Ponderosa Ranch "Bonanza" episodes were shot at the theme park's Virginia City site, although the town was prominently featured in three "Bonanza" television movies. Because the movies showcased the next generation of Cartwrights, they began circa 1905. The Ponderosa park expanded beyond the buggy era to include an exhibit featuring antique cars. It was a fledgling endeavor as tourists wanted to see horses flanked by Cartwright saddles. The idea for the theme park came about in 1965. Bill and Joyce Anderson owned a small horse ranch, which is located in about the same area as the fictional Ponderosa on the burning map.
Bonanza first season to the 1969-1970 season. INSP first aired only selected first and second-season episodes of "Bonanza" and began to air the "Bonanza" Lost Episodes packages which contains episodes that originally aired from 1965-1973. Family Channel and the Hallmark Channel were two other channels that have also only aired the "Bonanza" Lost Episodes package. In October 2015, Me-TV additionally began airing the "Bonanza" Lost Episodes package. As of December 2016, Me-TV returned to airing the original episodes package. Ever since March 2018 Me-TV has been airing the Lost Episodes, wanting to play the entire series from beginning to end. "Bonanza"