Historic Dudley House Museum in Ventura

San Buenaventura Heritage, Inc. (SBH) is a non-profit educational and charitable organization founded in 1978 with a primary focus of preserving the Dudley House, an 1892 Victorian farm house, located at 197 N. Ashwood, Ventura. The Dudley House is one of 35 Ventura County properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The house is a living history museum reflecting the life of the Dudley family. The terraces and pergola for outdoor events have been installed on the north side side of the house, and the lavender garden with some 100 plants featuring over 20 varieties is on the south side of the house. The basement is used as a community room and visitor center with cooking facilities and is available for small events and receptions. Larger events can be held outside on the grounds.

The Dudley House is open for tours the first Sunday of the month from 1pm to 4pm from January to November.

Visit dudleyhouse.org or call 805.644.3286 for more information.  Admission is free but donations are accepted and appreciated.

Dudley House Boutique 2025

Open November 28-30 and December 6-7, 13-14 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find quality crafts, home decor, antiques and collectibles.

Historic Recording Series

During open houses, pre-1930 recordings transferred to CDs are played. A new recording is played each month on the Victrola console in the parlor.

Old Time Radio Series

CDs of radio shows are performed in the radio console on the 2nd floor hallway.

Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara

Dolphins greet you at the entrance to Stearns Wharf.

Stearns Wharf is located at the juncture of W. Cabrillo Road and State Street in Santa Barbara. Originally constructed in 1872 by lumberman John P. Stearns as the longest deep-water pier between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is now one of the most visible and visited tourist destinations in Santa Barbara. In 1980-81, the City of Santa Barbara restored the wharf, constructed new buildings on it and assumed operation of the facility.

Our family particularly enjoys visiting the Museum of Santa Barbara Sea Center located on the wharf, followed by a stop at Mother Stearns Candy Company or the Great Pacific Ice Cream Company. Of course, The Harbor Restaurant and Longboard’s Beach Bar and Grill are crowd favorites. There's also wine tasting at Deep Sea Wine Tasting Room, Moby Dick Restaurant, fish and chips, souvenir shops and other places.

View from the end of Stearns Wharf back toward the mainland.

View from Stearns Wharf

You can get onto the wharf in a number of ways. There is limited parking on the wharf. Cost (as of September 2025) is $3/hour, but the first 90 minutes are free. Or you can park along Cabrillo Road or in a local beach parking lot and walk onto the wharf. Or do what we enjoy...park at the Santa Barbara Harbor and ride bikes onto the wharf. The wood planks are a bit bumpy but you'll survive!

Learn more about Stearns Wharf at www.stearnswharf.org.

Beautiful views of the harbor area as you'll see below from the pier. If you walk onto the wharf, you may encounter some locals that "live off the land" with sand sculptures and other monuments on the sand for your viewing pleasure (and perhaps some spare change). They are part of the carnival atmosphere. And of course on Sundays you'll be treated to the Santa Barbara Arts & Crafts Show that has been running since 1965.

Olivas Adobe Historical Park - Ventura

The Olivas Adobe Historical Park is operated by the City of Ventura and serviced by the Olivas Adobe Historical Interpreters. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is State Historical Landmark No. 115.

The adobe represents a superb example of a large home from the Rancho Period prior to California statehood in 1849. The home was started in 1847 and completed in 1849 through the efforts of local Chumash people, and occupied by Don Raymundo, his wife Teodora, and their 21 children - 8 girls and 13 boys - until 1899.

The City of Ventura received the adobe and a large land parcel from the Max Fleischman Foundation that included 450 acres, extending from the Olivas Adobe to the ocean, where the Olivas Golf Course, the San Buenaventura Water Reclamation Facility and Ventura Harbor are now located. The park includes exhibits, extensive gardens, and the restored adobe buildings.

The park is located at 4200 Olivas Park Drive in Ventura.  Grounds are open daily. Free admission. Costumed docent-led tours of the house take place on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (tour tickets are $5 for adults $3 for children and seniors). For more information, visit www.olivasadobe.org.

Reagan Ranch Center Exhibit Galleries in Santa Barbara

President Reagan’s home for 25 years and the Western White House during the height of the Cold War, the Reagan Ranch embodies the life and ideas of Ronald Reagan. In the spring of 1998, Young America’s Foundation stepped forward to save the Reagan Ranch; eight years later, in June 2006, the Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara opened its doors. 

The Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara is open to the general public for tours and visitation Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

These galleries feature original Reagan Ranch artifacts matched with state-of-the-art, interactive, multimedia exhibits that highlight the history of Ronald Reagan’s quarter-century at Rancho del Cielo and the accomplishments of his presidency.

Over six hours of dynamic multimedia exhibits provide access to exclusive speeches, interviews, radio addresses, and original video presentations. The centerpiece of the gallery is a 28-foot-long interactive “timeline” that gives users the ability to explore the “Western White House” during the 1980s.

The galleries also feature several unique collections on display, including the Lorraine Wagner Letter Collection, a nearly 300-piece collection of letters written by Ronald Reagan over a 50-year period and the Russell D. Sibert Collection, featuring rare Reagan-related memorabilia such as campaign buttons, posters and commemorative items.

A massive 5,000 pound section of the Berlin Wall greets visitors as they arrive at the Reagan Ranch Center, reminding the world of Ronald Reagan’s role in eliminating this assault on human dignity and freedom. The president’s famous blue Jeep Scrambler, complete with “Gipper” license plate, sits in the center of the gallery, flanked by a selection of his favorite books, an original saddle and chainsaw owned and used by President Reagan.

The Reagan Ranch Center is designed to engage visitors of all ages; younger children can even earn their “Junior Secret Service Clearance” by completing a fun and educational scavenger hunt.

The Reagan Ranch Center is located at 217 State Street next to the train station.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Founded in 1916, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History makes for a great excursion to Santa Barbara with the kids.  There are eight exhibit halls with permanent exhibits featuring birds, mammals, insects, ocean life, a planetarium and more. Many of the exhibits are "hands on" with buttons and interactive features that kids particularly enjoy. There are an additional two halls for changing exhibits.

You and your kids can roam the nature paths and visit the well stocked gift shop, full of educational items. I can vouch for the fascination kids (and adults) have at this Museum. It is a very comfortable museum that in my experience is rarely is crowded. The "Museum Backyard" area and gardens has a picnic area, stream and other enjoyable features. The pond and stream often have tadpoles that captivate the kids.

The museum is open 7 days a week from 10am to 5pm and is closed certain holidays. As of May 2025, admission is $19 for adults, $17 for 65+ seniors and teens (13-17) and $14 for children 2 to 12 years of age. Become a Museum member and you don't have to pay for admission. Tax-deductible family memberships are currently start at $109 per year.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is located at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, Santa Barbara. More information at www.sbnature.org or 805.682.4711.

California Oil Museum in Santa Paula

SUMMER 2022: THE CALIFORNIA OIL MUSEUM IS CURRENTLY CLOSED BUT IS MAKING SOME CHANGES. CHECK FOR UPDATES ON THEIR WEBSITE AT WWW.CAOILMUSEUM.ORG. (NO UPDATES AS OF MAY 2025)

The California Oil Museum at 1001 E. Main Street, Santa Paula (corner of Main and 10th) is the birthplace of Union Oil Company (aka Unocal and more recently acquired by Chevron in 2005).

The building was completed on October 17, 1890. at the Santa Paula Hardware Company Building, with the Union Oil Company offices upstairs. The company’s main headquarters moved to Los Angeles in 1900, but the building continued to serve as a field division office.

The Union Oil Museum was established in 1950. In 1990, the building was restored to its original appearance for its centennial celebration. Click here for an early picture of the building. The building is also a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum has one of the largest displays of vintage gas pumps in California. There is a turn of the century (20th century, that is) drilling rig, various displays, videos, working models and gas station memorabilia as well as rotating exhibits about science, technology and transportation as well as other local exhibits on hand.

As of spring 2022, admission was a suggested donation of $5 per person. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm.

More information at www.caoilmuseum.org or 805.933.0076.

Left side of California Oil Museum on 10th Street

Display in the rig building.

Port Hueneme Historical Museum

The Port Hueneme Historical Museum is located at 220 Market Street in Port Hueneme.  Built in 1925, the Museum houses historical artifacts, photographs, and information on the history of the Hueneme area. Architect Myron Hunt designed the building, and he was also responsible for designing the Bard Mansion, Huntington Library, and the Ambassador Hotel.

The Museum is open from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (as of February 2025).  Displays are maintained by the Department of Recreation and Community Services and the Historical Commission. Visit www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=939 for more information.

Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society's Railroad Visitor Center in Fillmore

The Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society was established in 1993 to help preserve and restore the railroad corridor between Montalvo and Saugus. This corridor, known as the Southern Pacific Santa Paula Branch, is a unique and historical local community asset.

Stop by the Railroad Visitor Center, located at 455 Main Street, Fillmore, on Sundays between noon and 4 p.m. and check out historical artifacts, information and photographs, a large model train setup, gift shop, theater and more.

More information at www.scrvrhs.com or call 805.524.2254.

We stopped by the Sespe Creek Car Show at Fillmore & Western yesterday (4th of July) and while we were there walked into the Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society Railroad Visitor Center at 455 Main Street, Fillmore. We've been in here several times before with the model trains all running and the kids sit there mesmerized by them.

Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park

The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park features a bookstore, a display of marine aquatic life, including a tidepool, and exhibits featuring the unique character of each park island. Visitors also can enjoy the 25-minute park movie, “A Treasure in the Sea,” shown throughout the day in the auditorium.

The visitor center is located at 1901 Spinnaker Drive in Ventura at the end of Spinnaker Drive, past Ventura Harbor Village and across the street from the kid-friendly Harbor Cove Beach. It is open 8:30 am until 5 pm daily. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

On weekends and holidays at 11 am and 3 pm, rangers offer a variety of free public programs about the resources of the park. Learn more on the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm or call 805.658.5730.

Robert J. Lagomarsino was born in September 1926 in Ventura County. He served in the California Senate from 1961 to 1974 and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1974 until 1992. He is also a former mayor of Ojai. As a State Senator, he introduced the first legislation authorizing a public university for Ventura County. He passed away in 2021.

Camarillo Bird Museum (Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology)

The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (WFVZ) is a non-profit based in Camarillo at 439 Calle San Pablo. Informally referred to as the Camarillo Bird Museum, the 22,000 square foot facility is home to one of the largest collections of eggs and nests in the world. The collections include approximately 250,000 sets of bird eggs (equal to over 1 million individual eggs), representing at least 4,000 bird species from around the world. There are also over 18,000 nests, the largest collection of its kind in the world. And over 56,000 bird study skin specimens from over 100 countries.

The Foundation's fundamental mission is to obtain, protect, and manage ornithological collections in a manner that ensures their accessibility to researchers, educators, students, and the public, and to ensure that the materials are used in projects that contribute to the conservation of the world's wild bird species.

The museum offers guided and unguided tours on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm. Guided tours are $10. Self-guided tours are $7.

Visit www.wfvz.org for more information or call 805.388.9944.

Museum of Military History Posters and Memorabilia at the Simi Valley Town Center

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10049 and Simi Valley Town Center host an impressive display at the Museum of Military History Posters and Memorabilia. 

Hundreds of military posters and historical artifacts are on display that were graciously provided by local veterans and collectors. Artifacts include old weapons, munitions, posters, newspapers, uniforms and much more. Several Vietnam Veterans were on hand, imparting stories and background information to us as we strolled around.

Hours are 11am to 4pm on weekends and noon to 3pm on Wednesdays. There is no admission fee, though donations are encouraged to support local veterans.

More info at vfwpost10049.org/museum (URL not working as of May 2024) or call 805.578.1539.

Military Mule with armament (not live of course lol) on display.

Aviation Museum of Santa Paula

The Aviation Museum of Santa Paula is open the first Sunday of each month, with a "Chain of Hangars" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Closed if there is rain. FREE (but donations are appreciated).

Hangar Number One is the first in the museum's chain of hangars. It tells the story of the founding of Santa Paula Airport in 1930. Each of the privately owned hangars houses a variety of vintage aircraft and privately owned collections of memorabilia, from antique radios to race cars. Several other aircraft owners put their antique aircraft on display and many vintage aircraft also fly in each month.

A museum tram is available to save you some steps between hangars. The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 723 offers free airplane rides to kids ages 8-17. The Museum's Gift Hangar, located inside CP Aviation, offers a variety of toys and apparel for airplane buffs of all ages.

More information at www.aviationmuseumofsantapaula.org or call 805.525.1109. The Aviation Museum is located near the corner of Santa Maria Street and 8th Street in Santa Paula. More info at this link.