In 1974, the Eugene O’Neill Foundation saved Tao House in Danville, California, from a wrecker’s ball then raised funds to secure the site where O’Neill wrote his most famous plays. Today, the foundation maintains the largest O’Neill research library west of the Beinecke at Yale, and produces artistic and educational programming, including seminars, conferences, workshops, cultural events, student programming, exhibits, scholarly conferences, Playwright’s Theatre, and major theatrical performances.
The archive at Tao House contains a large collection of photographs, ephemera, play bills, manuscripts, posters, O’Neill’s original phonograph record collection, literary papers, audio and videotapes of productions and interviews, as well as a broad collection of books and other materials about O’Neill and the American Theatre. Also available to scholars are copies of Carlotta Monterey O’Neill’s diaries from 1928 through 1944 and 1954 courtesy of the Beinecke. Tours are available upon reservation.