—under not one, but three categories: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Commerce.
The determination, made by the Keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C., follows a rigorous nomination process led by the Menlo Park Historical Association and reviewed by California’s Office of Historic Preservation. The verdict confirms what Sunset readers and design historians have long known: The seven-acre campus—designed by Cliff May with landscape architecture by Thomas Dolliver Church—is a landmark of Western modernism and cultural influence.
Daniel Gregory
Built in 1951 to embody the indoor-outdoor ideals the magazine helped popularize, the headquarters is an early and exceptional example of the California Ranch style adapted for commercial use. With its carved sugar pine doors, deep eaves, and signature courtyards, the building and surrounding gardens exemplify Sunset’s vision of Western living.
“This building shaped how millions of people saw the West,” said architectural historian and California Historic Resources Commissioner Alan Hess, who called the site’s impact “remarkably large,” citing its influence on planning, urban design, and lifestyle in postwar California.
In the category of Commerce, the site was recognized for housing Sunset magazine during its most influential decades, from 1951 to 1990. Under the Lane family, the magazine became the definitive guide to gardening, cooking, travel, and design for the region, reaching over 1.4 million readers at its peak.
Thomas J. Story
Equally notable is the property’s inclusion under Landscape Architecture—placing it in the same rarefied company as Central Park, Golden Gate Park, and The Presidio. Designed by Thomas Church, one of the most important modernist landscape architects in American history, the gardens were conceived to prioritize human use, relaxation, and seasonal beauty—hallmarks of California design still emulated today.
While the eligibility determination doesn’t prevent redevelopment, it does trigger critical protections under California law. The property is now automatically listed in the California Register of Historical Resources, requiring any proposed development to undergo a thorough environmental and historical impact review.
The current property owner, Willow Project LLC, has proposed demolishing the site to construct a large mixed-use complex with towers as tall as 458 feet. Despite their opposition to the historic designation, documents submitted to the City of Menlo Park by the owner’s own consultants in 2023 acknowledged the site’s architectural and cultural significance—evidence now included in the federal record.
Sunset/Menlo Atherton High School Yearbook
The city of Menlo Park is moving forward with a full environmental analysis of the proposed development, which must now evaluate the site’s historic status as part of the California Environmental Quality Act review process.
The Sunset headquarters was more than just an office; it was a built expression of a lifestyle that defined the West for generations. This historic recognition ensures that story is preserved—and that any future development must reckon with the cultural legacy of this iconic place.
Additional Resources
Menlo Park Historical Association, quote from the Associations’ rep at the May hearing on the nomination:
Famed landscape architect Thomas Church, and Cliff May—known as the Father of the Ranch House—designed the headquarters from which Sunset magazine built up a shared, classless culture; an unpretentious way of living and of appreciating the West and its foods, plants and gardens, travel destinations, crafts, and simple homes built to showcase nature. Sunset publications taught us how live in the West, how to camp, build our own back stairs, make exciting new recipes, keep our plants alive, and rather than buy a friend a gift, how to make one he’d be happy to own. More than any publication in U.S. history, Sunset magazine has defined a down-to-earth, optimistic culture that honors and celebrates what is truly unique: the American West.
Sunset magazine was founded in 1898 and is still going strong as the Magazine of Western Living. Its April 2025 issue and Instagram encouraged letters of support of the nomination. See more information from Sunset Magazine about the headquarters here.
Chattel Inc.’s experts researched and prepared the nomination on behalf of the Menlo Park Historical Association. Contact Alvin-Christian Nuval or Robert Chattel for more information: (818) 788-7954.
Willow Workplace: The Sunset Headquarters are now open and available as a coworking space, office rental, and meeting and event location via Willow Workplace.
Menlo Forward has additional information about the proposed development. Menlo Forward is a nonprofit founded to promote smart growth in Menlo Park and neighboring cities while preserving their character. Menlo Forward is committed to fostering a vibrant community that meets the needs of a diverse population. It supports affordable housing that aligns with state-approved development plans.
Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) (National Park Service) report on the Sunset Headquarters Landscape Architecture can be found here.
