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In 1972, former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird Johnson, gifted their ranch house and approximately 600 acres of land to the National Park Service for it to be used as a historic site. However, the couple held a life estate which permitted them to continue residing at the property throughout their lifetimes.

Known as the 'Texas White House' during Johnson's presidency, the ranch served as a retreat for him away from the bustling Washington D.C. and hosted numerous foreign dignitaries and important visitors. It was also a venue where he held meetings and spent time away from the White House.

While the main house did not open to the public immediately, Lady Bird Johnson kept living there after her husband's passing in January 1973, under the terms of their life estate. She remained connected to the ranch for the rest of her life until she passed away in July 2007 at the age of 94, ending the lifetime arrangement and allowing the National Park Service to assume control of the main house.

Born onto the property in 1912, Lady Bird Johnson referred to it as her 'heart's home'. She and her husband once enjoyed barbecue for world dignitaries and held staff meetings under a large oak tree. The property was not merely a remnant of Johnson's presidency; it was significant to Lady Bird Johnson too. In 1965, she spoke about how she began viewing the house through the eyes of an individual who might one day leave it to future generations.

Following her husband's death, Lady Bird retained a fondness for the ranch. As Neal Spelce, a close family friend, recalled, "She would get away to the ranch as often as she could. It really was her home."

The donation of the ranch became more significant after Johnson's death, as Lady Bird could now live at the ranch indefinitely. Despite its connection to the presidency, the ranch maintained a relaxed atmosphere. Visitors could tour the property, walk through family graves, and even catch a glimpse of Lady Bird waving at tour buses passing by.

Upon Lady Bird Johnson's death in 2007, the National Park Service began preparing the 4,000-square-foot ranch house for public tours. The house, originally a one-room cabin built by German immigrant William "Polecat" Meier, had expanded to become a 28-room building with eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms.