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    Henry T. Oxnard Historic District

    5.0 (1 review)
    Open Open 24 hours

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    10579

    3 years ago

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    Dudley House - Gift shop.

    Dudley House

    4.3(6 reviews)
    6.4 mi

    This vintage 1892 house was the home of successive generations of the Dudley family up to the…read more1970s. The house was originally situated at the corner of Telegraph and Ashwood. The old girl is in remarkably good condition for 131 years old (I think she's had some work done). The interior is set up to reflect daily life in Ventura in the early 1900s. Many of the furnishings inside are original pieces the family used in their daily routine. One imagines the difficulty of cooking a meal on the vintage stove, or how exhausting it would be to iron clothes with a pair of ten pound irons (they had two so one would always be hot, forget taking a break for two damn minutes), or making a phone call on the old crank style phone (the Dudley's had one of the first telephones in Ventura). The house is open to the public on the first Sunday of every month. Admission is free. You can learn a lot about the Dudley family and life in turn of the century Ventura from the docents on duty. The docents here are very informative and exceptionally good at contextualizing everything you see. They share as much about the Dudley family as they do about the house. Attired in appropriate period clothing, their narrative really captures and holds your attention. All of the above is why I rate The Dudley House five stars. I encourage you to visit. But this place isn't for me. This place gives me the creeps. See, as it turns out, this is a haunted house. This isn't something that is well-known at all. But I tell you, I knew before I even set foot on the property that there was an evil presence here. Yet, whatever presence I was sensing didn't seem malevolent, so I ventured inside. I took the tour. Just after the tour started, I was surprised and a little shocked when one of the other guests straight up asked the Docent if the place was haunted. It seemed like the question came out of left field. Sure, people often ask that question about any old wood frame house. But I've gone on a great many tours of historical homes and adobes across the Southland and I've never heard someone ask it during any other Docent's spiel. And just to reiterate, this site is not at all well known for being a haunted house. I've read a lot about the house online and there's no mention of the house being haunted. Even so, as I said, I had a sense about the place from the get go. And then, seemingly from out of nowhere, this question from another guest. The question surprised me, but the answer didn't. The Docent answered Yes. According to our Docent, some people say that The Dudley House is haunted by at least two ghosts. I mentally patted myself on the back and said, Mikey, you totally called it. (Lol) But then I come to find out the evil here is much, much than just a couple ghosts. And it's personal. See, this was a farm house, or ranch house, whatever way you want to call it. The Dudley's grew walnuts. On the other side of Telegraph Avenue they had a sprawling walnut orchard. In addition to walnuts, in the fertile fields where Ventura College now stands, the Dudley family grew Lima Beans. The Dudley Family made their fortune growing and selling Lima Beans. Hearing that made my skin crawl. Immediately I knew that was the dark presence I sensed before I sat foot on the property. Lima Beans. Lima Beans were once one of my most despised vegetables. I say "once" because now, as an "adult," I love Lima Beans. But when I was a kid I was haunted by the damned things. Because more than once they were the vegetable in the old "You're going to sit there until you finish your vegetables" game parents used to like to run at Dinner Time. I don't think many parents play that mess these days, but when I was growing up it was a thing. For so many years I considered Lima Beans to be concentrated evil that it's impossible to shake that association. It doesn't matter that I like them now. I'm still haunted by the things. And there I was. I was standing in the house of the guy that grew the beans that I hated so much for so long. It was chilling, yo! Not taking any stars off. It really was a great tour led by a very knowledgable Docent. But this place ain't for me. Mikey C says: You go ahead inside, Ima sit in the car and listen to the radio.

    Plan ahead to visit this gem in eastern Ventura. They're only open to the public on the first…read moreSunday of each month for guided tours of the Dudley family home. While the clan's land holdings were once large, as befitting a farm family, the Victorian home they built was adequate, not a big mansion. The house features Victorian-era craftsmanship, highlighted during our visit with bunting ahead of the 4th of July holiday. The docents all dressed in period costumes to further highlight the times when the home was built. Many Dudley family possessions are displayed throughout the house. Though it's a museum, it doesn't feel fussy. Its aura is that of a well-loved family gathering place with music and games in the parlor, and scratch-made biscuits in the kitchen. The docents are delightful - knowledgeable and welcoming. They bring humor and life to the tour around the common rooms and five bedrooms. Tucked into the largest bedroom downstairs sits a small gift shop. I understand their pride and joy is their holiday boutique in December. They decorate the home for the occasion and it must be all volunteers on deck for the event. We'll have to check it out this year. Very glad that the Passport 2 History led us to Dudley House.

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    Henry T. Oxnard Historic District - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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