We are honored to share extraordinary news about the future of Ghost Ranch.
The National Ghost Ranch Foundation (NGRF) has received a transformative estate gift from Vernon Pack, whose parents, Arthur and Phoebe Pack, purchased Ghost Ranch in 1936 and gifted it to the Presbyterian Church in 1955. Vernon’s own gift—the largest in Ghost Ranch’s history—will allow us to address present buildings and grounds needs while planning thoughtfully for our long-term future.
NGRF is a nonprofit organization that operates Ghost Ranch through a long-term lease, relying on philanthropic support, program and lodging revenue, and the generosity of our community to steward the ranch’s 21,000 acres. Because of that, this landmark gift is especially meaningful. It provides critical resources to strengthen aging infrastructure, invest in guest and program spaces, and ensure the ranch remains vibrant and accessible for generations to come.
The Pack family’s legacy has always been rooted in stewardship of land, learning, and community. Among the artists and thinkers drawn to Northern New Mexico and Ghost Ranch was Georgia O’Keeffe, who formed a friendship with the Pack family, made the ranch her part-time home, and created some of her most iconic paintings here. The landscape that shaped her vision continues to inspire those who come seeking beauty, reflection, and connection.
Vernon Pack carried his love of Ghost Ranch throughout his life. After serving in the Navy during World War II and building a career as an educator in Ohio, he remained deeply connected to the place that shaped his childhood. He visited as recently as a few years ago before passing away in January 2025 at the age of 99. Vernon’s gift, made nearly 70 years after his parents donated the ranch, is a powerful continuation of that original act of generosity.
This gift strengthens our ability to live fully in our mission: Ghost Ranch stewards a place of great beauty to nurture the human spirit and mind, discover the sacred, and care for creation.
We are profoundly grateful for the Pack family’s abiding commitment to conservation and community, and for each of you who helps sustain Ghost Ranch through your visits, participation, and support. Places like this endure because people believe in them.
If Ghost Ranch has shaped your life in meaningful ways, we invite you to consider including us in your legacy plans. To start a conversation, please contact our Development Manager, Lorenza Marcais, at lorenzam@ghostranch.org.
